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Jed Levy

Saxophonist Jed Levy has been a mainstay on the New York jazz scene for over 20 years. In addition to performing and recording as a leader, he has had long standing working relationships with such jazz luminaries as Jaki Byard (a musical mentor, 3 recordings and countless performances), Don Patterson, Jack McDuff (valuable road experience), Ron McClure (2 CDs and ongoing performances), and Headhunters drummer Mike Clark (2 CD's and new projects in the works.)

He has also been fortunate to have worked with, Junior Mance, Eddie Henderson, Jack Walrath,The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Shirley Scott, Kevin Mahogany, Gene Bertoncini,Don Friedman,Cedar Walton, Curtis Fuller, Chico O'Farrill, Attilla Zollar, Groove Holmes, Tom Harrell, and many others.

Levy has toured Japan as a leader and appeared at several international jazz festivals as well as leading bands at such New York venues as Sweet Basil, Blue Note, Birdland, Visiones and Zinno.

Diversity has been the key to Levy's success on the New York scene. A recent week found him moving from a concert with the Cab Calloway Orchestra to a night with Mike Clark and Charley Hunter at the Knitting Factory, to the Apollo Theater with the Temptations and the Four Tops, to Birdland with Chico O'Farill's Afro Cuban Orchestra.

In his presentations as a leader, as well as in his compositions, Levy tries to incorporate these varied musical experiences. His compositions have been recorded by such artists as the Headhunters, Don Friedman, Eddie Henderson, and Mike Clark.

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5
Album Review

The Peter Leitch New Jazz Orchestra: New Life

Read "New Life" reviewed by Jack Bowers


After what Canadian-born guitarist Peter Leitch has been through in the last eight years, it's little wonder he named the ensemble he now leads the New Life Jazz Orchestra. Diagnosed in 2012 with stage 4 lung cancer, Leitch faced the choice of throwing in the proverbial towel or undergoing career-ending cancer treatment. He chose the latter, reluctantly setting aside his instrument of choice and continuing his musical career as a composer, arranger and conductor of an orchestra whose library consists ...

219
Album Review

Jed Levy: One Night At The Kitano

Read "One Night At The Kitano" reviewed by George Kanzler


Some live jazz albums transport the listener. If you shut your eyes, you can picture the dim lights of the candles on the tables, the clinking sound of ice cubes falling into glass tumblers... you might even find yourself looking around for someone to take your drink order. One Night at The Kitano makes you feel like you are out at the midtown jazz spot. Joined by Bill Mays on piano, Ugonna Okegwo on bass and Billy ...

392
Album Review

Jed Levy: Evans Explorations

Read "Evans Explorations" reviewed by Elliott Simon


Explorations (Riverside, 1961) is one of two landmark studio recordings from the Bill Evans trio that, through chordal voicings, a classically-based style and egalitarian instrumental interplay, moved the jazz piano trio toward impressionism and away from a rhythmic approach. It still sounds amazingly contemporary and the task that tenor saxophonist Jed Levy has set for himself in his explorations of a piece of the Evans digest using his tenor trio is a daunting one. Levy succeeds remarkably well through his ...

421
Album Review

Jed Levy: Gateway

Read "Gateway" reviewed by Budd Kopman


Some players seem to enjoy the adventure of not knowing with whom they are going to play with next, while others would rather develop the interpersonal communication that can only come with time. Since jazz is, at its core, an improvisational art, playing in the moment is the ideal, with different kinds of music requiring different musical reflexes. Jed Levy, as demonstrated on the most attractive Gateway, lives in the mainstream world, but one that is filled ...

152
Album Review

Jed Levy: Gateway

Read "Gateway" reviewed by Terrell Kent Holmes


Listening to Gateway, by tenor man Jed Levy, is like walking along a familiar street and being pleased by previously unnoticed nuances in the architecture of a building. Levy's tunes are small samples of exploration. With a different number of bars, a key change or a different tempo, Levy takes the listener to unexpected places. The title cut defines Levy's approach to playing and composing. Time signatures change, various keys are explored as they rise, fall and ...

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Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

New Life

Jazz House
2021

buy

Blueprints of Jazz...

Point of Departure, WMPG-FM
2011

buy

Evans Explorations

SteepleChase Records
2009

buy

One Night At The...

SteepleChase Records
2009

buy

Gateway

SteepleChase Records
2007

buy

Good People

Unknown label
1988

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