(All profits go to American Red Cross disaster relief through 10/25/05)
Shades of jazz, classical, rock & funk, with epic as well as short pieces.
(Playing time: 45 min.)
For additional audio samples and graphics from this CD, visit:
www.differentdrummusic.com/things_left_unsaid.htm
(or via 'Adam Levin website' link on this CD Baby page)
CRITIQUES:
"...a sophisticated and contemporary writer - hear him!" - Kirk Nurock, Composer/Pianist, Koch Jazz/Classical Recording Artist
"His piano playing has a great touch." - Wallace Roney, Trumpeter/Producer, Grammy Award-winning Jazz Recording Artist
"His music has the rare ability to appeal to not only musicians seeking cerebral stimulation, but also innocent ears in search of a beautiful, memorable melody." - Tricia Tahara, Singer/Songwriter, Savant (Highnote) Jazz Recording Artist
"...number one on my 'Top 40'. (Billboard's got nothing on this kid.)" - Jonathan Keezing, Guitarist/Composer, Passion Records
"He's the best blues pianist I've heard who 'doesn't play blues'... Steely Dan is in good company." - Marc Landesberg, Bass Guitarist
"...strange and beautiful." - Jane Byaela, Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist
ABOUT THE MUSIC:
"Each time I hear Adam Levin play one of his pieces - new or old - I reflexively smile and shake my head in amazement at just how good he is. If I could pin it down to only one thing....but, of course, I can't. It's easiest to start with a laundry list of the technical stuff: his encyclopedic harmonic vocabulary, his deftness with the most complex rhythmic and metric patterns, his ambitious but sold sense of structure, his stunningly beautiful and well-constructed melodies, and the way he performs it all with an acrobat's balance of drama and subtlety. But what's most impressive to me is the seemingly effortless manner in which he ties all these elements and more - across an impressively wide stylistic range - into one organic whole, bearing his unique and unmistakable stamp on every bar.
Adam's magnum opus 'ISLANDS' engages in a bit of seriously playful one-upmanship, daring the listener to keep up with him as he takes us on a rollercoaster ride through an apparently haphazard collection of themes that is ultimately revealed to be an intricately balanced construct, bringing order out of chaos just as a kaleidoscope wrings symmetrical beauty from broken glass. 'NOT COMING HOME', a bright, jazzy song-without-words, crackles with the peculiar energy of thwarted expectations. Adam lulls us with his delicate ode to self-deception 'LYING (IN MY SLEEP)', only to issue a defiantly swinging wakeup call in the form of an excerpt from 'IVORY TOWER'. In 'THINGS LEFT UNSAID', one of his most sinuous, sensuous melodies gets a rich, intimate jazz (a la Levin) treatment. And check out the great bass work! Then there's the crystalline 'MANTRA'. Initially an attempt at barebones minimalism, the embellishments of this musical mandala take it - and us - from its Reichian roots into the sublime territory that is Adam's own." - Peter Stoller
CREDITS:
Composed and performed by Adam Levin
Tenor & alto saxophones performed by Steve Wirts (on 'ISLANDS' Parts 1 & 3)
Engineered and mastered by Jay Mark, with additional mastering by The SoundLab.
For additional liner notes, visit: www.differentdrummusic.com/things_left_unsaid.htm
(or via 'Adam Levin website' link on this CD Baby page)
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Can accessible music be intelligent? And intelligent music passionate? Adam Levin tries to answer those questions with his music. Music that classical musicians have called jazz. And jazz musicians have called rock. And rock musicians? They've called it classical. With some pop, soul and funk sneaked in.
In fact, one could call Adam's work the "liberal arts" of music. One discipline is not enough. But that's predictable coming from a background of classical piano training, pop music listening, and European ("progressive") art rock, or jazz- and classical-rock fusion, and the "psychedelic" movement that ushered it in.
Adam has written well over a hundred songs and instrumental pieces, with an array of instrumentation. They run the gamut from pop to contemporary classical, sometimes combining contrasting elements. His lyrics range from the state of the heart to the state of the world, with a sense of irony, poetry, spirituality, storytelling and humor.
He has composed, written lyrics, arranged, produced, played keyboards and/or sung for numerous musical, performance and recording artists, and theatre. His songs have been accepted by major music publishing, performed at hundreds of events in North America and Europe, been featured on radio and television, and received critical acclaim.
He continues to record and perform in the New York tri-state area, including as a writer, arranger, keyboardist and vocalist for Wendy Boulding. He has written individually as well as with Wendy Boulding, David Brooks, Joe Lobell, Elena Rye Pellicciaro, Anne Ptasznik, Kathryn Sanders and Peter Stoller, nearly all of whom he has performed with.
He studied music composition, piano and musical theatre at Interlochen Center for the Arts/University of Michigan School of Music, Indiana University School of Music, and Berklee College of Music. Fortunately, he succeeded in not allowing any of it to interfere with his musical education. Despite his maverick nature, he has even received the occasional award. Even when they didn't know how to categorize his music.
You'll have to decide that for yourself.
Check out the artist's website:
http://www.differentdrummusic.comTrack List:
1. Islands, Part One: Pandora's Box
2. Islands, Part Two: Needle's Eye
3. Islands, Part Three: Testament
4. September
5. Not Coming Home
6. Lying (in my sleep)
7. Ivory Tower (excerpt)
8. Things Left Unsaid
9. Intrigue
10. Mantra
11. Groundless
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