Just Chillin Medley

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Review - thejazzworld.com

Mike Levine has been in the game for quite some time now. His first release was  back in 1981, as co-leader of the Ross-Levine Band. Since then, mike has been releasing music as a solo artist, and also as a featured artist on some other popular albums.

Just Chillin is Levine's fourth release. The album contains 13 tracks, and some of his friends come along for the ride, including Steve Oliver, Andy Snitzer, Will Lee, Nestor Torres, and more.

Let's Do This is a groovy tune, where Levine rides that bounce beat with some funky keys. Andy Snitzer is on the sax, and these two lead instruments give you a good vibe as you listen to the rest of the album.

In Gliding, the tempo slows a little, but the energy is there with the lead piano and the wondrous guitar play by Steve Oliver. The song really has a dramatic feel to it.

Reflection is up next. In this track, you can feel the emotions coming through the keyboard play. In addition, you can really visualize a young child looking at her reflection on the lake, as she drops a rock into that reflection to achieve that slow water ripple.

You can get a taste of Miami without even being there. This track combines a little funk and a little Latin flair to keep you warm on a cool evening. As an added bonus, Nestor Torres is on the flute to finish off the feeling.

If you need a new favorite chillout track, then you may want to check out Just Chillin. The title is right on time, as the Cool factor here is off the charts. Everything is on point, the piano, the sax, the bassline, and the drums. 

The cool continues with I Found You. Levine takes charge with the piano play, and the guitar sound goes perfectly with the piano arrangement. We would love to hear an "unplugged" version of this track.

If you will be sitting out on the front porch, or relaxing in the back yard when the weather is warm, then Summer will be a great addition to that playlist. This song encompasses the slow, relaxing feeling of sitting back with a cool beverage, as you enjoy the day.

You can take a quick trip to New Orleans with Soul Gumbo. This is the type of sound you get at the numerous live venues in the Big Easy. The uptempo, hard hitting groove will get you in the mood to PARTY!

Up next, we have a nice contemporary version of Eleanor Rigby. The piano is sounding nice, the tempo is just right, and the guitar completes the sound.

We get a vocal performance on Star Gazing. LeNard Rutledge and Wendy Pederson add their talents to the mix, and this is a good blend of Smooth Jazz and R&B, that we are sure you will enjoy.

Simple Samba is up next. Hey, we will take a simple samba any day of the week if it sounds like this! This will definitely put you in a mood...

Nice And Easy offers some old school Big Band elements. The arrangement is tight, especially with the horns. You will really get some good vibes from this track.

The set concludes with On Ramp. This is a fitting end, as the sound will give you a visual of driving off into the sunset. The piano play is superb, as you can really hear a master of his craft, doing his thing.

Just Chillin offers several good tracks. If you like piano as the lead instrument, then you will want to check out this album. Add a couple of tracks to your playlist, and you will enjoy the sounds of Mike Levine.

Check out a short medley of a couple of the songs.

thejazzworld.com 

February 21, 2021 By  ExoticDJ

'Just Chillin' by Pianist Mike 

              Hans-Bernd Hülsmann

The title and cover photo of his new album already signal it, Mike Levine's Just Chillin (2021) is for relaxation. After his albums From The Heart (2006),   Thinking Of You (2011) and Star Gazing (2017) is this project his fourth album.

Pianist Mike invited numerous musician friends to his new project. They are listed in detail in the credits. The opener Let's Do This documents Levine's gripping compositional power. His lucky hand in choosing his musical accompaniment is evident in saxophonist Andy Snitzer, who clearly contours the melody in familiar fashion.

Gliding is the state of weightless floating. A fitting title for the dreamlike melody, in which Steve Oliver sets wonderful accents on the acoustic guitar. Mike is chastened by the muse as his hand slides over the keys. Sometimes it is a good decision to pause and reflect on your situation and actions. Reflection captures the moment of contemplation exquisitely.

Miami is the vibrant center of southern Florida. Anyone who has ever strolled along Ocean Drive or 5th Street in South Beach and admired the Art Deco buildings and the colorful hustle and bustle of the people will always look for this carefree attitude to life that Levine conveys to us with his song Miami featuring Nestor Torres on flute.

Of course, we also have the right to relax and simply do nothing. Because Levine gives us every reason and justification to do so with Just Chillin. The interpersonal relationship is not neglected on his album. I Found You takes on this theme in a skillful way. There's even a little improvisation on piano and guitar with Dan Warner in there.

Summer is the time of year we long for, especially in the freezing cold winter we now have in much of the northern hemisphere. Mike gives us some summer warmth with his ode to the best time of the year featuring Ed Calle on the so sweet sax. The energetic Soul Gumbo presents Mike's team in top form as you would like to see them live. Ed Calle shines in terrific shape on the saxophone.

I have already encountered the Beatles song Eleanor Rigby on many albums, for example by Marvin Thompson Jr., Jake Shimabukuro, Tony Adamo, Bob Baldwin, Lisa Lauren, Sylvia Brooks, Julia Fordham, just to name a few. Mike's interpretation speaks for the unrestricted radiance of this pop standard that has outlasted the decades.

Star Gazing was the title song of Mike's album from 2017. Now he is adding a vocal version that features the singers LeNard Rutledge and Wendy Pedersen. Both have performed together several times, especially in Miami, and are well-known show stars. Simple Samba is Mike's accolade to the Brazilian music, for which for example Antônio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim or Ary Barrosobecame style formers.

Nice And Easy sparkles with a sophisticated horn arrangement by Camilo Valencia which is perfectly implemented by trombonist Dana Teboe, trumpeters Bob Zottola and Julio Diaz furthermore saxophone player Ed Maina. The album concludes with the track On Ramp. Randy Bernsen is the soloist who proves his skills on the guitar.

Mike Levine is a thoroughbred musician who does not put himself in the foreground. His qualities grow in secrecy, in composition, in organization, in arrangement, in the selection of suitable co-players. Then, when everything is right and the album is perfect, you appreciate its quality, as with Just Chillin.

Hans-Bernd Hülsmann

                    All About Jazz

A proponent of the more relaxing side of the jazz spectrum, pianist and keyboardist Mike Levine presents his fourth album as leader, offering thirteen primarily original pieces falling decidedly within the smooth jazz category. A talented composer, Levine's music seems to eschew the core jazz tenet of improvisation in favor of catchy melodies perfect for those chilling-out moments that overwhelm us all sooner or later.

A first-call musician by anyone's count, Levine draws on his vast experience performing in various genres and in many formats from trios to big band in designing this special album. A well-established artist in Miami and the south Florida area, he calls on thirty musicians, playing in different formats, to complete this effort. From flautist Nestor Torres, and saxophonist Andy Snitzerto altoist Ed Calle as well as guitarists Steve Oliver and Randy Bernsen, among them. In reaching out to friends, including several musicians from the talent-rich Miami jazz scene, Levine assembles an impressive cast.

Opening up with the apropriately titled "Let's Do This," Levine and band do just that on a lively, percussive chart featuring Snitzer, whose exquisite solo moments slide right into the second piece, "Gliding," where guitarist Oliver takes over the tune with his light string work on a charming chart. The pianist's melodic lines come shining through. Paying tribute to the city he has called home for a long time, Levine plays joyfully and humbly on his own "Miami," accompanied well by the great Nestor Torres.

Definitely a shoulder-moving number, the title track is one of the keepers of the set featuring the leader on keyboards. Other like tunes include "I Found You," "Summer" and "Star Gazing," featuring a vocal duet from LeNard Rutledge and Wendy Petersen.

The doctor is in the house when Dr. Ed Calle lends his high-pitch alto saxophone on the rousing "Soul Gumbo." Levine provides a delicate touch on Lennon-McCartney's "Eleanor Rigby" with fusion guitarist Aaron Lebos powering the track with his rock-styled riffs.

The relaxing tunes wind down the set on the stellar "Simple Samba" and "Nice and Easy," and closes with "On Ramp," bringing one marvelous session to a smooth ending. But not for long: Mike Levine's Just Chillin is one of those albums that creates a distinct musical appetite which only repeated spins can satisfy. 

      EDWARD BLANCO March 22, 2021

                     All About Jazz