Elliot Levine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
September 28, 1963
Smooth Jazz
Jazz pop
Electric Piano
Elliot Levine | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Elliot Brett Levine September 28, 1963 Washington, D.C., United States |
| Genres | Funk Smooth Jazz Jazz pop |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instruments | Piano Electric Piano |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Label | Artifex records |
| Website | elliotlevine |
Elliot Brett Levine (born September 28, 1963)[1] is an American pianist and keyboardist.[2] He had two record releases on the Nashville-based Artifex records label between 1999 and 2004. His CD projects have been reviewed in the Wall Street Journal Online and the Washington Post.[1] In March 2012 he was the first person to use an iPad Keytar, an iPad with a guitar strap, in a live performance posted to YouTube.[3]
Levine has toured with Wilson Pickett[4] and is a member of Heatwave[5] (Always & Forever/Boogie Nights). He has opened for Brian McKnight, Freddie Jackson, McCoy Tyner,[2] and Gerald Albright.[6] He has had the #1 song, "Urban Groove" on mp3.com, receiving over 1,000,000 downloads,[7] which was mentioned in the Wall Street Journal[2] and CNN.[7]
Levine has four internationally released CDs. He has headlined at Blues Alley[8] and the Kennedy Center. His playing has been described by Jazz Times as "showing plenty of talent, though also criticized as having "feather-weight play against heavy-leaden R&B backdrops".[9] In 2003, he scored the music to an Emmy nominated documentary, "Teens in Between".[10] His music was also used on "Inside the NBA" on TBS (TV Channel) (2001),[7] as well as an independent college movie, "Friends With Benefits" (2003). He is also featured on the worldwide Karvavena release "The Abduction of the Art of Noise".[11] He currently tours in the United States as a member of Heatwave.[12] During 2020/2021, he performed a series of streamed backyard performances which raised over $2,000 each for the Maryland Food Bank and Shepherd's Table during the COVID-19 pandemic[13] It was also reported that he is part owner of Authentic (racehorse), the horse that won the Kentucky Derby[14][15] Since 2016, Elliot Levine has provided a scholarship each year to Wheaton_High_School jazz ensemble members accepted into an accredited college. The scholarship is funded to continue for 100 years as long or as long as the school is open.[16]
