bird and beckett books and recordsMario Guarneri founded the Jazz in the Neighborhood (JITN) organization, to advocate for better compensation and working conditions for jazz players. JITN will launch its new Guaranteed Fair Wage Fund for jazz musicians with a performance by the Grant Levin Trio at Bird & Beckett Books and Records in San Francisco’s Glen Park neighborhood on Nov. 19.  The Bird & Beckett bookstore has advocated financial respect for musicians since owner Eric Whittington first started hosting live jazz there, in 1999.

Read the full article at The San Francisco Classical Voice (SFCV) here.

 

Grant Levin in Tiffany Austin Band SF Jazz

Vocalist Tiffany Austin and her band Howard Wiley on saxophone, bassist Ron Belcher, drummer Sly Randolph and pianist Grant Levin took the stage at SFJAZZ’s Joe Henderson Lab to celebrate her debut Nothing But Soul (Con Alma Music) June 12, 2015.

From the review by award winning photographer and writer Walter Atkins in All About Jazz Continue reading

Hawkee Grant LevinBruce Lindsay, All About Jazz shared a very positive review of the collaboration album Hawkeye, with the group, formed by bassist Sam Bevan and drummer Bryan Bowman, and pianist Grant Levin and Japanese saxophonist/flautist Mas Koga.

“Bevan takes the lion’s share of the writing credits, with six tunes to his name. “Hawkeye” and “Miraje” both swing beautifully and give Levin and Koga the chance to stretch out with some melodic soloing. “Reverence for All Things Small” is performed by Bevan, Levin and Bowman—it’s a spacious ballad that showcases Bevan’s distinctive bass sound and Levin’s sparkling piano.”

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Grant Levin Jazz Pianist
Photo: John Sebastian Russo, The Chronicle

“The Fillmore Jazz Festival, in its 26th year, is billed as the largest free music fair of its kind on the West Coast. Nearly 100,000 spectators are expected over the Fourth of July weekend – the festival continues today – and more than two dozen bands were lined up.

The music is mostly jazz, of course, plus gospel and rhythm and blues, and bands with Asian, Cajun, Latin and other ethnic influences. […] Read more

Photo: Pianist Grant Levin plays the piano as part of the Dave Rocha Quintet during the Fillmore Jazz Festival on Saturday, July 3, 2010 in San Francisco, Calif.