“Pianist Levin distinguishes himself again and again as the melodic touchstone, and on “Dear Lord,” he is without peer, going from contrasting light and dark, tone and flurry, seeking gospel wisdom from all sides without abandoning the jazz aesthetic.”
Carol Banks Weber, AXS CD review of Steve Heckman: ‘Legacy: A Coltrane Tribute’
“Grant is a breath of fresh air with his pianistic intuition and exceptional musicality. It is always an adventure and pleasure to play with him.”
John Santos, Oakland, CA
“Grant is without doubt one of the most talented pianists in the SF Bay Area and possibly the entire jazz scene at large. He is highly creative and is one of the best listeners and accompanists I have ever played with. One of only a handful of truly transcendent musical experiences I have had occurred when playing with Grant, as the interplay raised the music to incredible heights; this was one of the few times that the music was playing me, rather than vice versa. Need I say more?!”
Steve Heckman, Jazz Saxophonist, Clarinetist, Flutist, Composer
“Grant Levin’s piano style is remarkable, innovative, modern and a little unbelievable.”
Wanda Stafford, jazz singer
“Grant Levin has been without doubt one of the very top jazz pianists in the Bay Area since arriving on the scene. His talent seems to have no limitations. We’ve been lucky to present him dozens of times at Bird & Beckett, now with a steady monthly booking. His playing never fails to thrill the audience, and he never fails to put together a terrific group of collaborating musicians for each date.”
Eric Whittington, owner, Bird & Beckett Books & Records, San Francisco
“I first heard Grant Levin at a session at a friend’s house and I knew immediately how great his talent and dedication to music was just from the unique way he played. As I’ve gotten to work with him more and more and he’s played in a variety of my projects, I appreciate not only his personal voice as an improvising pianist but also the work that I can hear that’s he put into making every musical moment as good as it possibly can be.”
Erik Jekabson
“When I first hired Grant to perform with my jazz quintet, I was struck by how soulful, intelligent and virtuosic his playing was. He has a nuanced and attentive approach that transcends performance into a real conversation, rather than a jam session run amok. He is also a very humble, kind, and studious person who doesn’t mind putting in extra work to make sure the music is the best it can be.”
Tiffany Austin, Vocalist and Lyricist, Berkeley, CA