Album Notes

Award-winning Violinist Leib Levin accompanied by outstanding Jazz Trio (Garry Gregory-piano, Martin Confurius-bass, Nodar Rode-drumms) and by renowned pianist Yaron Gershovskiy (track3&7) in presentation of Jewish Folk, Pop, Classical and Religious Melodies.
CD"From Nigun to Klezmer"received nomination for
2009 JPF Music Awards.

"Mr.Levin,s tone is sonorous...Bloch,s "Nigun" is an outburst of passionate lamentation. Mr. Levin clearly identified with its rhetorical style and Judaic idiom"
(New York Concert Review,April,2008)

Association of Jewish Libraries
NEWSLETTER
February/March 2008:

Levin, Leib & Piano Trio. From Nigun to Klezmer. Portland, Or.: CD Baby, 2006. 1 Compact Disc.
"This is an exquisite collection of eight short cuts: four nigunim, interspersed with a version of "Bei mir bist du shein," a freilach, a klezmer dance piece, and a slightly longer "Dance of the reb­bitzen" by the late, respected composer George Perlman. The trio arrangements are ideal for the soulful, melodic nigunim as well as the more joyous freilachs. All of the playing is master­ful.. the piano work of Yaron Gershovsky, the musical director of the Manhattan Transfer.... The violinist at the heart of this work, Leib Levin, shows tremendous understanding of Jew­ish music. There is no showiness here; the music takes center stage. The jazz arrangements achieve a perfect fusion, avoiding the awkwardness that so often accompanies at­tempts to inject jazz into Jewish music. ... The nigunim are played with a particular reverence and appreciation, and the violin substitutes well for the wordless voice. It is suitable for all Jewish libraries that are collecting recorded music."
Beth Dwoskin, Proquest Information and Learning, Ann Arbor,MI

Recorded at: 1)Nola Rec.Studio, New York, Dec.2006 (tr.3&7)
engineers: John Post, Johanna Granich;
2) Lofish Rec.Studio, New York, Dec.2006

engineer:John P Hopkins

Leib(Leonid) Levin,received honors as violin- soloist at Moscow State Gnesins Music Academy.After emigrating to the USA,
he became concertmaster of Savannah and Omaha Symphony Orchestras and was a winner at the International Violin Competition in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil
A former member of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra,he performed under the baton of Eugene Ormandy,Robert Shaw,Curt Mazur.
As 1st violinist of the Elysium String Quartet he made New York Debut at the
Weill Recital Hall at the Carnegie Hall.Mr Levin has given numerous recitals across USA and Europe.