Leonid Levin's violin has logged more miles than the average person.
It has taken its owner far, this beloved instrument. At this point it has become an extension of Levin himself, his right-hand man, his brother in arms. From his humble roots studying music in Moscow, Russia so many years ago, Levin and his violin have travelled far and wide, often entering a twilight zone wherein dreams become reality. In his life as a hard-working musician, Levin has already experienced performing at the legendary Carnegie Hall. He was also part of an ensemble that played with the late R&B king Luther Vandross and guitar hero Eric Clapton. Those are massive achievements that Levin couldn't have imagined ever happening to him as he practiced his violin on cold, snowy evenings in Moscow.
However, Levin remains humble, even self-deprecating about what he has done and his spellbinding command of the violin. Levin began studying the violin as a child and, to him, his education is still ongoing. “I began playing the violin at age six," he recalled. “And, after more than a half-century later, I'm still learning how to do it." But don't let Levin's soft-spoken revelations about his talent lower your expectations. On his new album Great Songs from Yesterday, Levin is startling in his consistent brilliance. On Levin's version of “Summertime," his violin scorches like the sun's flames. There is intensity to his performance; it throws off sparks, giving the tired staple a jolt of youthful exuberance. In “Mack the Knife," Levin's playing creaks with the ominous tones of an older, darker time.
When Levin covers a tune, it is never a paint-by-numbers rendition. He is faithful to what made the composition survive through the ages and then interprets those strengths through the focused lens of his violin. On Great Songs from Yesterday, he leaves us nearly as speechless as the music itself.
It has taken its owner far, this beloved instrument. At this point it has become an extension of Levin himself, his right-hand man, his brother in arms. From his humble roots studying music in Moscow, Russia so many years ago, Levin and his violin have travelled far and wide, often entering a twilight zone wherein dreams become reality. In his life as a hard-working musician, Levin has already experienced performing at the legendary Carnegie Hall. He was also part of an ensemble that played with the late R&B king Luther Vandross and guitar hero Eric Clapton. Those are massive achievements that Levin couldn't have imagined ever happening to him as he practiced his violin on cold, snowy evenings in Moscow.
However, Levin remains humble, even self-deprecating about what he has done and his spellbinding command of the violin. Levin began studying the violin as a child and, to him, his education is still ongoing. “I began playing the violin at age six," he recalled. “And, after more than a half-century later, I'm still learning how to do it." But don't let Levin's soft-spoken revelations about his talent lower your expectations. On his new album Great Songs from Yesterday, Levin is startling in his consistent brilliance. On Levin's version of “Summertime," his violin scorches like the sun's flames. There is intensity to his performance; it throws off sparks, giving the tired staple a jolt of youthful exuberance. In “Mack the Knife," Levin's playing creaks with the ominous tones of an older, darker time.
When Levin covers a tune, it is never a paint-by-numbers rendition. He is faithful to what made the composition survive through the ages and then interprets those strengths through the focused lens of his violin. On Great Songs from Yesterday, he leaves us nearly as speechless as the music itself.
