Jazz Pianist Mark Levine At Hobart’s

Pianist Mark Levine will be making a trio appearance at Hobart’s next Thursday. The list of jazz greats Levine has appeared with goes on and on, but includes Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Milt Jackson, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Farmer, Stan Getz, Chet Baker … you get the idea.

Levine has been on the job since the ‘70s as a sideman and a band leader. He is also well-known as a jazz piano teacher, author and clinician. His teaching gig is at the San Francisco Conservatory and he has been doing clinics at Jamey Aebersold jazz camps for more than 20 years. His books, “The Jazz Piano Book” and “The Jazz Theory Book” are must-haves for serious students of jazz.

A listen to his latest CD, “One Notch Up” on LifeForce Records, shows a pianist who has absorbed many jazz traditions. Levine provides a complete texture and plenty of interest without letting his sound get too thick.

“One Notch Up” captures an upbeat feel on a mix of jazz standards with a couple of Levine’s own charts. Hints of Oscar Peterson and McCoy Tyner seep into Levine’s work and you get the feeling he always knows exactly where he is headed.

The Mark Levine Trio performs at 8 Thursday at Hobart’s Jazz Lounge, downstairs at Cavanaugh’s Fourth Avenue. Admission is $6 at the door.