Rozanne Levine

ALTO CLARINET; CLARINET; BAMBOO FLUTE; COMPOSITION

Rozanne Levine was introduced to the jazz/new music community as a performer with William Parker and Patricia Nicholson Parker's Centering Music/Dance Ensemble during the late 1970’s. Her work with the Parkers is documented on the Eremite release, “Through Acceptance Of The Mystery Peace/The Music Of William Parker”. Throughout the1980’s and 1990's she performed in saxophonist/clarinetist Mark Whitecage's Glass House Ensemble, playing both clarinet and Whitecage's sound sculptures. In 1993 she rejoined the Parkers as a founding member of their New York-based Improvisors Collective, performing in the Collective Orchestra and with Collective members in smaller ensembles as well as at Collective Festivals. During her 3-year tenure with the Collective she formed two ensembles , Crystal Clarinets and the Clarinet Choir, which performed at Roulette and the Tri-Centric Festival in New York City and The Buttonwood Tree in Connecticut.

In 1999 Levine and Whitecage formed a touring duo, RoMarkable, to showcase their acoustic and electronic forays. They recently performed at the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies in Rhinebeck, NY. They toured the US in the summer of 2002 and were featured at the “Converge” art/science series at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, NJ as well as at The Bop Shop in Rochester, NY and The Buttonwood Tree in Middletown, CT. They performed in Portland, Oregon at various clubs and festivals with the Bi-Coastal Orchestra in 2004 and 2005.

Ms. Levine currently leads Chakra Tuning, with Mark Whitecage, clarinetist Perry Robinson and violinist/vocalist Rosi Hertlein. The music of Chakra Tuning weaves in and out of melodies, exploring rhythms, moods and inner space in a transforming, unfolding journey. Rozanne Levine’s compositions form the thematic material from which the musicians improvise, each artist adding their distinct voice to the mix. Ms. Levine draws inspiration for her compositions from myths from China to New Zealand, cosmologies and spiritual traditions both east and west, and current events, out of which she and her band mates weave a musical tapestry. Bird whistles, ocarinas, half horns, Native American rattles, percussion, Rozanne’s photographs, and storytelling play a part in the group sound. Chakra Tuning embarked on a 5-state U.S. tour in March 2011, and has appeared at 28 Hours of Innovative Art, Roulette, Tonic, and the Yippie Museum Cafe in New York City, and at the First Annual Hudson County Performing Artists’ Showcase in Union City, NJ. the group released their highly-praised debut CD, Only Moment, in 2009, on Ms. Levine and Mr. Whitecage's label, Acoustics.

Ms. Levine also performs with Mark Whitecage and The Bi-Coastal Orchestra, a group of East and West Coast musicians that includes guitarist Scott Steele, pianist Bill Larimer and drummer Robert (Mike) Mahaffay. In 2005 they released their debut CD, “BushWacked - A Spoken Opera” on the Acoustics label.

She has performed with Anthony Braxton, The New Reed Quartet, Jason Kao Hwang, Jackson Krall, Theo Jorgensmann, Blaise Siwula, and Richie Nagan & Who Knows?, among others. She appeared in Johnny Reinhard's Microtonal Festival and appears annually in vocalist Nicki Mathis' Many Colors of a Woman Jazz Concert, and she has been a staple of various Clarinet Choirs.

Ms. Levine is also a noted photographer and has given several concerts where her photographs were integrated into her scores and exhibited. The Painted Bride Art Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania awarded her a commission grant for both her music and photographs. A gallery of her performance photographs is on the internet at www.erjn.it/gallery/levine.htm

Press Quotes:

“Rozanne Levine has done remarkable work with Mark Whitecage in various musical settings, but ‘Only Moment’ is a treasure even by their lofty standards. … Levine’s rich sonorous alto clarinet is palpable on songs like the opening ‘Blues Lullaby in F’ and the moody, brooding ‘Lost Freedoms’ … Free form interplay abounds … When the horns blend together, the harmonies are rich and thick … Winsome and winning, ‘Only Moment’ is another amazing gem from Whitecage and Levine.” - George Harris, All About Jazz

“As soon as one spins ‘Only Moment’…the room is pervaded by presences resembling spirits of wellbeing. Right away, the clarity of every note played, the consistency of the amalgamation among the musicians and a sense of shared endeavor for the abolishment of narrow-mindedness contribute to a private feeling of enjoyment which is absolutely not based on something “easing the nerves”, or plain silly. With each listen we find ourselves perseveringly intent in attempting a veritable penetration of every sound … The music comes out smoothly and extremely physically at once, influenced by so many things �” natural occurrences, bird talking, native Indian chants, theatre �” that the tracks might represent different segments of a being’s life cycle … Listening to these artists reveal their fundamental nature through the full command of the instruments is just amazing. All kinds of clarinets, saxophones, ocarinas, bird whistles and percussion are utilized by the nominal leader and her long-time male companions, while Hertlein - a mean violinist - also sings and handles additional percussive chores with the same nimbleness. The artists' technique might be admirable, and indeed it is. But what really wins for me is the sort of opposition to hopelessness that this gorgeous recording generates as early as the circulation of the first notes in the air.” - Massimo Ricci, Touching Extremes

“Rozanne Levine and her mates are pure musicians, using nature as a touchstone for their musical debate. …The three reedists, Levine, Mark Whitecage and Perry Robinson, sound a spirited interplay of voices that, along with violinist/percussionist Rosi Hertlein’s foggy mourn and branch-snapping alarms, pulls you deeper into the forest. The cacophony of life only grows in variety and wonder.” - Matt Marshall, Jazz Inside Magazine

“Rozanne Levine’s Chakra Tuning … is a ritualistic exploration of space, timbre and communication … this disc subsumes the clarinetist’s delicate weavings of breath, line, voice and gesture into the group’s fabric. Even when the foursome surge and pirouette, ‘Only Moment’ retains an extraordinarily meditative, almost therapeutic quality.” - Clifford Allen, Signal to Noise

“It is spiritual music in its essence, but also an adventurous journey into musical form and dialogue, intense at times, then more relaxed and probing, now full of unexpected turns and interactions. All four musicians are excellent instrumentalists and their open dialogue is really worth hearing … the real joy is in the intimate dialogue between the four musicians.” - Stef Gijssels, freejazz-stef.blogspot.com

“I love the record, and it has been sitting in my 'heavy rotation' pile … Congratulations on that.” - Brian Morton, editor, The Penguin Guide to Jazz

“This is a remarkable CD and music making of the highest order. I have been playing it on my show and will certainly continue to do so.” - John Hammel, host, “Mozart to Motorhead”, HomeGrownRadioNJ.com

“The first piece, 'Blues Lullaby in F' is a lovely, somber piece for solo clarinet which I found to be completely sublime. 'Thunder Talks' begins with just subtle percussion, ocarina, voice and other exquisite earthy sounds. It has an organic elegance that I find to be ever so fine, like meditating on the sounds of the forest. On 'Lost Freedoms' we hear a few layers of clarinets that sound orchestral, with superb harmonies. There is a unique blend and sound here that is quite magical. Perhaps it is the subtle electronics that Mark Whitecage employs that makes this so special. Although each clarinet is distinct with its own sound, the combination of three strong players makes this a particularly wonderful tapestry.” - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Proprietor, Downtown Music Gallery

Awards:

Commission Grant From The Painted Bride Art Center, Philadelphia, PA: “Photographs/Sound Sculptures/Music in Exhibit and Performance”