Reviews of The Planets: Reimagined
“Levy has delivered a thrill ride of a program. He frequently turns a movement into a compact mini-suite, with dramatic shifts in volume and mood. With The Planets: Reimagined, Levy has proven once again that iconic, often-heard works can inspire fresh, innovative music.”
— Bobby Reed - Downbeat
"Levy has done something much more worthy than simply borrow Holst’s language or swing his rhythms. Like all major jazz transformations of classical masterworks – such as the Ellington-Strayhorn “Peer Gynt” Suite (based on Grieg’s original) or Wynton Marsalis’ “The Fiddler’s Tale” (from Stravinsky’s “L’Histoire du Soldat”) – Levy has made something new and invigorating of the original.”
— Howard Reich - Chicago Tribune
"Bristling with the kind of energy Deodato brought to his classical reworkings, Levy makes his mark with this big band jazzed up version of The Planets. With it’s spare-no-expense presentation, he’s left a work that’s going to take some doing to top."
— Chris Spector - Midwest Record
“To state the matter clearly, this is awe-inspiring music, lovingly recast by Levy to suit a contemporary audience. A masterpiece? Such an opinion is always problematic and personal. Nevertheless, based by and large on Levy’s creative vision and artistry, the verdict here is “yes.”
—Jack Bowers - All About Jazz
THE PLANETS, OP.32:
COMPOSED BY GUSTAV HOLST
ARRANGED BY JEREMY LEVY
1. MARS 7:20 | The Bringer of War
2. VENUS 5:50 | The Bringer of Peace
3. MERCURY 3:39 | The Winged Messenger
4. JUPITER 7:38 | The Bringer of Jollity
5. SATURN 9:23 | The Bringer of Old Age
6. URANUS 5:38 | The Magician
7. NEPTUNE 7:36 | The Mystic
PRODUCED BY JEREMY LEVY
CO-PRODUCED BY ALEX BUDMAN
MIXED & MASTERED BY STEVE BAUGHMAN
ARRANGER & CONDUCTOR
Jeremy Levy
SAXOPHONES
Alex Budman, Kevin Garren, Jeff Driskill, Glen Berger, Tom Luer, Ken Fisher
TRUMPETS
Rob Schaer, Javier Gonzalez, Michael Stever, Mike Rocha
TROMBONES
Alex Iles, Francisco Torres, Andy Martin, Juliane Gralle, Steve Hughes
RHYTHM
Andrew Synowiec (Guitar), Andy Langham (Piano), David Hughes (Bass), Jamey Tate (Drums), Brian Kilgore (Percussion)
Mankind is believed to be 300,000 years old, but that pales in comparison to our solar system, which is 15,000 times older, at 4.5 billion years. As long as humans have existed, we have looked up to the sky, fascinated by what could be out there. This thought has inspired artists, astrologists, and musicians such as British composer Gustav Holst, who a little more than a century ago composed his suite “The Planets.” Initially for two pianos, he then expanded the score for full orchestra.
Holst’s work, influenced by each planet’s astrological character, has now inspired Jeremy Levy to adapt and arrange this orchestral suite for his big band. The result is this recording, and it’s fantastic.
Levy masterfully adapted and transformed Holst’s musical themes into gripping, thundering, and swinging big band anthems. He stayed true to Holst’s initial emotions towards each planet but elevated the pieces to stratospheric jazz works.
The performances by the musicians of Levy's stellar band match his writing in level of excellence. The result is a true masterpiece that Holst himself would have appreciated—one that is here to stay for another few billion years!
Chris Walden
Los Angeles, May 2020
I have adored Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” as long as I can remember. It was the first piece of music I ever studied in depth, and when I’d revisit the work every few years I’d inevitably discover something fascinating and new. After witnessing the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra’s magnificent performance in the summer heat, I knew what I had to do. Ten months later, I had completed “The Planets: Reimagined.”
Each movement required a new frame of reference. My original inspirations were the Afro-Cuban rhythms from my time spent in Miami, the classic swing of the Count Basie Orchestra, the hard-grooving shuffles of the Buddy Rich Big Band, the progressive rock fusion of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and the acoustic guitar-driven jazz of the Pat Metheny Group. This record is the distillation of all these influences mixed with my love of the symphony orchestra.
This project could never have happened without the generous contributions of my Kickstarter backers. I cannot thank you enough for helping me cross the finish line on this massive project.
I’d also like to thank Gary Lindsay, John Daversa and the University of Miami Concert Jazz Band, Tim Davies, Alex Budman, Jamey Tate, and the rest of my amazing Los Angeles musician family. Special thanks to my wife Cleo, who encouraged me to take on this project in between the constant diaper changes and naps of our newborn daughter, Stella.
Jeremy Levy
Los Angeles, May 2020
Produced by Jeremy Levy
Co-produced by Alex Budman
Recorded by Adam Michalak at Hollywood Scoring & Jamey Tate at The Workshop, Los Angeles, CA
Additional recording at House of Syn & 206 Studios
Recorded July, 2019 & November, 2019
Mixed & Mastered by Steve Baughman at Next Level Mastering, Sherman Oaks, CA
Arrangements published by Smoothly Textured Music
Cover photos by Elina Sazonova, NASA
Cover design & Layout by John Bishop
