The Levin Brothers - Special Delivery (2017)

Given their ample discographies, it's surprising the Levin Brothers—keyboardist Pete and bassist Tony—haven't worked together more. Joined by their fellow Hudson Valley stalwarts, saxophonist Erik Alexander and drummer Jeff "Siege" Siegel, the bros are making up for lost time with their quartet and this first-rate live recording. Perhaps most impressive are the Levins' own compositions—both share credit on five memorable tunes here—although their thoughtful arrangement of the folk standard "Scarborough Fair" and plaintive reading of Astor Piazzolla's "Milonga del Angel" are also highlights. Ennio Morricone's treacly "Theme from Cinema Paradiso" gets the high-gloss, Narada-sampler treatment in its introduction, complete with rare cello work from Tony. It feels like a misstep among an otherwise unimpeachable set of performances that, in the words of two album titles by Pete's one-time employer Gil Evans, plunge both out of the cool and into the hot.