Contact: TheLevins at yahoo.com

--------------------------------------------------

MY FRIEND HAFIZ charted #17 on the Folk DJ Radio Chart in March!  And...

The Levins were #25 on the list of top artists!  woo-hoo!  Out of over 13,000 plays and 146 DJ lists, we were #25.

It's very exciting to us to have these songs based on the poetry of Hafiz (as rendered by Daniel Ladinsky) on the airwaves across the world. The  Netherlands, New Zealand, Israel, England, Germany, Canada and of course, across the nation.

 

We are grateful to all the DJ's who have been spinning Hafiz tracks including :

Taylor Caffery (WRKF-FM/ NPR, Baton Rouge, LA), John Platt (WFUV-FM, NYC), Allan Nelson (BBC, U.K.),

 

Peter van Zeijl (Dollard Radio-FM, The Netherlands) , Menachem Vinegrad (Upper Galilee-FM, Israel),

Mark Michaelis (WGDR-FM, VT), Laurie DesJardins (KVMR-FM, CA), Julie Miller CFLX, Canada, Bill Hahn, ( WFDU-FM, NJ)

John McLaughlin (WMUC-FM, MD) and the list goes on...

 

__________________________________________________________________

 

Our first new review by journalist/writer, Tim Carroll of www.FolkWords.com says...

"They thread their musical tales through beautifully fused, engaging harmonies and an enticing melange of ancient and modern instruments to lead the listener down vaguely remembered dreamlike paths that alternate between long-ago shadows to manifestations of the present."

"This album encourages references to an elusive folk-rock acoustic mix that flourished when the world was younger and life pledged a hopeful simplicity – and that’s where this music leads. Those of us that recall that anticipatory assurance will welcome its return with ‘My Friend Hafiz’."

Thanks Tim! Read the full review HERE!

"This is one of those cd's that creeps up on you (at least me!) and these are the kinds of releases that often become a favorite of mine.... with new tracks connecting with you on each new listen."

-Mark Michaelis (WGDR-FM, VT)

 

"Sensational work guys..the lyrics here are just brilliant..and when those voices work together, with the simple, uncluttered arrangements, like on "lines in the land", it's just beautiful.” -Mike White Presents London, UK

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A TRIBUTE TO CHARLES DICKENS:  New Video / Song:

"Raise Your Glass to Charles Dickens!"

7 Dickens Novels in under 7 minutes summarized in song by The Levins!  Huzzah!

See the stop action animation video here or  above.

Share it with your friends!

Raise Your Glass to Charles Dickens- Extra Extras!! :

Interested in playing the song?  Lead sheet, guitar chords, lyrics and more!

Download the single of Raise Your Glass to Charles Dickens at iTunes here

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We were grateful to be the featured artist in the October issue of  Acoustic Live in NYC and Beyond!

"When Ira and Julia make a musical statement, it's tough to resist. Why bother? The Levins are an invitation to a love-in and everyone is invited. Just show up and enjoy the radiance."

Richard Cuccaro is an insightful writer (we think so! ) and his newsletter is a sought-after resource for musicians and music enthusiasts in the Northeast. A part of the fast-folk movement in NYC, Richard has been contributing to and upholding the integrity and forward movement ever since.  We are honored by his support and encouragement.

"there is no confusion, especially regarding talent once Ira and Julia Levin start to sing. A configuration of harmony and melody lights up the area. Their voices fit together like water and ice, heat and steam. Something joyful explodes inside the listener's chest like a Roman candle. Their effect may, in fact, begin before they start to play.  Even at first glance, Ira and Julia seem to radiate a positive energy. That 'look' always keeps its promise. " www.acousticlive.com LINK TO Full article here....

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We had a wonderful time this weekend at NERFA.  The Java Love Midnight Cafe was a huge success and provided many bright moments with some dazzling performances, rich coffee and lots of comradery.   There was a tapestry of talent and mastery upholding creativity and unique expression at all hours of the day and night.  Our thanks to Java Love Coffee Roasters, all the great musicians and promoters and organizers who make NERFA such an amazing event!

I'm a bright summer day with the colors of fall... I'm all things at once and I'm nothing at all. “Barely Contained”, The Levins

We are Barely Contained...and we are stretching out each moment to harvest a little timeless joy. We've had a sweet summer performing at festivals and camps, concerts and coffee houses, wineries and listening rooms. As we watch the sunflowers and peaches wane and cattails and apples surface, we prepare for fall and winter.

We're looking ahead to great shows at Applefest in Warwick and WhereforeArts Listening Room and live webcast. All while jumping aboard the NERFA train and preparing for Fall shows and planning a midwest musical jaunt to Iowa in November.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Upcoming Release!

It's been exciting working with Mark Dann on the final recording / mixing of our upcoming re-release of My Friend Hafiz. The energy of the new tunes keep us awake as they dance in our heads at night. Look for an early 2013 release with pre-release for holiday gift options! ( just thinking ahead : )

We are grateful you are visiting us here...seeing what we are up to. Facebook Likes are still a big important plus in the eyes of the industry, so LIKE us, share the music...it's a the same vibe, whether folk, folk pop or world folk...the thread is all the same.  Uplift and connect, uplift and connect....
That's what your visit does for us.    See you out there!!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Traveling Along, Singing a song...Side by Side....

 

Celebrating ten years of marriage...and two years of doing music together full time.

We are really grateful for this, for each other and for your support along the way.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well hello, Spring...

It seems like we've spent the past few weeks thinking spring has arrived and even though the poor groundhog caught flack for predicting six more wks of winter...he was right, essentially.  Not that the buds and bulbs listened, but who could blame them? It was touch and "no", touch and "no" for a while, but I'm willing to declare Spring as of today.  And I've let Ira's tomatoes and basil know that its ok to move forward.

This month we will be playing with great musicians from the area at Cafe Vivaldi, the Astor Room and Tarrytown Street Fair and we are also looking forward to celebrating in concert with Congregation Tehillah May 6th at the Ethical Cultural Society in Bronx, NY.   Its a great way to start spring and flow into summer...  We hope to see you soon and can't thank you enough for being so supportive.   Julia and Ira / The Levins

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March News:

We were honored to be interviewed and play on Be The Change Radio WVKR - FM (March 28th). We were fortunate enough to have radio hosts, Amy and Julie, in our audience last month and afterwards they invited us to be on their ongoing radio show on Vassar College independent radio station. Amy and Julie are beautiful people who really are making a difference with their show which will be on the air four years in May.  Our show will be archived soon at http://www.bethechangeradio.org Visit http://www.wvkr.org/ - there are some great shows before and after theirs as well!

We are proud to have just finished helping a dear friend celebrate the release of her children's book "My Mama Earth" by creating a video representing the author and illustrator as presented by Barefoot Books Plublishers. Julia's vocals present the inspiring words of Susan B. Katz to a traditional melody over the soothing illustrations of Melissa Launay.  A great gift for Mother's Day or Earth Day. Visit the video here!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for visiting YouTube and watching our Cereal Days video. We are currently working on two separate recording projects but couldn't help but let Cereal Days come through, just for fun. ( okay..or a future recording project currently dubbed "Sidetracked" that will feature our novelty songs.) Download the single below for that sugar high without the calories. And stays tuned for upcoming releases.  <form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post">

<input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_s-xclick">

<input type="hidden" name="hosted_button_id" value="VKUBBGLL34TUL">

<input type="image" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_buynowCC_LG.gif" border="0" name="submit" alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!">

<img alt="" border="0" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" height="1">

</form>

Mark Dann: Bass, electric guitar, drums, tambourine

Video Created and edited by: Ira and Julia

Special Guests: Coventry-Kaluza and Sweet Mary the Cat

Thanks to Sonny Rock for spinning The Levins on WRIP 97.9 FM Local Licks Radio Show Valentine's Day. Here's a link to WRIP: http://wrip979.com/stream.html

We've been busy with a variety of special projects which we are looking forward to sharing with you soon, so stay tuned.  Check our calendar.  We're excited to play new and familiar venues...Hudson Valley, Long Island, Connecticut....if they are near you, we'd love to see you!

Thanks for listening...and for all of your support. It means SO much to us.

Thank you...Julia and Ira

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEWS from THE LEVINS : 2012 - A New Happy Year...with much NEW-ness

The calendar is filling in as we prospect and submit and reach out and sing out...and we are grateful.  We've started meeting with potential producers and those in artist development as we move forward towards our next full length CD.  We've been taking the time to toy around with the new tunes, so that when everything lines up, our music is ready and so are we.  We're having a blast, continuing to write and we'll keep you posted!

We're looking forward to a great weekend back at the Hudson Valley Resort and Spa.  This time for LIMMUD NY 2012 !  It's not only an amazing opportunity to perform, but we"ll get a chance to learn from and see some of the best, most provacative and inspiring Jewish educators and artists in the area.  In addition to our main concert, we are presenting a family music concert ( special guest- the Sephardic Rubber Chicken of Freedom ), two special singing storytelling sessions, co-leading services and performing in the final gala event.  In between, we'll be attending all the sessions, as we learned last year in England, its all too good to miss!  Visit www.LimmudNY.org for more details or www.thelevinsruach.com to find out more about bringing The Levins to your community.

Thanks for visiting and Keeping Up with The Levins! ( not as crazy as the Kardashians, but you feel much much cleaner )

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEWS from THE LEVINS   :   WINTER 2011- 2012 : A Season of Conferences and Concerts

Still inspired from NERFA and newly energized by Boston Limmud, we are looking forward to URJ Biennial, Washington D.C.,  New York Limmud.

Before then, we get the honor to be a part of the esteemed John Street Jam in Saugerties, NY as well as take part in Wintermezzo in Peekskill,NY - all with other fabulous musicians.

All details are below and we hope to see you there!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank You Boston Limmud!  www.Limmudboston.org

We had a great time Boston! It was wonderful sharing the afternoon concert with Shoshana Jedwab and joining the evening concert with Kol b’Seder, Sue Horowitz, Arnie Davidson, and Josh Nelson. Thanks for having us and great job to all those behind the scenes!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

John Street Jam : December 10th, 2011 www.johnstreetjam.net

John Street Jam: December 10^th : Saugerties, NY

A great Hudson Valley showcase of talent in an intimate setting.

Additional performers: Marc von Em, Melinda DiMaio, T-Jay, Jeff Entin and Bob Blum, Kama Linden , Stuart kabak, Jean Bratman.

Admission is $5. Doors open at 6:45, music 7:30 – 9:30. Refreshments available.

Located in the Dutch Arms Chapel near Main Street

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'Wintermezzo' : December 12^th : Songs of Seasonal Celebration

Host JAMES DURST welcomes an eclectic array of musical guests to celebrate the spirit of the season with songs both original and gathered from around the world. JAMES DURST, The YAYAS, FRED GILLEN JR., THE LEVINS, JULIE ZIAVRAS, DAVID GOLDMAN - $10 door/ $8 advanced/ $5 –tribes hill members

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

URJ  BIENNIAL : December 14^th -17^th ,  2011

The Levins perform 3:00 pm : URJ Transcontinental Stage and Friday morning with ShirLaLa. FYI -Just confirmed – President Obama is a confirmed guest speaker at the conference- very exciting!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New York Limmud : January 14^th-16^th, 2012 www.LimmudNY.org

The Levins will be performing on a variety of stages. Main event concert, family concert, and singing-story-telling sessions. More details and times TBA ... Stay tuned!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"SUN'S EYES ARE PAINTING FIELDS AGAIN..."

• 2011 CONNECTICUT FOLK FESTIVAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION WINNERS !!

A big thank you CT Folk! - it was a beautiful festival and music, environment, education...a great feast for all senses and sensibilities! It was an honor to open the evening stage for The Nields, Vance Gilbert and Leo Kottke and we are grateful to all the judges and those that helped to organize and coordinate the contest and event.    www.ctfolk.com

LOVING THE EAST COAST ! NY, NJ, PA...

It's been great getting to know our music and music industry communities of New York and New Jersey...and feeling welcome. We've been playing in the Catskills, Hudson Valley, and northern NJ.  Festivals, listening rooms, showcases and cafes, wineries and farms.  We camped at Falcon Ridge Folk Festival playing the AcousticLive.com performance showcase and evening song circles. We heard great local artists such as Spuyten Duyvil, the Ya-Ya's, Marci Gellar, Red Molly and Gandolf Murphy and truly enjoyed hearing Susan Werner (and her amazing percussionist/harmonica player) whom we've seen in CA, IA and now NY.  Unbelievable talent...   We played the AcousticLive.com showcase at the Huntington Folk Festival on Long Island last weekend and also got to be a part of the Solid Citizens performances, keeping the old folk sing-al &l t; script src="/plugins/editors/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/themes/advanced/langs/en.js" type="text/javascript"> ongs alive.

A Summer like no other....

Travelling to sing f or sweet Camp Kace in Fargo, ND/MN and Camp GetaWella in Philadelphia PA were summer highlights.  In PA, the Ryan Seacrest Foundation has incorporated live studio/radio stations in children's hospitals across the nation called The Voice and we had fun performing live in studio which is broadcast throughout the hospital. Kids could call in and make requests and ask questions. It's truly an amazing vision and gift he has offered to so many in need of connection.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Join our FACEBOOK for constant up-to-date goings-ons... or check back here from time to time. We are grateful for your encouragement.

The Levins EP Barely Contained - ready for review, for listening and your purchasing pleasure at I-Tunes and at CD Baby: http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/TheLevins