jazz piano – Oren Levine, jazz pianist and songwriter

Tunes on Tuesday: On the 10:17

Photo of Oren Levine playing an electric piano and singing. Text at top left reads 'Tunes on Tuesday January 6, 2026; On the 10:17'

Why this tune? For the third year in a row, I’m taking a January song-a-day challenge organized by Kat and Sarah from Songwriting For Music Educators, which offers courses and resources for music educators who want to include songwriting in their work. I’m also taking a couple of online lyric writing workshops. I wrote today’sContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: On the 10:17”

Tunes on Tuesday: Let’s Resolve (2026)

Photo of Oren Levine playing an electric piano and singing. Text at top left reads 'Tunes on Tuesday December 30, 2025 Let's Resolve'

Why this tune? For Tunes on Tuesday this week, I went back to the New Year’s song I wrote originally at the end of 2022, making some changes to the lyrics to clean up the rhymes and make it a bit easier to sing. By “clean up” I mean trying to ensure that all ofContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Let’s Resolve (2026)”

Tunes on Tuesday: Just the Two of Us

Photo of Oren Levine playing a Yamaha Reface keyboard. Only Oren's hands and the keyboard are visible. Text at top left reads 'Tunes on Tuesday December 9, 2025 Just the Two of Us'

Why this tune? This week’s tune is the product of a dream team of musical talent that crafted a #2 hit single and a standard of the R&B repertoire. “Just the Two of Us” was written by Bill Withers, William Salter, and Ralph MacDonald, and recorded by Grover Washington Jr. and Bill Withers for Washington’sContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Just the Two of Us”

Tunes on Tuesday: People Make The World Go Round

Why this tune? I was reacquainted with this week’s tune last week when vocalist Venus Dodson included it in the set list we’re performing this month on St. Croix. “People Make The World Go Round” is a classic of the 1970s Philadelphia soul scene written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed. It was a top-30Continue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: People Make The World Go Round”

Tunes on Tuesday: The Gentle Rain

Photo of Oren Levine playing an upright piano. Text at top left reads 'Tunes on Tuesday October 21, 2025 The Gentle Rain''

Why this tune? This week’s tune “The Gentle Rain” is a gentle bossa nova composed by Luiz Bonfá that has been in my set lists for a while. Bonfá wrote it for the soundtrack of the 1966 film “The Gentle Rain,” and it was quickly picked up by jazz and pop artists as an instrumental piece orContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: The Gentle Rain”

Tunes on Tuesday: These Foolish Things

Photo of Oren Levine's hands playing an acoustic upright piano. Text at top left reads 'Tunes on Tuesday September 9, 2025 These Foolish Things'

Why this tune? I’ve been thinking about creating a workshop on lyric writing for jazz musicians, and was looking for a song to use as an example of of creative lyrics to serve as a model and inspiration. “These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)” is what songwriter Mark Winkler calls a “laundry list” song,Continue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: These Foolish Things”

Tunes on Tuesday: Beatrice

Photo of Oren Levine playing an electric piano. Text at top left reads 'Tunes on Tuesday August 19, 2025 Beatrice'

Why this tune? This week’s tune is another jazz standard and jam session favorite, Sam Rivers’ “Beatrice.” He recorded it on his 1964 album Fuschia Swing Song, after which it entered the jazz canon, with almost 150 recordings to date. According to Second Hand Songs, all of those recordings are instrumental with the exception of one trackContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Beatrice”

Tunes on Tuesday: Always and Forever

Photo of Oren Levine from above playing an electric piano. text in upper left corner reads 'Tunes on Tuesday August 12, 2025 Always and Forever'

Why this tune? Tunes on Tuesday celebrates the birthday of the great guitarist and composer Pat Metheny with one of his lovely ballads. He recorded this one on his 1992 album “Secret Story“ in a lush orchestral arrangement. I had planned to play this song this week in any case, following a chat with another musician at a jamContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Always and Forever”

Tunes on Tuesday: The Last Banana

Photo of Oren Levine playing the piano and singing. Text at top left reads 'Tunes on Tuesday June 10, 2025 The Last Banana'

Why this tune? I just spent an enjoyable weekend at the Vocal Jazz Summit in Virginia Beach, VA, learning and connecting with over 80 jazz vocalists from all over. For my spot in the vocal jam session I pulled out this song, which I wrote in 2024 as a musical apology for a breakfast offense. I was gratifiedContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: The Last Banana”

Tunes on Tuesday: Conversation

Photo of Oren Levine playing an electric piano. He is wearing a St. Croix t-shirt and headphones. Text at upper left reads 'Tunes on Tuesday June 3, 2025 Conversation'

Why this tune? I’ve heard from several songwriters that the best writing is rewriting. I’m following that principle with this week’s tune. I started working on “Conversation” in February, when I wrote the first version during a “skirmish” challenge, writing to a song prompt. I’ve gone back several times to review and improve the lyrics and the structure. I madeContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Conversation”