Watching newcomer Darnell Levine perform is like an unanticipated warm breeze in the dead of winter. His unapologetic vocal delivery, honest lyrics, and strong sense of melody, bring reprieve to the sometimes stagnant air of the music scene. Being compared among jazz greats and neo-soul personalities is assumed, but he remains quietly neutral on the subject-letting the music itself moderate any sentiments of association. And with his 2003 release, Vocal Sessions EP, Darnell introduced himself to Nashville, TN and by his 2005 graduation he had pushed his way to the frontlines of the urban music scene.
Born Darnell Levine Anderson, the Louisville, Kentucky native was driven into music at an early age, literally. He fell in love with music while riding in cars to and from his parents' destinations. Morning rides to work with his father exposed him to the Bee Gees, Ray Charles, The Carpenters, and Bonnie Raitt. His afternoon ride in his mother's 1986 Toyota Camry exposed him to The Stylistics, Earth, Wind, & Fire, Sam Cooke, and Luther Vandross. Darnell credits these musical inspirations as his school outside of school. Though he started out shy, by his teen years he began leading with church and local high school choirs. Meanwhile, a formally trained percussionist and self-taught pianist, Levine hadn't yet picked up a pen to write his own songs.
In 2001, he entered the University of Kentucky and became known for his singing abilities throughout the campus. He started listening to more jazz, old gospel/blues, and this new breed of music dubbed neo-soul. As his passion for music grew in college, Levine and friends cultured their gifts through the creation of miCheck (pronounced mike-check), an open mic experience for everyday students and musicians, which still exist today at Univsersity of KY. Soon he fallen in love with the hot and sweet sounds of jazz arrangements and the newly popular neo-soul movement. Equipped with this backdrop, Levine was ready to write his own words and play his own music.
In 2003, he followed his gift and relocated to Middle Tennessee State University where he earned a music business degree, and is now a fixture on the Nashville music scene. Debut album We Gon’ Use What We Got, released July 2006 has 15 tracks that are sure to fulfill the demand for a new, confidently different voice. Songs like “First Impressions” and “Table 42” give way to Darnell's storytelling abilities and his quest to balance sensitivity and humor without error. “I hope this record makes people tap their stirring wheels to good music again." Levine says. "I want people to sing along and feel good when they listen to this album from beginning to end. This is my first impression...”
