Mark Levine has long mastered the unusual double of piano and valve trombone, being equally skilled on both instruments. Levine graduated from Boston University in 1960 with a music degree. He moved to New York shortly afterwards, freelancing and playing with a variety of top players including Houston Person (1966), Mongo Santamaria (1969-1970), Willie Bobo (1971-1974), Joe Henderson, and Gabor Szabo. Levine relocated to San Francisco in the mid-'70s where he played with Woody Shaw (1975-1976), the Blue Mitchell/Harold Land Quintet (1975-1979), Joe Henderson, Stan Getz, Bobby Hutcherson, Luis Gasca, and Cal Tjader (1979-83). Since then Levine has primarily led his own groups. For a few years, he de-emphasized the piano and sought to make a living as a valve trombonist, but eventually realized that he could get more work as a pianist. Mark Levine has led sets for Catalyst (1976) and Concord (1983 and 1985). ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi