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Milcho Leviev ( bg, Милчо Левиев ; December 19, 1937 – October 12, 2019) was a Bulgarian composer, arranger, and jazz pianist.


Career

Leviev was born in
Plovdiv Plovdiv ( bg, Пловдив, ), is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, standing on the banks of the Maritsa river in the historical region of Thrace. It has a population of 346,893 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is the c ...
, Bulgaria, and graduated from the Bulgarian State Academy of Music in 1960 majoring in composition under Pancho Vladigerov and in piano under
Andrei Stoyanov Andrei, Andrey or Andrej (in Cyrillic script: Андрэй , Андрей or Андреј) is a form of Andreas/Ἀνδρέας in Slavic languages and Romanian. People with the name include: * Andrei of Polotsk (–1399), Lithuanian nobleman ...
. His professional development as a composer began at the Drama Theatre in
Plovdiv Plovdiv ( bg, Пловдив, ), is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, standing on the banks of the Maritsa river in the historical region of Thrace. It has a population of 346,893 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is the c ...
. He was appointed conductor of the big band of Bulgarian National Radio after Emil Georgiev left office (1962–66). His ideas were innovative in the orchestra; pieces like ''Studia'', ''Blues in 9'' or ''Anti-waltz'' combined folklore and jazz. From 1963 to 1968, he worked as soloist and conductor of the Sofia and Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1965, embracing the idea of the writer
Radoy Ralin Radoy Ralin ( bg, Радой Ралин) (April 23, 1922 – July 22, 2004), born Dimitar Stoyanov ( bg, Димитър Стоянов), was a Bulgarian dissident, poet, and satirist. After the downfall of the communist regime, he was urged to r ...
, he founded Jazz Focus '65 with which he toured until 1970, achieving success for Bulgarian jazz and winning prizes at jazz festivals in Montreux, Sofia, and Prague. In 1970, he left Bulgaria and moved to Los Angeles. He performed again in Bulgaria in the early 1980s. He worked as composer, arranger, and pianist for Don Ellis (1970–1975) Orchestra and the Billy Cobham Band (1971–77). He toured the U.S. and Europe; he was music director for Lainie Kazan (1977–80). He gave concerts and recorded with John Klemmer,
Art Pepper Arthur Edward Pepper Jr. (September 1, 1925 – June 15, 1982) was an American alto saxophonist and very occasional tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. Active in West Coast jazz, Pepper came to prominence in Stan Kenton's big band. He was known ...
, and Roy Haynes. He toured Europe with Pepper (1980–82) and was one of the founders of the fusion band Free Flight. In 1983, he became music director of the Jazz Sessions at the Comeback Inn in Venice, California. He gave concerts in Japan with bassist Dave Holland (1983–86) and organized solo jazz recitals in Europe (1985–86). He has taught jazz composition at the University of South California and given master classes at the New Bulgarian University in Sofia. He has composed symphony and chamber works, big band, and jazz orchestra music. In the 1960s he wrote film music. He died on 12 October 2019 in Thessaloniki, Greece.


Awards and honors

As a student, he won second prize at the International Competition in Vienna for his Toccatina for piano. In 1987, he won the
Drama-Logue Award The Drama-Logue Award was an American theater award established in 1977, given by the publishers of Drama-Logue newspaper, a weekly west-coast theater trade publication. Winners were selected by the publication's theater critics, and would recei ...
for best music director given by the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts. Some of his works were published by Dick Grove Publications and the Bulgarian publishing house Nauka I Izkustvo (up to 1968). He won a prize at the National Jazz Educational Congress, a Grammy Award for arrangement, and the Honorary Gold Medal of the Académie internationale des Arts in Paris (1995). He was awarded an honorary Doctor Honoris Causa by the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts in
Plovdiv Plovdiv ( bg, Пловдив, ), is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, standing on the banks of the Maritsa river in the historical region of Thrace. It has a population of 346,893 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is the c ...
(1995) and by the New Bulgarian University.


Discography


As leader

* ''Piano Lesson'' (Dobre, 1978) * ''Blue Levis'' (Dobre, 1978) * ''What's New'' (Atlas, 1980) * ''Blues for the Fisherman'' (Mole Jazz, 1980) * ''True Blues'' (Mole Jazz, 1981) * ''Plays the Music of Irving Berlin'' (Discovery, 1982) * ''Music for Big Band and Symphony Orchestra'' (Trend, 1983) * ''Destination'' (Optimism, 1987) * ''Bulgarian Piano Blues'' (MA, 1990) * ''The Oracle'' with Dave Holland (Pan Music, 1992) * ''Up & Down'' with Dave Holland (MA, 1993) * ''Jive Sambas'' (Vartan Jazz, 1997) * ''Man from Plovdiv'' (MA, 1999) * ''Quiet Love'' with Vicky Almazidu (Ethnic Art, 2004) * ''Multiple Personalities'' (Mighty Quinn, 2006) * ''Quiet March'' (Perfect, 2015)


As guest

With Billy Cobham * '' Total Eclipse'' (Atlantic, 1974) * '' Shabazz'' (Atlantic, 1975) * '' A Funky Thide of Sings'' (Atlantic, 1975) With Don Ellis * '' Tears of Joy'' (Columbia, 1971) * '' Connection'' (Columbia, 1972) * '' Soaring'' (MPS, 1973) * '' Haiku'' (MPS, 1974) With Roy Haynes * ''
Thank You Thank You ''Thank You Thank You'' is an album by drummer Roy Haynes which was recorded in 1977 and released on the Galaxy label.Vistalite'' (Galaxy, 1979) With Gerald Wilson * '' Jessica'' (Trend, 1983) * '' Calafia'' (Trend, 1985) With Dusan Bogdanovic * ''Winter Tale'' (Doberman - Yppan, 2008) With others *
Al Jarreau Alwin Lopez Jarreau (March 12, 1940 – February 12, 2017) was an American singer and musician. His 1981 album '' Breakin' Away'' spent two years on the ''Billboard'' 200 and is considered one of the finest examples of the Los Angeles pop and R ...
, '' Breakin' Away'' (Warner Bros., 1981) * Arif Mardin, '' Journey'' (Atlantic, 1974) *
Airto Moreira Airto Guimorvan Moreira (born August 5, 1941) is a Brazilian jazz drummer and percussionist. He is married to jazz singer Flora Purim, and their daughter Diana Moreira is also a singer. Coming to prominence in the late 1960s as a member of the ...
, '' Virgin Land'' (Salvation, 1974) *
L. Subramaniam Lakshminarayana Subramaniam (born 23 July 1947) is an Indian violinist, composer and conductor, trained in the classical Carnatic music tradition and Western classical music. Early years Subramaniam was born in Madras, Madras Presidency, Br ...
, ''Fantasy without Limits'' (Trend, 1980)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leviev, Milcho 1937 births 2019 deaths 21st-century pianists Bulgarian composers Bulgarian emigrants to the United States Bulgarian jazz pianists Bulgarian people of Jewish descent Free Flight (band) members Musicians from Plovdiv Jazz pianists