Howard Levy

Trio Globo has crafted a totally original voice in contemporary acoustic jazz. With roots in jazz, classical and sacred music, rhythmic influences derived from travels in six continents, and a combustible spontaneity, cellist Eugene Friesen (Paul Winter Consort), pianist and master harmonica player Howard Levy (Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Kenny Loggins, Paquito d’Rivera), and percussionist Glen Velez (Paul Winter Consort, Steve Reich) epitomize the quintessential group for the 21st century. They are true originals re-inventing their instruments in new music both personal and global. “Converging at places where world music meets folk and jazz, Trio Globo is one of the more intriguing new groups to connect the dots of convergent musics.” – Jazz Times "Eugene, Howard & Glen are magnificent players with distinct musical voices. Together they have a fresh new sound and offer a unique vision of the world of music." – Dave Brubeck “Trio Globo creates fusion in the best sense.” – Jazz Now “This is brilliantly inventive acoustic music that thrives on nuance.” – Tuscon Citizen "These are true musical citizens of the world. Amidst a pulsing energy and virtuosity, a refreshing and soaring lyricism stands out as perhaps Trio Globo's signature quality." – Paul Winter “An eclectic experience!” – Victory Review “It’s the kind of music you’d expect if you didn’t have expectations about what would happen when three singular talents gather in a room and challenge each other to play at the edge of their talents.” – KMUW ABOUT THE ARTISTS: Howard Levy Howard Levy, two-time Grammy Award Winner (Pop Music Performance and Instrumental Composition) is an acknowledged master of the diatonic harmonica, a superb pianist, innovative composer, educator and producer. At the age of 19, he discovered how to play the diatonic harmonica as a fully chromatic instrument by developing techniques on it that had never existed before. This enabled Howard to take the harmonica out of its usual role as a Folk and Blues instrument, and into the worlds of Jazz, Classical, Middle Eastern music, and more. His discovery unlocked infinite possibilities for the harmonica world. At home in many musical styles, he is a favorite with audiences worldwide and a recording artist sought after by Kenny Loggins, Dolly Parton, Paquito D’Rivera, Styx, Donald Fagen, Paul Simon, and many others. Howard has appeared on hundreds of CDs and several movie soundtracks, most prominently on A Family Thing with Robert Duval and James Earl Jones. He has released 22 albums under his own name, capturing his versatility and innovation as a musician and composer. His solo album Alone and Together and his trio album Tonight and Tomorrow both received 4-star reviews in DownBeat. Howard also recorded a classical CD featuring his Concerto for Diatonic Harmonica and Orchestra—the first true concerto composed for the instrument. His recent composition, Eastern European Harmonica and Piano Concerto for Single Soloist, is set to premiere in 2026. As an educator, Howard has taught at leading universities and conservatories, and online for TrueFire/ArtistWorks. His revolutionary technique books, Rhythms of the Breath Vol 1&2, are the first of their kind to apply drum rudiments to harmonica breathing patterns, enlightening players around the world. As an author, his latest work I Speak Music, is an 88-story musical memoir encompassing his entire career. Howard tours as a solo artist, with Trio Globo, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, and his band, The Howard Levy 4. Eugene Friesen Cellist Eugene Friesen is active internationally as a performer, composer, conductor and teacher. He is the recipient of four Grammy Awards for his recordings with the Paul Winter Consort, and a Tony award for his collaborative score for “The Garden of Earthly Delights.” His unique original repertoire and improvisational style has been featured in concerts internationally as a soloist, with the Paul Winter Consort, and with Trio Globo (Howard Levy, Glen Velez and Friesen). Eugene has been featured on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion,” has recorded with artists as diverse as Paul Simon, Renée Fleming, Dream Theater, Will Ackerman, and Dar Williams, and is a pioneer in the teaching of improvisation to classically-trained musicians. His book, Improvisation for Classically Trained Musicians (Hal Leonard/Berklee Press) was published in 2012. He is an artist-in-residence at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, and Professor of Music at the Berklee College of Music in Boston where he founded and directs the genre-busting string orchestra, Berklee World Strings. More information on Eugene can be found online at: www.eugenefriesenmusic.com. Glen Velez Four-time Grammy Award-winner Glen Velez is an acclaimed soloist, member of the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame and seminal figure in the modern history of the Frame Drum. He has brought a new genre of drumming to the Western world, inspired by years of studying world frame drumming techniques. Velez teaches at the Mannes College of Music and the Juilliard School in New York and enthusiastically adapts Tambourine playing to all forms of ancient and modern music.