Howard Levy

The Howard Levy 4 is a dynamic, multi-styled band from Chicago featuring the Grammy-Award winning diatonic harmonica master, pianist and composer Howard Levy, the incomparable guitarist Chris Siebold, the outstanding upright and electric bassist Joshua Ramos, and the exceptional Brazilian drummer Luiz Ewerling. This powerhouse ensemble delivers pure musical magic in a range of styles that includes Jazz, Latin, World Music, and Blues. Besides several distinctively reworked American and Brazilian compositions, the band has an astonishingly diverse repertoire of original compositions that combine and blend many cultures, rhythms and genres, creating a sonic experience that's nothing short of extraordinary. A prolific recording artist, Howard has released 17 albums under his own name and appeared on hundreds more. He was a founding member of Bela Fleck and The Flecktones and has performed and recorded with an incredibly diverse range of artists including Kenny Loggins, Paquito D’Rivera, Donald Fagen, and Kurt Elling. The revolutionary technique that he developed on the diatonic harmonica transformed it into a fully chromatic instrument for the first time, opening up possibilities for limitless musical exploration while still retaining the cry of the Blues. Sounding like no other on stage, Howard’s unparalleled harmonica playing and virtuosic, lyrical pianism creates a 1-2 punch, effortlessly alternating between instruments and sometimes blending the two in wild and unexpected ways. The Chicago Tribune says, “As Art Tatum was to the piano, so is Levy to the harmonica: a hyper-virtuoso whose feats can be admired and studied but never really replicated.” And Jazz Times notes, “Although he cites McCoy Tyner and Herbie Hancock as influences, Levy the pianist has a sunnier, more ebullient style than either, enlivened by an unfailing upward momentum...” Chris, house guitarist for A Prairie Home Companion for four years, has recorded and toured with Chicago’s most eclectic Jazz and fusion groups; Joshua, one of Chicago’s most in-demand bassists, spent five years with jazz legend Ramsey Lewis, while drummer/composer Luiz contributes rhythmic and compositional fire and depth to The Howard Levy 4. The band’s live performance is full of unbridled energy and spirit, an auditory feast that transcends genres and captivates the soul, as showcased in their newly released EP “Live from Chicago”.