Howard Levy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Howard Levy (b. July 31, 1951 in Brooklyn, New York City) is an American harmonica player. In 1997, at the 39th Annual Grammy Awards he and the rest of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones won the award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance, for their live recording of their 1991 song "The Sinister Minister." A renowned interpreter of the jazz harmonica, he has played with Ben Sidran and Rabih Abou-Khalil, among others.
He has appeared on over 200 albums[citation needed] and has played on several movie soundtracks. In 2001 he composed the first concerto written for the diatonic harmonica. He has performed it many times with orchestras in the United States and Europe. Also a fine pianist, he is music director of the Latin/Jazz group Chévere de Chicago and their first album Secret Dream. Currently (2006) he also leads the band "Acoustic Express", plays duo concerts with pianist Anthony Molinaro, and tours Europe with Michael Riessler and Jean-Louis Matinier. Howard has recorded and/or toured with Kenny Loggins, Bobby McFerrin, Sandip Burman Dolly Parton and Paquito D'Rivera.
He developed the overblow and overdraw techniques in the 1970s. These allow a harmonica player to obtain all the missing chromatic notes in the diatonic harmonica.
He continues to make frequent appearances on Garrison Keillor's acclaimed radio program Prairie Home Companion.
[edit] External links
| Béla Fleck and the Flecktones |
| Béla Fleck • Victor Wooten • Future Man • Jeff Coffin Howard Levy |
| Discography |
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| Studio releases: Béla Fleck and the Flecktones • Flight of the Cosmic Hippo • UFO Tofu • Three Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest • Left of Cool • Greatest Hits of the 20th Century • Outbound • Little Worlds • The Hidden Land |
| Live releases: Live Art • Live at the Quick |
