Milcho Leviev

Born in Bulgaria’s second city, Plovdiv, virtuoso pianist Milcho Leviev (1937-2019) studied composition at the Bulgarian State Conservatoire. He became conductor of the Big Band of the Bulgarian National Radio at the age of 25. He stayed with the big band for three years, which gave him time to hone his arranging abilities, and to explore a fusion of jazz with Bulgarian folk music. He also performed as a soloist with both the Plovdiv and Sofia Philharmonic Orchestras. In 1965 Leviev joined forces with gifted flautist Simeon Shterev, bassist Lyubomir Mitrov and drummer/percussionist Peter Slavov to form the Bulgarian Jazz Quartet. Sometimes referred to as ‘Jazz Focus 65′, a title they used on an EP in 1966 and two albums in 1968 and 69, the group made a strong impression at European jazz festivals, winning the critics’ award at the 1967 Montreux Jazz Festival. Despite the international success, the group were not warmly received at home, due the cultural restrictions of the pro-Soviet Bulgarian government. Leviev’s increasingly fractious relationship with the Communist authorities would lead to him making the difficult the decision to defect in 1970.

During the late 1960s, Leviev had become increasingly interested in the experimental work of trumpeter, composer and bandleader Don Ellis. Ellis had studied ethnomusicology at UCLA, and thereafter led the Hindustani Jazz Sextet, developed a four valve trumpet in order to play quarter tones, and composed tunes in increasingly complex time signatures. In 1968, Leviev sent Ellis recordings of a Bulgarian folk tune in 33/16 time, which the trumpeter recorded as ‘Bulgarian Bulge’. Encouragement from the American and frustration with the political situation led to Leviev making the move to USA in 1970, joining up with Ellis’s big band. The two enjoyed a rich collaboration over the next five years, until Ellis suffered a heart attack in 1975. During the remainder of the 1970s, Leviev toured and recorded with Billy Cobham‘s band and with Roy Haynes.

In 1980, Leviev recorded a live album Blues For The Fisherman at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club. The record, released by Mole Records, was essentially an Art Pepper album, but billed under the Bulgarian’s name due to Pepper being contracted to Galaxy Records at the time. In the same year, he co-founded the fusion ensemble Free Flight with drummer Peter Erskine and flautist Jim Walker. Leviev spent a few years with the Gerald Wilson Orchestra and also recorded a number of albums in his own name. He toured in a duo with Dave Holland in 1987, sessions which have thankfully been released on CD. After 40 years in America, Leviev moved to Greece in 2010, where he was able to get to Bulgaria easily to teach a summer school and play concerts. He died in Thessaloniki in 2019.

Key Recordings:
With Don Ellis, Billy Cobham
Jazz Focus ’65 (MPS 1969) with Bulgarian Jazz Quartet
Up & Down (MA 1993) with Dave Holland