Milcho Leviev
b. 19 December 1937, Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Leviev studied formally at the Bulgarian State Music Academy, and by the early '60s was playing piano and directing orchestras on radio and television. He was also active as a composer, experimenting with music to be played by classical and jazz ensembles. In the early '70s he was in Germany and soon moved to the USA, where he began a fruitful association with Don Ellis. In addition to playing with Ellis he also composed and arranged, finding considerable rapport with Ellis's imaginative use of complex time signatures and incorporation of ethnic concepts. Also in the '70s, Leviev played in small groups led by, amongst others, John Klemmer and Billy Cobham. In the early '80s, Leviev worked with Art Pepper, with whom he appeared at Ronnie Scott's, an occasion recorded on BLUES FOR THE FISHERMAN and TRUE BLUES. He also worked with Al Jarreau and led his own small band, Free Flight. Although Free Flight was a jazz-rock fusion band, Leviev continued to associate with big bands, working with Gerald Wilson and others. In the mid-'80s he formed a duo with Charlie Haden and later in the decade was involved in a number of US west coast-based small groups. In addition to the valuable contribution he has made through his writing, Leviev consistently demonstrates his skills as a keyboard player, bringing his classical training to bear upon the complexities of the advanced musical style in which he frequently chooses to work.