Harmonica and keyboard virtuoso Howard Levy is perhaps best
known for his role in Bela Fleck’s Flecktones and, while he has contributed
mightily to that group’s ensemble sound, a show where he is the headliner is
the best way to experience his multiple talents. Currently on a low profile
tour with acoustic guitarist Chris Siebold, Levy pulled out all of the stops
for his Monday night stop at Kuumbwa. Levy opened unaccompanied playing a
harmonica medley of Brahms’ Lullaby and Bach’s Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring.”
Starting out with the relatively unadorned melodies of these two timeless
pieces, he quickly started conjuring up more and more fanciful variations
without doing too much violence to the tempo or melody of either piece. Midway,
he switched from the harmonica to acoustic grand piano without missing a beat,
something that might be a parlor trick for a less talented musician but simply
afforded Levy the opportunity to continue the same musical conversation with a
very different melodic arsenal.
Although Siebold basically sat out the opener, he quickly
demonstrated his skills both at comping chords on his respohonic guitar and
playing melodic leads that compared favorably with Levy’s when called upon to
do so. The rest of the duo’s show was a
journey through a variety of styles, including an extravagant, flamenco tinged
Levy original, Spanish Serenade,” a romping 12 bar workout on his “Tri-State
Boogie,” and another Levy original, “Lips and Fingertips” that called for him
to solo simultaneously on harmonica held in his right hand while he played
piano filigrees with his left. Other highlights included a sultry rendition of
Django Reinhardt’s “Nuages” that gave Siebold plenty of space to solo and an
exquisite balladic arrangement of Bob Dylan’s “Lay Lady Lay.” For the last
number, the duo broke from their otherwise all-instrumental format for Siebold
to demonstrate his prowness as a blues shouter on Little Richard’s “Directly
From My Heart To You.”
Both Kuumbwa’s Executive Director Tim Jackson and Levy
thought that Levy had played there previously, but neither seemed sure when or
in what ensemble. In any event, this was
clearly his first time appearing there as the headliner. Nonetheless, he and Siebold quickly won over
the audience, who rewarded them with a few well deserved standing ovations. Hopefully
Levy and Siebold will make Santa Cruz a regular stop in the future.
