{"product_id":"milcho-leviev-letter-to-america","title":"Milcho Leviev - Letter To America","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMilcho Leviev\u003c\/strong\u003e's last solo piano album, \u003cem\u003eQuiet March\u003c\/em\u003e (2015), a live studio recording in front of a small group of friends and now reissued on vinyl as \u003cem\u003eLetter to America\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMilcho Leviev (1937-2019) was a trailblazing Bulgarian pianist, composer, and arranger celebrated for seamlessly fusing traditional Bulgarian folk rhythms with jazz. Born in Plovdiv, he served as the chief conductor of the Bulgarian National Radio Big Band and formed the award-winning \u003cstrong\u003eJazz Focus '65\u003c\/strong\u003e jazz band.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlongside his stage career, Leviev revolutionised Bulgarian cinema during the 1960's by introducing a pronounced jazz sound that broke away from conventional Soviet style orchestration. His modal compositions and atmospheric folk arrangements became structural pillars for iconic movies like \u003cem\u003eTorrid Noon\u003c\/em\u003e (1965) and \u003cem\u003eDetour\u003c\/em\u003e (1967).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis lifelong relationship with the screen culminated in his final solo piano studio recording, \u003cem\u003eQuiet March\u003c\/em\u003e (2015) - reissued here on vinyl as \u003cem\u003eLetter to America\u003c\/em\u003e - where he stripped his most enduring cinematic melodies from the film of the same name down to their rawest, most intimate essence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFaced with mounting restrictions, Leviev defected to Los Angeles in 1970, prompting the state to systematically erase his name from domestic film credits. Abroad, he built a prolific international career collaborating with jazz legends like \u003cstrong\u003eDon Ellis\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eBilly Cobham\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003eArt Pepper\u003c\/strong\u003e with whom he toured as the quartet's pianist between 1980 and 1982.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePepper praised him as one of his most intuitive and sympathetic musical partners, and their collaboration includes a legendary set of live recordings from Ronnie Scott's Club in London. Due to Pepper's restrictive contract with his record company, the sessions were released under Milcho's name as \u003cem\u003eThe Milcho Leviev Quartet featuring Art Pepper: Blues for the Fisherman\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eTrue Blues\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"DUKYAN MELOMAN","offers":[{"title":"Vinyl LP","offer_id":58820717445465,"sku":"SDZ-50249","price":36.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0588\/3455\/0945\/files\/6429830258940_d903fc7d-92a9-4782-b25a-a3be63692468.jpg?v=1786461171","url":"https:\/\/spindizzyrecords.com\/products\/milcho-leviev-letter-to-america","provider":"Spindizzy Dublin","version":"1.0","type":"link"}