PUTNEY — Next Stage Arts presents The Howard Levy 4 plus special guest Eugene Friesen on Saturday, July 25 at 7:30 pm at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill in Putney. Doors open at 6:45 pm.
Led by Grammy Award–winning harmonica virtuoso, pianist, and composer Howard Levy, The Howard Levy 4 is a dynamic Chicago-based ensemble that defies easy categorization. Blending jazz, blues, Latin, Brazilian, and world music influences, the group creates an expansive and deeply engaging musical experience rooted in both virtuosity and spontaneity.
Joining Levy are guitarist Chris Siebold, bassist Joshua Ramos, and Brazilian drummer Luiz Ewerling. Together, they perform inventive arrangements of American and Brazilian classics alongside a diverse repertoire of original compositions that seamlessly weave together cultures, rhythms, and musical traditions.
Levy is internationally recognized as a pioneering force on the harmonica. A founding member of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, he developed a revolutionary technique that transformed the diatonic harmonica into a fully chromatic instrument while preserving its distinctive blues character. His extensive career includes collaborations with Kenny Loggins, Paquito D’Rivera, Donald Fagen, Kurt Elling, and hundreds of recording projects. Equally accomplished as a pianist, Levy frequently surprises audiences by moving effortlessly between instruments during performances.
The Chicago Tribune praised Levy’s artistry, writing, “As Art Tatum was to the piano, so is Levy to the harmonica: a hyper-virtuoso whose feats can be admired and studied but never really replicated.”
Guitarist Chris Siebold is widely known for his work as a house guitarist on A Prairie Home Companion and for performances with many of Chicago’s leading jazz and fusion ensembles. Bassist Joshua Ramos, a former member of the Ramsey Lewis ensemble, is among the most sought-after bassists in Chicago. Drummer Luiz Ewerling brings the rhythmic vitality of his Brazilian roots to the group’s distinctive sound.
Opening the evening is four-time Grammy Award–winning cellist Eugene Friesen, whose remarkable career spans performance, composition, recording, and education. Known for his expressive, improvisational approach to the cello, Friesen has collaborated with artists including Dave Brubeck, Toots Thielemans, Dar Williams, Will Ackerman, Dream Theater, Paul Simon, and the Paul Winter Consort.
Friesen is also a longtime collaborator of Howard Levy through Trio Globo, the acclaimed world music ensemble featuring Levy and percussionist Glen Velez. His innovative approach to improvisation and musical storytelling has taken him to concert halls, festivals, and educational programs around the world. In addition to maintaining an active performing career, Friesen serves as artist-in-residence at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City and teaches at Berklee College of Music.
Together, Friesen and The Howard Levy 4 promise an evening of extraordinary musicianship, inventive improvisation, and genre-crossing exploration. From jazz and blues to Brazilian rhythms and global influences, the performance offers audiences a rare opportunity to experience artists who continually push the boundaries of their instruments while remaining deeply connected to musical tradition.
Tickets are $24 in advance, $28 at the door, and $10 for the livestream. Tickets and information are available at nextstagearts.org.
This performance is sponsored in part by AARP Vermont and the Vermont Blues Society.
