Levantino (lɛvɑnt•ino), n.:
Three young men whose seemingly unpolished music, embracing indie rock, Gypsy, film music and jazz, expresses their raw enthusiasm and exceptional sincerity. Levantino present their debut album Chapter One on their current release tour.
Chapter One
The origins of Levantino lie in Bad Aibling, Bavaria, where Brothers Max and Michl Bloching together with Tom Wörndl started a band at school. They sought out music that was different and atypical for their peer group. Levantino is the outcome of them focussing on music professionally. The boys always have great fun with improvisation and play with incredible intensity whilst the band moves between musical genres. The three are influenced by a range of musical styles, among them artists such as Macklemore, Sophie Hunger, Anna Calvi, as well as the New York jazz trio The Bad Plus, Yann Tiersen, Giora Feidman and even the stoner rock band Queens of the Stone Age. Contemporary or retro, classical or popular music, seems not to matter to these guys.
The combination of diverse stylistic elements allied to their love of foreign countries runs like a golden thread through their own music. Not limited to just German and English, bandleader Michl Bloching chooses to sing in a variety of languages, and plays saxophone, accordion, clarinet and bass clarinet. The band’s sound is held together by the warm acoustic jazz bass of Max Bloching and the relaxed but playful indie guitar of Tom Wörndl.
Originally the band played Klezmer and Italian music from the 50s at weddings and in hotel bars. Now the three perform on stages all over Germany and each time they leave their audience with the feeling of just having encountered a fresh and unspoilt band that has come out of nowhere. Levantino is starting to gather fans who inwardly suspect that this band has the makings of something great.
In 2012 the three were awarded the Culture Prize of their home district of Rosenheim and then in autumn of 2013 they won the Bavarian competition CREOLE and will represent the state at the nationwide finals in July 2014. In March 2014 the trio will be competing in the finals of the European Young Talent Award at the famous “Jazzwoche Burghausen” international festival, followed by an appearance at the Jazzahead Club Night in Bremen in April. In addition, the guys are performing as a part of the theatre production “Ghetto”, by Joshua Sobol, directed by Christian Stückl and staged at the Munich Volkstheater.
The three young men are currently presenting their debut album Chapter One, recorded in the summer of 2013, on an extensive release tour. Whoever comes across Levantino will soon realise that these young musicians are passionate about what they do and are following their path in a confident and serious manner.
