Kai Eckhardt is a Liberian / German bassist known through his work with guitarist John McLaughlin in the late 80's, Billy Cobham in the 90's and Garaj Mahal in the new millennium. Other career highlights include performances and recordings with: Trilok Gurtu, Stanley Clarke, Wayne Shorter, Patrice Rushen, Dewey Redman, Donald Byrd, Bela Fleck, Victor Wooten, Robert Walter, Karl Denson, Michael Franti, Larry Coryell, Warren Hill, Al Di Meola, Zakir Hussain, Vital Information , John Scofield and Bill Frisell. His active career spans 3 decades. Kai is currently a professor at the Jazz School Institute in Berkeley, CA who frequently teaches clinics and workshops world wide. Teaching engagements include the Berklee School of Music in Boston, the Bass Collective in New York City, BIT in Hollywood, the Anton Bruckner Conservatory in Austria, the Indian Institute of Technology in Chennai, the Amsterdam Conservatory in the Netherlands and Victor Wooten’s Bass and Nature camp. Kai Eckhardt's current projects: -Fusion Band Garaj Mahal, winner of the 2007 Independent Music Awards, and Chicago Music Awards nominee for 2009. -San Francisco Rock Band Kbrandow -Indian Jazz Band Summit featuring George Brooks and Zakir Hussain -Turkish Diva Sertab Erener -Funk Band RAD featuring Rose Ann Dimalanta -Euro-fusion trio with Alex Machacek and Marco Minneman.
Born in Chicago in 1974 to musician parents, Eric Levy was exposed to a variety of musical styles at an early age, including jazz, classical, and down home Windy City gospel and blues, which helped to shape his wide musical range. His father was a well-known local jazz flautist, and a preeminent early programmer of synthesizer sounds. In fact, Eric programs all of his own patches, a result of his father's teachings. His mother is a church singer and a guitarist in her own right. From the beginning, his parents gave musical direction to Eric, often sacrificing luxury so that Eric (and his sister) could receive the best training and access to the best equipment.What better training could Eric have found than that of master musician Fareed Haque, who became Eric's professor and mentor when Eric left to attend the Music School at Northern Illinois University. Who could have predicted that teacher and disciple would, years later, be sharing stages around the country. Perhaps because Eric learned from a guitar virtuoso, his keyboard style has grown to resemble that of a guitar, his classical and jazz training translating seamlessly into his unique sound, with a percussive style reminiscent of John Medeski mixed with the wailing, almost guitar-god-esque keyboard sounds of Jan Hammer.
Told by his professors that 'you have nothing left to learn here,' he began his life as a working musician in the Chicago scene, performing with many local artists. Eric then departed for the high seas, and began a two year stint as the keyboard player on one of Premier Cruise Lines signature vessels. Returning to Chicago, Eric played with various groups including Galaxy (with Filter drummer Steve Gillis), the Fareed Haque Group, and the Blue Turtle Tea Party (which has recently received significant radio play on college radio stations), and other bands with styles ranging from straight-ahead jazz to Chicago blues, to funk 'n' groove. Entering the jam world with Garaj Mahal has opened up his playing tremendously, and he seems at times to be using far more than two hands with his notoriously eclectic melodic solos screaming, blisteringly fast, and deep in the groove.
Eric Levy’s Love Lounge album, entitled “QED”, will be released soon.
