The RHQ
“The enthusiastic audience simply enjoyed The Rick Hollander Quartet's refreshing, compelling performance.”
“Powerfully emotional music, introduced by a heartfelt recitation of the original lyrics”
Süddeutsche Zeitung
“This is jazz presented in a new way! It's earthy and the intensity is there from the very first note.”
Christer Werner
Promoter / Varberg, Sweden
© Joachim Schäfer
Astonishing! That is the one word which best describes the accomplishments of The Rick Hollander Quartet featuring Brian Levy. With two critically acclaimed recordings for Laika Records - "On the Up and Up" & "The Best Is Yet To Come" - and 12 tours of the USA and Europe under its belt, this ensemble is currently preparing for its most ambitious outing to date: a 19-city Japanese tour.
The unparalleled success of The Rick Hollander Quartet featuring Brian Levy can be traced directly to the band's bold leadership. This group’s high-energy brand of acoustic, modern jazz is tempered by a peaceful core. By nature they follow tradition but still break rules! What separates The RHQ from so many of their peers is just how entertaining and down to earth their otherwise forceful, blow-the-roof-off presentation is. A typical – a term that doesn’t quite do them justice – performance by the group will include heartfelt recitations of the lyrics of nearly one-hundred-year-old standard songs, seamlessly followed by brand new original compositions. In every case the group’s signature traits are in evidence; integrity, thoughtfulness, emotion, and the awareness that “melody is king.” The recent addition of steel drum and flute to their artillery has made their presentation all the more personal.
Dr. Brian Levy is an absolute fireball. His soulful intensity, fueled by a keen intellect, begs this answer to an age old question: “Yes, there’s a doctor in the house.” Born in 1977 and originally from San Diego, California Levy resides in Boston, Massachusetts where he’s a full-time faculty member at the prestigious New England Conservatory.
Guitarist Paul Brändle, born in 1992, cites Kempten in Bavaria, Germany as his birthplace. While there are those who choose to display a flashy style of guitar theatrics, Paul seems content to gently pull you, the listener, into his web; a carefully woven tapestry of sound. Paul earned a Masters of Music degree from The University of Music and Performing Arts Munich.
Mongolian native, bassist Munguntovch Tsolmonbayar, is a driving and commanding force in The RHQ. Born in 1998, he is capable of supplying a buoyant musical pulse and will, without shifting gears, rhapsodize with bow in hand. Tovcho - his nickname - possesses the gift of "hearing the whole" while in action.
From Detroit, Michigan (The Motor City), born in 1956, hails drummer Rick Hollander. When Hollander takes to the drum throne, you’ll hear a musician that possesses the empathy to accompany, coupled with the strength and vision with which to lead. Rick’s private study with Gene Stewart and the legendary Roy Brooks along with courses in music theory and composition at Oakland Community College came together to prepare him for the career he’s known for.