Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
"Josef is a monster player!" - Old Town School of Folk Music
Kaif is a project from Chicago, with as main member guitar player Josef Levitis, who is active in a wide array of musical styles. He is also co-founder of the Schizoclub Gallery, a creative space for art, music, theatre and other artistic performances. The music of Kaif is mostly influenced by flamenco, with various Middel Eastern, gypsy and improvised jazz elements added. It has a warm, sensual atmosphere and rather experimental song structures. Especially the (classical/Spanish) guitar work is outstanding, which is further supported by subtle percussion and keyboard (by Lena Potopova, also active as Schizowave). Only one song (Gypsy dream) has vocals, which directly makes it more lively and dynamic. A pleasant cd to listen to, though it falls outside of the usual scope of the Funprox webzine. - Funprox (the Netherlands)
Discography
One Night Standards (EP, 2004 - collection of jazz standards)
Kaif (S/T album, 2004 - world beat / flamenco/ Middle Eastern)
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Josef is unusually versatile as far as styles and genres are concerned (in the course of his musical career he has played from jazz to metal to top 40). His favorite genres are flamenco and neoclassical.
Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Josef has lived in New York City, where he had a successful musical career, and recently moved to Chicago.
Among the numerous venues Josef has played in New York are CBGB's, Elbow Room, Bitter End, Velvet Lounge, AMC Theaters, Oceana Theaters, Greenwich Village Bistro, Russian Tea Room, Madison Square Garden (and many others).
In about a year of his living in Chicago, Josef has performed at the Hot House, Russian Teatime, the Water Tower, Martyrs, Elbo Room, and other venues.
His current projects in Chicago are Kaif (world beat) and Ad-Lib-Ra (neoclassical / heavy metal).
Josef’s latest project Kaif is a sensual blend of flamenco, gypsy jazz and Middle Eastern music. The sound of Kaif is a unique combination of Gypsy guitar (Josef Levitis), flamenco piano (Lena Potapova, a classically trained pianist born in Moscow, Russia) and two percussionists - Alan Lake, a seasoned player who has played with Madonna, Brian Ferry, Julian Lennon, Ministry, Brian Wilson and Sam Moore from Sam and Dave I'm a "Soulman" fame, - and George Landes, very talented percussionist who is active in various Chicago successful musical groups. Kaif regularly performs with guest singers and musicians.
Links
