Biography
Originally formed as a Portland, OR instrumental trio by violinist Bela Balogh, cellist Gabe Leavitt, and accordionist Courtney Von Drehle, 3 Leg Torso stands among the city's most distinctive ensembles. Their compositions blend modern chamber music with Middle Eastern motifs, Eastern European folk traditions, and Argentinean tango. CMJ characterized the ensemble's sound as "all the beauty of Astor Piazzolla's music and the spirit of the Kronos Quartet." Portland Online Musicnet observed that their music "seems to be a conversation between the instruments and actually conveys a sort of dialogue without the use of lyrics, much in the way that the old Merry Melodies/Silly Symphony cartoons used to do." Http://www.janpress.freeservers.com likewise noted that the pieces are "evocative, varied, non-cliché, and also not predefined by the accordion's sound." The project embodies the shared artistic direction of three experienced players.
Leavitt transitioned to cello after earlier work on guitar and electric bass. Balogh began violin studies at age four; as a first-generation American he drew on his father's career as a touring violinist and conductor plus his grandfather's leadership of a Hungarian gypsy band. Though classically trained for years, he later pursued rock in Greased Priest, the Willies, and Lobe, where he first encountered future bandmate Von Drehle. Von Drehle, skilled on saxophone, guitar, and accordion, earned a bachelor's degree in music from Marylhurst College. Prior affiliations include Tone Dogs, Hester Street, Poikilothem, and Lobe. Beyond 3 Leg Torso he maintains activity in POD (Points of Departure), a jazz trio alongside pianist and trumpeter Mike Van Lieu and drummer/percussionist Brian "Von" Davis, and in the improvisatory duo the Topiary Kings with drummer and theremin player Larold Wills.
The band's April 1998 debut album featured "Divertissments for Performing Bears," adopted as the theme for a popular television series in Bosnia. Their work also appeared in the United Nations-funded documentary With Hope and Help, which addressed AIDS in Thailand, and in animator Joan Gratz's films The Dowager's Feast and The Dowager's Idyll. In 2000 the lineup expanded to a sextet through the addition of bassist Peter Whitmore, vibes, marimba, and xylophone player Rob Lewis, and dumbek, bongos, conga, and tar player Joseph Jariga.
Leavitt transitioned to cello after earlier work on guitar and electric bass. Balogh began violin studies at age four; as a first-generation American he drew on his father's career as a touring violinist and conductor plus his grandfather's leadership of a Hungarian gypsy band. Though classically trained for years, he later pursued rock in Greased Priest, the Willies, and Lobe, where he first encountered future bandmate Von Drehle. Von Drehle, skilled on saxophone, guitar, and accordion, earned a bachelor's degree in music from Marylhurst College. Prior affiliations include Tone Dogs, Hester Street, Poikilothem, and Lobe. Beyond 3 Leg Torso he maintains activity in POD (Points of Departure), a jazz trio alongside pianist and trumpeter Mike Van Lieu and drummer/percussionist Brian "Von" Davis, and in the improvisatory duo the Topiary Kings with drummer and theremin player Larold Wills.
The band's April 1998 debut album featured "Divertissments for Performing Bears," adopted as the theme for a popular television series in Bosnia. Their work also appeared in the United Nations-funded documentary With Hope and Help, which addressed AIDS in Thailand, and in animator Joan Gratz's films The Dowager's Feast and The Dowager's Idyll. In 2000 the lineup expanded to a sextet through the addition of bassist Peter Whitmore, vibes, marimba, and xylophone player Rob Lewis, and dumbek, bongos, conga, and tar player Joseph Jariga.
Albums
