Biography
Levon Ichkhanian delivered a standout After Hours date in 1997 that centered primarily on fusion, yet the Beirut-born guitarist of Armenian heritage commands an equally assured command of hard bop, classical repertoire, and Middle Eastern traditions. The son of jazz pianist Edouard Ichkhanian, who assumed the role of musical director for Armenian vocalist Adiss in 1974 and helped bring modern jazz-tinged Armenian pop to wider audiences, he relocated with his family from Lebanon to Toronto in 1977 at age twelve. He began on acoustic classical guitar during his preteen years, switched to electric at thirteen, and landed his first paid engagement accompanying Adiss. Toronto club work at sixteen secured him a place on the Canadian All Star Jazz Awards, while a year later an Ontario Arts Council scholarship placed him in the jazz workshop at the University of Toronto. At twenty-four he scored the 1988 indie feature Looking for Nothing. In 1996 he worked privately with Jim Hall, Pat Martino, and Steve Khan, and shared leadership of the date Kickin' Jazz alongside drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie. Later that decade he contributed to the soundtracks of several independent films, among them You Can't Beat a Woman and The Hockey Game in 1997 plus Shadowmakers in 1998. Although the guitar remains his principal voice, Ichkhanian also commands the oud, the bouzouki, and the mandolin.
Albums
