Stride Tango Trio
with Robin Kallsen, vocalist
Bertram Levy
Bertram Levy at the age of 50 was so moved by the music of Astor Piazzolla that he abandoned all his other musical endeavors to pursue the emblematic voice of the Argentine tango, the bandoneon. His bandoneon studies began in 1991 in Buenos Aires with Miguel Varvello and continued in Paris with Cesar Stroscio. In 2005 Bertram enrolled in the Conservatorio Manuel de Falla in Buenos Aires where he studied classical bandoneon for 8 years with the great Rodolfo Daluisio. Bertram founded Tangoheart in 1999 to introduce Pacific Northwest audiences to authentic Argentine tango. He is presently musical director and arranger of the “Tangoheart Quintet” (tangoheart.com), which is dedicated to the performance of classic and modern tango.
Robin Kallsen
Robin Kallsen’s love for the music of the 1920’s and 30’s has made her a favored fixture of the Seattle vocal scene. With her expressive 1920’s vocal style and theatrical presentation, she is a highlight at tango dances, in jazz clubs, and at Klezmer events throughout Puget Sound. Robin has studied the Bel Canto singing technique under voice teacher Marianne Weltmann and has the language skills to perform the music of many traditions. She won first place in the NATS Avocational II singing competition in 2018 and performed the aria “Nobles Seigneurs Salut” for the honor recital the following year.
Jonathan Doyle
Jonathan Doyle, saxophonist, clarinetist, composer, and arranger got his start in the Chicago area. In the mid-90s he left DePaul’s School of Music to begin playing professionally in Chicago. He then moved to Austin to pursue his love of acoustic and roots music.
Jonathan’s career has spanned a broad swath of American roots music from hot jazz, swing, country blues, jug band, New Orleans trad jazz, and western swing. Over his career he has performed with countless musicians, toured extensively, and composed for many swing orchestras. He has been a member of such famous bands as the “New Orleans Tuba Skinny”, Chicago’s “Fat Babies”, and Willie Nelson and “Asleep At The Wheel”. Jonathan’s many prestigious stage appearances include the Grand Ole Opry, Preservation Hall, Austin City Limits, and Lincoln Center.
Jonathan now lives in Port Townsend with his wife and daughter but continues his busy career in the Northwest, Chicago, Austin TX, and on the road.
Ryan Hoffman
Ryan Hoffman started working in rock bands in Kansas City as a teenager and continued throughout college. After college, he became a lover of acoustic music and expanded his focus into traditional American roots music including bluegrass, blues, folk, and ragtime. A five month stay in New Orleans inspired him to become a swing musician.
In 2000, Ryan spent a year in France researching the Manouche Jazz music of Django Reinhardt. In Paris he had the good fortune to play alongside outstanding guitarists, such as Angelo Debarre, David Reinhardt, Noe Reinhardt, and Sebastien Giniaux at the Manouche Jazz jams. Returning to the U.S. he founded and spent the next decade performing with the popular Puget Sound Hot Club Jazz band “Zazou”. In 2007, he joined and toured internationally with the Northwest’s premier Hot Club Jazz combo “Pearl Django”.
He recently moved to Port Townsend with his wife and daughter and continues an active career as a teacher and performer with the “Ryan Hoffman Trio”.