OTS SFO #010 with Hristo Vitchev- Part 1 of 2

Ridgeway Radio Presents: On The Scene SFO

What happens when you transport a Bulgarian born, metal loving guitar player to San Jose, CA by way of Venezuela and "small-town" Utah? You get impressionistic jazz composer, bandleader, and guitarist, Hristo Vitchev.

Making the San Francisco Bay Area his home, Hristo can be found producing a prodigious amount of recordings with longtime collaborators in his own, Hristo Vitchev Quartet. With a variety of Duet and Quartet recordings under his belt on the label, First Orbit Sounds, that date back to 2009, one can explore his steady output.

In 2016, he released an ambitious double CD entitled “In Search of Wonders” to acclaim, and features a quartet of musicians that highlights easy interplay as a result of their long-time association.

We made this discussion a two-parter. In Part One, we explore Hristo's journey from Bulgaria to establishing his prolific Quartet out of the San Jose State Jazz Program, with stops at jam sessions along the way, restaurant casuals, and having his dreams dashed at a Death Metal show.

Immediately available is Part Two- a BONUS EPISODE that provides a virtual master class on building one's career in jazz as a bandleader, including foundational marketing strategies, Social Media tools, running a record label, and managing overseas tours.

Tracks Featured Throughout Episode #010:

• In Search of Wonders - Hristo Vitchev Quartet, In Search of Wonders
• It May Backfire - Hristo Vitchev Quartet, In Search of Wonders
• The Invisible Stairway - Hristo Vitchev Quartet, In Search of Wonders
• Old Theme - Hristo Vitchev Quartet, In Search of Wonders
• Lale Li Si, Zyumbiul Li Si (Are You a Tulip, Are You a Hyacinth) - Hristo Vitchev & Liubomir Krastev, Rhodopa
• Polegnala E Todora (Todora Took a Nap) - Hristo Vitchev & Liubomir Krastev, Rhodopa
• Almost Home - Hristo Vitchev Quartet, In Search of Wonders
• Without Words, as the Full Moon Shines - Hristo Vitchev Quartet, In Search of Wonders