In the 1970s, Howard Levy developed the "overbending" technique (also known as "overblowing" and "overdrawing".) Overbending, combined with bending, allowed players like Chris Michalek, Carlos del Junco, Otavio Castro and George Brooks to play the entire chromatic scale.
These allow a harmonica player to obtain all the missing chromatic notes in the Richter-tuned diatonic harmonica.
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In 2001, he composed the second concerto written for the diatonic harmonica (the first being William Russo's Concerto for Blues Band and Orchestra).
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Along with Canadian harmonicist Carlos del Junco, Gussow was one of the first amplified blues players, in the late 1980s, to make overblows a key element of his stylistic approach, adapting Howard Levy's innovations in a way that helped usher in a new generation of overblow masters such as Jason Ricci and Chris Michalek.
The label was founded by Levy in 2004 as a way for him to record and publish previously unpublished works of his own music and that of his associates and friends such as Chicago Symphony violinist Fox Fehling; the Latin/jazz group Chévere de Chicago, Howard Levy's Acoustic Express; guitarist Norman Savitt and an instructional DVD for advanced harmonica playing "Harmonica Out Of The Box,Vol. 1"
In its second decade the group has released three new recordings and performed with guests including Poi Dog Pondering, Howard Levy, Rachel Barton Pine, Orbert Davis, and the Apostolic Church of God Choir.
Since 2007, Scales has recorded and performed with Victor Wooten, Howard Levy, The Duhks, Roy "Future Man" Wooten, Jeff Coffin, Jeff Sipe, Casey Driessen, Oteil Burbridge, Kofi Burbridge, and Yonrico Scott.
Left of Cool is the first album to feature Jeff Coffin, who had already toured with the band after the departure of Howard Levy.
It is the band's only release as a trio, after the departure of Howard Levy but before the arrival of Jeff Coffin.