 Leviev’s music was a criticism of the totalitarian regime and its conservative aesthetic and with that he attracted like-minded musicians and other artists that he collaborated with, including the famous poet Radoy Ralin, who encouraged him to form the Bulgarian Jazz Quartet.Also known as Jazz Focus ‘65, the quartet consisted of Milcho Leviev on piano, Simeon Shterev on flute, Lyubomir Mitsov on contrabass, and Petur Slavov on percussion.The group gained some international acclaim after winning the critics' award in the jazz festival in Montreux, Switzerland.