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Jazz Articles about Wolfgang Muthspiel
Johannes Berauer: Vienna Chamber Diaries plus Strings
by Fiona Ord-Shrimpton
Johannes Berauer's album, Vienna Chamber Diaries plus Strings on Basho Records, is a jewel of emotional weathering to illuminate hearts after an unexpected and extended era of sadness. Berauer is a modern thinking, cross-over, chamber jazz Jedi. Perfecting the placement of elegant, exciting, heart easing, and harmonising in nine arrangements of exacting and uplifting joy, The Vienna Chamber Diaries plus Strings are a rollercoaster of gentle impulses and elation. The assembly of soloists is prescient, assured and propulsive. ...
Continue ReadingFriedrich Kunzmann's Best Releases Of 2020
by Friedrich Kunzmann
Coronavirus, lockdown, election recount, fake news, inspector Javert, Hans Gruber and Lord Voldemort. So, now that most of the uncomfortable topics are dealt with, let's get to the joyful part of 2020, namely the music. As is increasingly the case during the course of the 21st century, the year was filled to the brim with it. Wonderful new sounds, tones and voices presented themselves, wrapped in rich and thoughtful productions to satisfy mind, eyes and ears. In an attempt to ...
Continue ReadingWolfgang Muthspiel at Porgy & Bess: Live at Last!
by Friedrich Kunzmann
Wolfgang Muthspiel Porgy & Bess Vienna May 30, 2020 Originally, all events at the Porgy & Bess jazz club in Vienna had been cancelled for public attendance until the end of August—out of precaution in light of the Coronavirus. In adaption to the horrendous circumstances for any cultural lieu of gathering, the Porgy swiftly put together a high-quality streaming set-up in no time, which has been live-streaming concerts from mostly local jazz acts at least ...
Continue ReadingWolfgang Muthspiel, Thana Alexa, John Zorn, John Scofield and More New Releases
by Ludovico Granvassu
Second part of our weekly exploration of brand new releases, with a special focus on guitar-centric albums [for the first part click here]. PlaylistBen Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" Mondo Jazz Theme (Self-released) 0:00 Rob Luft “Life Is the Dancer" Life is the Dancer (Edition) 0:16 Host Talks Wolfgang Muthspiel, Scott Colley, Brian Blade “Ride" Angular Blues (ECM) 8:57 John Scofield, Steve Swallow, Bill Stewart “Hullo Bolinas" Swallow Tales (ECM) 12:41 John Zorn, ...
Continue ReadingWolfgang Muthspiel: Angular Blues
by Mike Jurkovic
So much of Austrian guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel's music materializes before you like Mr. Spock and company on Star Trek. The music beamed in always airy and on the verge of evaporation. But before it does either manifest or vanish it leads you along a slippery slope, through brave structures where only the guitarist knows where the footings are hidden. Long time collaborator drummer Brian Blade knows the above characteristics well. So he becomes the center of gravity around ...
Continue ReadingWolfgang Muthspiel: Continuing The Dream
by R.J. DeLuke
Jazz has always traveled. It finds inquisitive musicians all over the globe, where often, people outside the U.S. receive the message more readily than those in the country where it was born. Austrian guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel was already improvising with his older brother, for fun, in the time leading up to his discovery of the art form. He grasped it quickly. Fortunately for the world of art, he chose to investigate. While he still plays the classical music ...
Continue ReadingWolfgang Muthspiel: Angular Blues
by Mark Sullivan
Austrian jazz guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel's previous two ECM albums have been quintets: Where The River Goes (ECM, 2018) and Rising Grace (ECM, 2016). This trio date is a call back to his ECM leader debut, Driftwood (ECM, 2014), with Brian Blade returning on drums but Scott Colley replacing Larry Grenadier on double bass. The music is mostly Muthspiel originals, but this time the program also includes two standards. Muthspiel opens the set on classical guitar, which he stays ...
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