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Jazz Articles about Wolfgang Muthspiel
MGT: Wolfgang Muthspiel / Slava Grigoryan / Ralph Towner: From a Dream
by John Kelman
For over a decade now--at least on record--guitarist/pianist Ralph Towner has worked exclusively in two contexts: solo guitar albums under his own name for ECM, including Time Line (2006), and collaboratively with his longstanding group Oregon, last heard on 1000 Kilometers (Cam Jazz, 2007). Though never less than satisfied, many of his fans have hoped he'd participate in other contexts, as he's a flexible player who brings his distinctive harmonic approach to any setting, while adapting with ease to whatever ...
Continue ReadingWolfgang Muthspiel 4tet: Earth Mountain
by Chris May
A guitarist who moves at a pace through a variety of styles, from ambient, fusion, straight-ahead and post-rock to experimental jazz, Wolfgang Muthspiel sometimes returns to his projects, typically with a twist.
Collaborations with oud player and singer Dhafer Youssef and drummer Brian Blade have already been winningly revisited. Having worked on Youssef's Electric Sufi (Enja, 2001), seven years later Muthspiel produced and co-led Glow (Material Records, 2007), taking Youssef's incantatory singing to powerful new heights. A duo ... Continue ReadingWolfgang Muthspiel / Brian Blade: Friendly Travelers Live
by Chris May
This terrific two-disc package--identically sequenced in-concert CD and DVD recordings made in Austria in 2007--finds guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel and drummer Brian Blade performing half a dozen tracks from their studio album Friendly Travelers (Material Records, 2007) and another, “Shanghai," from Muthspiel's trio album with bassist Matthias Pichler and drummer Andreas Pichler Bright Side (Material Records, 2006).
Like fellow guitarist Pat Metheny--whose extreme technical virtuosity he shares, and to whose cascading lyricism he adds an enjoyable astringency--Muthspiel enjoys playing ...
Continue ReadingWolfgang Muthspiel-Brian Blade: Friendly Travelers
by Michael P. Gladstone
I've been hearing guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel for over fifteen years now and have categorized him in a fusion-ish setting with a propensity to emulate the harder-edged style of John Scofield. So it came as a pleasant surprise to find that his co-venture with one of the most musical drummer/percussionists in jazz today, Brian Blade, is a most welcome event.
This duo first saw the light after being invited to perform at the 2006 Jazz Baltica Festival. Considering their ...
Continue ReadingWolfgang Muthspiel and Brian Blade: Friendly Travelers
by Jeff Dayton-Johnson
Friendly Travelers is an attractive set of guitar and drums duets by two widely-traveled (and apparently friendly) musicians. Guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel's ample use of overdubs, loops and other effects is endlessly entertaining and certainly prevents any ennui. This proliferation of guitar voices nevertheless also prevents the listener from focusing carefully on Muthspiel's musical personality. Though capable of classical precision ("Gnadenwald," “Andrej Rublijow"), his soloing on the more explicitly rock-derived numbers is appealingly rough around the edges and expressive.For ...
Continue ReadingWolfgang Muthspiel and Brian Blade: Friendly Travelers
by Mark F. Turner
A confluence of two creative minds merges into an inspiring work on Friendly Travelers. From Austria comes guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel, who has garnered international praise in both classical and jazz music including his critically acclaimed Bright Side (2006 Material Records.) Joining him is Brian Blade, who is among jazz's top drummers: leader of Brian Blade Fellowship, member of the recent Wayne Shorter Quartet, and diverse credits with Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and many others. The two have performed together in ...
Continue ReadingMike Holober: Wish List
by Michael P. Gladstone
Wish List is pianist/composer/bandleader Mike Holober's third album, in addition to appearances in the piano chair for the Pete McGuiness Jazz Orchestra, the Jason Rigby Quartet, the Pete McCann Quintet and the Anita Brown Jazz Orchestra. Holober is a New York-based pianist who previously had worked with Nick Brignola's group and whose style has been influenced by such modal pianists as Bill Evans and Herbie Hancock.His first album, Canyon (Sons of Sound, 2003), was produced by another modal ...
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