Updated: June 25, 2022
Born: December 3, 1955
Composer, musician, arranger, playwright, Tobin Mueller has been involved incollaborations across the artistic spectrum. His latest recording, PRESTIDIGITATION, pays homage to the Jazz Fusion era, combining contemporary Big Band, Funk, Post-Bop Jazz & Progressive Rock. His all-star band covers Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Frank Zappa, more. It follows on the heals of Tobin's 2018 blockbuster, STANDARD DEVIATIONS, in which he reinterprets 33 of the greatest Jazz Standards of all-time. RAIN BATHER won Best Jazz Album in 2009. He also has numerous solo piano jazz albums, including INSTEAD OF HEAVEN, AFTERWORDS and the MASTERWORKS TRILOGY. A virtuoso post-bop modal jazz multi-genre genius, Mueller has recorded with Grammy winners Dave Brubeck, Ron Carter (see COME IN FUNKY), Michael Hedges, Donny McCaslin (last collaborator with David Bowie), blues guitarist Paul Nelson, and Jon Anderson (from Yes) and more. He's played with Maynard Ferguson; Brian Welch ("Head" from Korn), Scott Rockenfield (Queensrÿche) and countless other musicians from around the globe.
A NYC Dramatist Guild playwright, he's staged 5 shows in Manhattan, toured the world, and been involved in several artistic multi-genre collaborations involving the Internet. He founded the ArtsForge Collaborative Artist Community back in 1998. He's won awards for music, poetry and environmental commitment (UNEP Roll of Honor).
Awards
United Nations’ Global 500 Roll of Honor, laureate,1994. INSTEAD OF HEAVEN (2021 Best of Year Pick) - MainlyPiano.com JAZZIZ Magazine's Critics' Choice: Afterwords (2017). Fanfare Magazine's Annual Critics Choice awards: Of Two Minds (2016), Flow (2015) Mainly Piano's Annual Favorite Picks: WONDER (2019), Standard Deviations (2018), Afterwords (2017), Of Two Minds (2016), Flow (2015). Album of the Year: Rain Bather, JazzChicago.net (2009). Wisconsin Association of Environmental Educator’s “Earthguard Award”, 1993. Midwest Renewable Energy Association’s “Environmental Excellence Award”, 1994.
Tags
"Jazz that takes you on a journey. Skillfully paced and plotted, this is a top notch experience for the instrumental music enthusiast...” - Chris Spector, Midwest Record
"STANDARD DEVIATIONS" - An amazing jazz amalgam that showcases the great players Mueller chose to record with. But even more so, it captures at its zenith Mueller’s genius ability to dance in and out of motifs and themes while paying such great respect to the jazz composers he "quotes”. He makes the intertwining of the composer's intent with his own interpretation sound effortless, expansive, beautiful and awesome..." - John LaMantia, contributing critic for Downbeat Magazine
Rob Mullins
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bassSatoko Fujii
pianoShirley Scott
organ, Hammond B3D.D. Jackson
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guitarLisa Hilton
pianoPatrick Godfrey
pianoLouis Landon
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