Wolfgang Muthspiel - Dance of the Elders

September 29, 2023

Label: ECM Records, 2023

Personnel - Wolfgang Muthspiel: guitar; Scott Colley: bass; Brian Blade: drums.

Being comfortable in a wide range of musical settings, German guitarist and composer Wolfgang Muthspiel effortlessly balances generous portions of chamber jazz, folk, post-bop, and classical music with clarity. It’s no surprise that his musical endeavors stand out from the crowd, avoiding trends in the current sonic zeitgeist. Following up on his trio debut (Angular Blues, 2020) with rhythm stalwarts Scott Colley and Brian Blade on bass and drums, respectively, Dance of the Elders reveals how they honed their collective sound after extensive touring in 2022.

Muthspiel’s “Invocation” is an immediate standout. The radiance of the introduction is dazzling, with two guitar lines working in harmony, leading us to the immersive, tranquil, and spacious atmosphere of the trio. Earlier, we have a reflective bass statement while the cymbal and drum colors, revealing a refined taste, hold the entire piece together. Muthspiel’s guitarism is magnetic throughout, bringing magic to a soulful fingerpicked vamp that shines with synth guitar ideas on top, thoughtful bowed bass, and understated drumming.

If the latter piece exhibits bluesy and folksy complexions, then “Prelude to Bach” is a zero-gravity studio improvisation driven by acoustic guitar, inviting us us to relax with a spontaneous reading of Bach’s chorale “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded”. The classical influence blends seamlessly with edgy post-bop on “Dance of the Elders”, an erudite hybrid excursion in five with intercalated passages in 4/4 tempo. It’s a team effort with beautifully cadenced accents and polyrhythmic intent, where the trio plays as one.

Two of the seven compositions are covers. Kurt Weill/Bertold Brecht “Liebeslied” is a comforting jazz waltz delivered with probing solos from bass and guitar, whereas “Amelia” is a sure-footed folk-jazz hymn written by Joni Mitchell and dedicated to American aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart. The latter number closes the album in intimate communication, but before that, we still have two Muthspiel compositions: “Folksong” and “Cantus Bradus”. The former, inspired by giant pianist Keith Jarrett, has the three instruments singing with a fine infusion of rustic and sophistication expression before getting slightly funkified at the bottom by Colley and Blade; the latter piece, motivated by pianist Brad Mehldau’s certain way of playing, flirts with the melodic impetuousness of baroque and flamenco. The jazz phrasing gives it a proper fusion touch.

Leveraging the often-telepathic interplay between his trio mates, Muthspiel creates music that gravitates toward enjoyable textures and narratives. This album is no small accomplishment.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Invocation ► 03 - Dance of the Elders ► 06 - Cantus Bradus

Wolfgang Muthspiel - Angular Blues

March 17, 2020

Label: ECM Records, 2020

Personnel - Wolfgang Muthspiel: guitar; Scott Colley: bass; Brian Blade: drums.

Austrian jazz guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel first came to prominence as a leader in the 1990’s with albums that featured giants such as John Patitucci, George Garzone, Tom Harrell, Peter Erskine, Marc Johnson, and Paul Motian, among others.

Lately, under the seal of the ECM Records, he has been exploring mostly original compositions in the quintet and trio formats. And it was exactly in the latter configuration that Angular Blues was shaped, a sonically pleasant recording that relies on the rhythmic elegance of bassist Scott Colley and drummer Brian Blade. If the drummer is a regular partner, the bassist replaces Larry Grenadier and gives his first contribution to a project by Muthspiel. But let me tell you, he reacts with the intimacy of a family member.

Colley’s improvisatory imagination brings groove and emotion to the title cut, a rhythmically intricate and complexly patterned blues that, after all, sounds more cohesive than jagged, while on the opening track, “Wondering”, he expresses the theme statement with poise. The narrative here develops in a 5/4 meter signature, with Muthspiel weaving delicate guitar textures and delivering a limpid acoustic guitar solo.

Like the previously cited pieces, the spacious, affectionately brushed folk ballad “Huttengriffe” is plucked and strummed on the acoustic guitar, whereas “Camino” benefits from electric sounds, offering an intriguing, reflective, and somewhat poignant experience. At odds with this thoughtful and literate mood, “Ride” is a frisky bebop infusion with shades of Barney Kessell and Joe Pass. Also dwelling in a more traditional realm are the standards “I’ll Remember April” and “Everything I Love”. The latter, a Cole Porter song, is rendered with unambiguous rhythmic ideas, also showing off trade eights between the soloists and Blade in addition to notable improvisations from guitar and bass.

My favorite piece on the album is “Kanon in 6/8”, which puts the triumvirate’s quick-witted communication on display. They go full steam ahead, applying cascading designs and a pliant rhythmic control, in a piece that also highlights the bandleader’s superb harmonic qualities and soloing dexterity, here with a modest tendency for rock. There’s also a solo classical-like version of this piece in 5/4, expressed with an improvisatory flair and where a sense of calm pervades.

Muthspiel’s new trio effort is simultaneously refreshing and comforting.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Angular Blues ► 06 - Everything I Love ► 07 - Kanon in 6/8

Wolfgang Muthspiel - Where The River Goes

October 4, 2018

Label: ECM Records, 2018

Personnel - Wolfgang Muthspiel: guitar; Ambrose Akinmusire: trumpet; Brad Mehldau: piano; Larry Grenadier: bass; Eric Harland: drums.

In order to address a new set of never-recorded compositions, Austrian guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel reenlists the same American musicians who had brought Rising Grace, his previous album, to life. The guitarist builds up Where The River Goes as a natural follow-up to its predecessor but offering new experiences with each tune, a fruit of his deep musical sensibility.

Pensive guitar expressions introduce the title track right before they are turned into systematic chordal fluxes accompanied with gentle single-note delineations from pianist Brad Mehldau. The lyric vein inspires the soloists - fabulous trumpet player Ambrose Akinmusire sounds sharp and candid; Muthspiel brings some folk influence into the jazz linguistic domain; and Mehldau, invariably conveying interesting ideas, outlines precise phrases articulated with gusto.

The title “For Django” (supposedly penned for guitarist Django Reinhardt) should make us think about some sort of swinging treatment, which doesn’t happen. Instead, the piece feels more thoughtful than precipitous, becoming immersed in a dignified solemnity that never darkens. This lightness in mood is effectively corroborated by bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Eric Harland, who restrain from pushing too far, and reinforced through a passage that promotes end-to-end communication between piano and guitar. Akinmusire justifies the constant calls from his fellow musicians, pulling off soaring solos that nobody else can match. Afterward, he lays down the melody of “Descendants” with lingering notes and fine focus. Although the piece starts nostalgically crystalline, seeking a certain amount of ambiguity and actually getting it with the contribution of slightly dissonant bends from the bandleader, it ends up being shaken by an intense rhythmic passage.

After “Clearing”, a complete spontaneous creation that touches modern classical and cyclical minimalism, it's time for the acoustic glow of “Buenos Aires”, a solo guitar portrait of the Argentinean capital.

The initially ruminative “One Day My Prince Was Gone” enjoys the exploratory freedom for a while, before exhibiting unison lines over a swinging rhythm. This ultimate thrill anticipates Mehldau’s “Blueshead”, which stands up for bop-derived melodies and solos containing abundant call-response interaction.

Muthspiel returns to the acoustic guitar introspection on the closing piece, “Panorama”, decompressing through amiable chromatic shifts within the arpeggiated movements.

The quintet, united by a strong rapport, adopts this uniform, exquisite approach to Muthspiel’s writing, creating a catchy narrative that incorporates both warm and glacial developments.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Where The River Goes ► 04 - Clearing ► 07 - Blueshead

Wolfgang Muthspiel - Rising Grace

January 23, 2017

Wolfgang Muthspiel: guitars; Ambrose Akinmusire: trumpet; Brad Mehldau: piano; Larry Grenadier: bass; Brian Blade: drums.

Wolfgang Muthspiel, an Austrian guitarist/composer who feels comfortable both in acoustic and electric settings, has a new album, his third on ECM Records.
In Driftwood (2014), his previous work for that label, he counted on the bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Brian Blade, a longtime associate, to bring his compositions to life.
In Rising Grace, a seamless preparation of post-bop and classical, he expands the trio into a quintet with the addition of reputable trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and pianist Brad Mehldau.

Their adventure starts with the title track, a gracious piece where sonorous articulations interlace one another, floating like dust in the wind. Muthspiel plays the acoustic guitar and his open chords go perfectly well with Mehldau’s textural lines. Akinmusire’s trumpet entering in a suspended mode, nearly touches the style of Kenny Wheeler, the honoree in “Den Wheeler, Den Kenny”.
Guitarist and pianist combine flawlessly once again in the acoustic “Intensive Care”, a spacious, slow waltz that draws symmetric melodies over trenchant harmonic patterns.
The bandleader switches to the electric guitar in the tuneful “Triad Song”, likely the easiest tune to empathize with. By turns, it features Mehladu’s enchanting lyricism, Muthspiel’s equilibrated language, and Akinmusire’s tranquilizing and clamant melodic phrases.

“Father and Son” is a nomadic adventure that leans on world music. Grenadier drives the caravan, laying down spellbinding grooves and establishing an appealing foundation with the help of Blade, whose drumming is imperatively suave. Meanwhile, Akinmusire continues to impress whenever he intervenes.
Mehldau wrote “Wolfgang’s Waltz” for the guitarist, who goes pure jazzy during his solo, while the ruminative “Superonny” and “Boogaloo” have an assured foot on contemporary jazz, relying on audacious compound meters to flow.

Guiding the nifty quintet with self-assurance, Muthspiel creates imaginary landscapes whose limpid tones and polished forms bring optimism, introspection, and clarity. Those are real.
Defying specific categorizations, Rising Grace is pure charm and musical aesthetics.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Rising Grace ► 03 – Triad Song ► 07 – Boogaloo