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Wolfgang Muthspiel
Born in 1965, guitar player Wolfgang Muthspiel lives in Vienna. 30 CDs with mainly his own compositions document his work as bandleader and co-leader.
Being trained as a classical musician he approaches the acoustic guitar with the same ease as improvisation and jazz. His Mozart-loving father encouraged him to start with violin playing at age six. At the age 14, he switched to guitar and started to create his own music with his brother Christian. His interest for improvisation led on to jazz.
He moved to Boston/Massachusetts and attended the Berklee College of Music on a full scholarship in 1986 where Mick Goodrick introduced him to complex harmonic worlds. In 1988 he started a 2-year touring period with the Gary Burton Band and acquired an outstanding reputation in the jazz scene. In the mid-nineties he arrived in the capital of Jazz, New York City, where he lived and worked until 2002. This city offered him a unique platform for pursuing different projects. Together with the singer Rebekka Bakken he explored the world of the singer/songwriter while with his brother he pursued their common electronic project Muthspiel/Muthspiel. At the same time he acted as a reliable and ingenious sideman for Trilok Gurtu, Dhafer Youssef, Youssou N’Dour, Maria João, Dave Liebman, Peter Erskine, Paul Motian, Bob Berg, Gary Peacock, Don Alias, Larry Grenadier, John Patitucci, Dieter Ilg, the Vienna Art Orchestra and many others.
After 16 years in the country of boundless possibilities he moved back home in 2002, settling down in Vienna, now being in demand as a virtuosic and creative co-leader and sideman in Europe. In 2002 he founded the label “material records” where he publishes and produces his own recordings as well as albums of other artists. After having toured Europe with his new 4tet (2008) and the duo-project with the drummer Brian Blade (2008) Wolfgang Muthspiel focusses on the trio MGT (Muthspiel – Grigoryan – Towner). In addition to his jazz projects, Muthspiel is active composing for contemporary classical ensembles like the Klangforum Wien or the Hugo Wolf Quartet. Most recently he received commissions from the Austrian Esterházy foundation (Haydn Year 2009). Furthermore Wolfgang Muthspiel is a Professor at the Hochschule für Musik in Basel, Switzerland.
Among his current projects is the Duo „Friendly Travelers“ with drummer Brian Blade, the Wolfgang Muthspiel Trio, MGT From a Dream with Slava Grigoryan and Ralph Towner, the Drumfree Trio (with Scott Colley and Mark Turner) as well as an ever-changing Solo Performance incorporating many different guitars and loops. Since 2009 the collaboration with Turkish pianist Aydin Esen has led to yet another project by the name of “dream cycle” bringing together contemporary aesthetics of both the classical and the jazz world. In 2012 Wolfgang released Vienna, Naked his first album as a singer/songwriter. He is currently working on new Trio recordings with Brian Blade and Larry Grenadier as well as a new Song Project by the name of “Vienna. World.”
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Wolfgang Muthspiel / Benjamin Koppel / Scott Colley / Brian Blade: Complements Incarnate
by Doug Collette
The inveterate musiclover knows all too well how the attraction(s) of certain musician(s) names invariably leads to the satisfaction of hearing them, live or on record, as leaders or accompanists. Bassist Scott Colley and drummer Brian Blade are two such musicians whose listing in the credits of any album or showbill invariably invites observation: appearing together and separately on stage and in the studio with saxophonist/composer Benjamin Koppel on Mulberry Street Symphony (Unit Records, 2022) or touring with Julian Lage ...
read moreCarlo Mombelli: Lullaby for Planet Earth
by Dan Bilawsky
Carlo Mombelli's patience is profound. Long a believer in allowing music to unfold at its own pace, the veteran South African bassist/composer demonstrates incredible composure in his every pursuit. Always unforced and forever bound to both the natural and spiritual realms, his art reflects a purity linking the concepts of self- command and surrender. In that respect, in using his own unique voice, he speaks to universal hope and possibilities. There's already plenty of evidence to support ...
read moreGuitars, Rarities, and New Sounds
by Bob Osborne
This time a dip into the archive for a couple of tracks featuring Wolfgang Muthspiel plus more guitar with a new solo album from Brian Citro. There's a preview of a stunning new album from Nate Wooley, which features two more guitarists, Mary Halvorson and Susan Alcorn. Plus new music from La Pompe Attack, classic British Jazz from John Taylor, a debut from Julius Rodriguez, rare Dave Brubeck and some early Oregon. There's also new self released music from Eyal ...
read moreJohannes 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. ...
read moreFriedrich 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 ...
read moreWolfgang 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 ...
read moreWolfgang 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, ...
read moreJazz Musician of the Day: Wolfgang Muthspiel
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Wolfgang Muthspiel's birthday today!
Born in 1965, guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel lives in Vienna. 30 CDs with mainly his own compositions document his work as bandleader and co-leader. Being trained as a classical musician he approaches the acoustic guitar with the same ease as improvisation and jazz.
His Mozart-loving father encouraged him to start with violin playing at age six. At the age 14, he switched to guitar and started to create his own music with ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Wolfgang Muthspiel
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Wolfgang Muthspiel's birthday today!
Born in 1965, guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel lives in Vienna. 30 CDs with mainly his own compositions document his work as bandleader and co-leader. Being trained as a classical musician he approaches the acoustic guitar with the same ease as improvisation and jazz.
His Mozart-loving father encouraged him to start with violin playing at age six. At the age 14, he switched to guitar and started to create his own music with ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Wolfgang Muthspiel
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Wolfgang Muthspiel's birthday today!
Born in 1965, guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel lives in Vienna. 30 CDs with mainly his own compositions document his work as bandleader and co-leader. Being trained as a classical musician he approaches the acoustic guitar with the same ease as improvisation and jazz.
His Mozart-loving father encouraged him to start with violin playing at age six. At the age 14, he switched to guitar and started to create his own music with ...
read more
Master Guitarists Wolfgang Muthspiel and Mick Goodrick Interviewed at AAJ...And More!
Source:
All About Jazz
When guitarists Wolfgang Muthspiel and Mick Goodrick walked up to the stage on January 30th, 2008, they were not only preparing to record a live album for Muthspiel's Material Records label, they were celebrating a musical and personal relationship that stretches back more than two decades. First meeting at the New England Conservatory, where Muthspiel studied under the Goodrick's tutelage, these two iconic players have continued to work together as duo partners over the years, with 2010's Live at the ...
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Mick Goodrick/Wolfgang Muthspiel Duo Release "Live at the Jazz Standard"
Source:
Michael Ricci
"Mick Goodrick and Wolfgang Muthspiel have given us a map of the world on the guitar. The guitar fretboard is vexing terrain. Unlike the piano fingerboard, which proceeds with relentless logic from the lowest note on the left to the highest on the right, the fretboard has a geometry all its own.
Exploring the possibilities of the guitar involves endless stumbling into cul-de-sacs; combinations and series of notes easily realized on the piano simply can't be done, but there are ...
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"A natural virtuoso. On the electric guitar he can produce sounds as light and nimble as a harp's; on the violin he is alert and steely. Partly composed and partly improvised, his pieces included homages to Stravinsky, his jazz colleague Paul Motian and the Beatles." —Paul Griffiths, The New York Times
"Rivetingly original, thoughtful and totally absorbing without being forbiddingly esoteric; firmly structured but allowing just enough space for free individual expression." —Chris Parker, The Times, London
Photos
Music
Amelia
From: Dance of the EldersBy Wolfgang Muthspiel
New Horizons
From: Vienna Chamber Diaries plus...By Wolfgang Muthspiel
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Wolfgang Muthspiel
Instrument: Guitar
Born: March 2, 1965
