London Jazz News

29.12.2016,

Wolfgang Muthspiel’s second album for ECM may have been released late in the year, but I’ve spotted it creeping into a few ‚best of 2016‘ lists. It’s not hard to see qhy. The Austrian guitarist has augmented his regular trio comprising himself, drummer Brian Blade and the bass of Larry Grenadier with Brad Mehldau’s piano and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire. Collectively, they weave quiet, magical spells through a set of ten originals, one contributed by Mehldau, the rest by Muthspiel.

London Jazz interviewed Muthspiel just as he released his first ECM album a couple of years ago and invited him to accept the title of ‚world’s quietest guitarist‘. He gracefully declined the epithet (*), but this is quit, subtle music, albeit suffused with a myriad of colors and imbued with gentle urgency throughout by his band of master collaborators.

The title track Rising Grace opens the set, a flowing piece, melody spiraling away with Akinmusire’s fluted tones doubling the piano and floating over the bubbling accompaniment. Piano, trumpet and guitar comment on each other rather than solo. Intensive Care is a painstakingly unfolded, slowly pulsing collective meditation. It’s spellbinding. Triad Song and Father and Sun quicken the pace, Akinmusire sketching out the more overt and appealing melodies. Mehldau’s contribution Wolfgang’s Waltz skips along, the pianist solo inventive and expansive upping the energy again. Superonny has a filament of a rocky groove trace through it and Boogaloo a fractured moody pulse and distorting guitar. Den Wheeler Den Kenny is Muthspiel’s nod to the late, great Canadian and the band weaves a patchwork of moods, the guitar and Akinmusire particularly drawing out emotional highs as they lead the improvisation.

This is finely wrought music with no particular musician in the foreground although they each take the lead at times. The focus and creative energies of the formidable band are always in the service of the whole sound A delightful, beautiful album.

Mike Collins

(*) Muthspiel’s reasoning was that there was a more deserving candidate.

Angular Blues

23.04.2021

They grow up so fast. It seems like just yesterday that a wave of compelling young jazz guitarists—Liberty Ellman, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and Wolfgang Muthspiel among them – was bringing new life to the instrument. Now those players are middle-aged, with a new crop of nimble plectrists snapping at their heels. But Muthspiel’s “Angular Blues” proves that gifted improvisers can hit their stride in their autumn years. He doesn’t let his agile fingers do all the thinking for him: his lines breathe rather than pant, particularly on the first three tracks, which feature acoustic guitar. Partnered with two receptive players—the drummer Brian Blade and the bassist Scott Colley—Muthspiel demonstrates his artistic maturity, but he still finds moments to loosen the reins, as on the aptly tided “Ride.”

Steve Futterman (New Yorker)

Angular Blues

23. April 2021
They grow up so fast. It seems like just yesterday that a wave of compelling young jazz guitarists—Liberty Ellman, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and Wolfgang Muthspiel among them – was bringing new life to the instrument. Now those players are middle-aged, with a new crop of nimble plectrists snapping at their heels. But Muthspiel’s “Angular Blues” proves that gifted improvisers can hit their stride in their autumn years. He doesn’t let his agile fingers do all the thinking for him: his lines breathe rather than pant, particularly on the first three tracks, which feature acoustic guitar. Partnered with two receptive players—the drummer Brian Blade and the bassist Scott Colley—Muthspiel demonstrates his artistic maturity, but he still finds moments to loosen the reins, as on the aptly tided “Ride.”
Steve Futterman (New Yorker)

Angular Blues

23. April 2021
They grow up so fast. It seems like just yesterday that a wave of compelling young jazz guitarists—Liberty Ellman, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and Wolfgang Muthspiel among them – was bringing new life to the instrument. Now those players are middle-aged, with a new crop of nimble plectrists snapping at their heels. But Muthspiel’s “Angular Blues” proves that gifted improvisers can hit their stride in their autumn years. He doesn’t let his agile fingers do all the thinking for him: his lines breathe rather than pant, particularly on the first three tracks, which feature acoustic guitar. Partnered with two receptive players—the drummer Brian Blade and the bassist Scott Colley—Muthspiel demonstrates his artistic maturity, but he still finds moments to loosen the reins, as on the aptly tided “Ride.”
Steve Futterman (New Yorker)

Angular Blues

28.04.2020

There is so much to commend Wolfgang Muthspiel latest recording Angular Blues: the beautiful textures created by its guitar, bass and drums sonority; the outstanding quality of the musicianship on display; the interesting original compositions which bring forth reflective and introspective improvisations; the unique musical personalities of Wolfgang, bassist Scott Colley and drummer Brian Blade, all of whom are respectful of the Jazz tradition while, at the same time, bringing forth their own unique, individual voices.

It’s rare that a recording comes fully formed in terms of the excellence of its music, the musicians who perform it and the audio aura that captures it. Angular Blues is one of these singular occasions and Manfred Eicher should be rightfully pleased and proud of his production.

 

Steven Cerra (Jazz Profiles)