The title Fragments refers to portions of tunes that echo around inside your head, that stay with you over a lifetime. Mueller has taken a dozen haunting fragments from his own memory and expanded them into inventive and original world jazz fusion recordings. The project is in the early stages of development. This webpage will act as a place to list track titles, post drafts and concept tracks, determine song order, etc.
The fragments Mueller uses as inspiration include portions of tunes by The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Elton John, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Paul Simon... everything from Harold Arlen's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" to the legendary prog rock band Yes' masterpiece "Close to the Edge". Two tracks are covers: "Feels So Good" by Chuck Mangione, because Mueller didn't have the heart to take a mere fragment, and "Tobacco Road", a classic blues tune Mueller puts through epic variations. The second to last track is a reworking of a solo piano composition by Mueller himself.
"The tunes I chose hint at what I was listening to as a teenager," Mueller writes, "fragments of tunes that have never left my internal musical imagination. This project is an homage to how music has sustained me. These fragments have inspired more than mere imitation. Many times throughout my life, they have felt absolutely transformational. They've provided encouragement, energy, comfort, and an impetus to be continually creative.”
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One of the most diverse and talented jazz composers today. Contemporary jazz at its finest."
Each track is a testimony to the creative collaboration and improvisational interplay between Mueller, El Caballero percussionist Ruben de Ruiter and the featured soloists contributing to each recording. The "world" aspect of the "world fusion jazz" category comes mainly from de Ruiter, who plays a full range of percussion instruments, including congas, bongos, quinto, djembe, timbales, cajon and talking drum, plus an assortment of shakers, bells, bass drums and cymbals. (The Band does not use a traditional drummer, adding to the uniqueness of the overall sound.) Mueller plays acoustic piano, electric pianos, B3 organ, vibraphone, marimba, Trilian basses and a series of other more esoteric keyboard instruments (see Liner Notes below), filling out the "fusion jazz" label.
Mueller and Ruben de Ruiter have brought together a talented band, with each player adding their distinctive stylings, making for a fresh and varied sound, track to track. Featured soloists include guitarist Bob Lanzetti (founding member of Snarky Puppy), trombonist Roy Agee (Grammy-winner with Prince), cellist Noah Hoffeld (Brad Mehldau, Linda May Han Oh), and previous collaborators Woody Mankowski (Prestidigitation, Standard Deviations, Müller's Wheel, Come In Funky) and Mikie Martel (Best of Tobin Mueller series). Additional world-class players from Buenos Aires to Hamburg to Rotterdam, from Nashville to Portland to New York City, contribute to the truly international flavor of the album. The album fuses more than jazz, rock and instumental pop, but styles associated with Brazilian, South African, Afro-Cuban, Celtic and British-American music as well. See The Band for a complete list. Award-winning Kenny Cash (Factory Underground Studio) produces.
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Tobin Mueller proves his originality, his inquisitiveness as a musician and thinker. His fluid, full throttle energy is inspiring. His compositional vocabulary and his prowess as a musician are eloquent and elegant, lively and whimsical, provocative and inspirational by turns. Genius."
Carla Maria Verdino-Süllwold, Fanfare Magazine
Mueller has recorded with Grammy winners Dave Brubeck, Michael Hedges, Donny McCaslin, Maynard Ferguson, Jon Anderson (from Yes), Brian Welch ("Head" from Korn), Carl Fischer, Sal Giorgianni, and bass legend Ron Carter, as well as Grammy nominees Dane Richeson (Blue Note Records), Ken Schaphorst (founding member of Boston-based Jazz Composers Alliance), Scott Rockenfield (Queensrÿche). Add in Grammy winners Roy Agee (Prince's trombonist) and guitarist Bob Lanzetti (founding member of Snarky Puppy) who have both contributed to Fragments. He has collaborated with Blues Hall of Fame guitarist and Grammy winner Paul Nelson on two albums, Prestidigitation and Standard Deviations.
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Clearly, Tobin Mueller can fill emptiness with his own brilliance and creativity. I am captivated and keep turning the tunes, like pages, listening for the unexpected, the excitement, the beauty that Mueller produces as an artist. Two-fisted energy and grit. Blossoms blowing in the wind. Mueller's music brings my ears great reward. Pure bliss."
Dee Dee McNeil, Musical Memoirs
Hand percussionist Ruben de Ruiter has played with solo artists, bands and orchestras throughout Netherlands and abroad, including the John Patitucci Band, The Amsterdam Funk Orchestra, jazz fusion band Zitakula, and (like Mueller) Ron Carter. His credits include the film New York 2020 and the stage production of Disney's Lion King. He played on The Best of Tobin MuellerVolumes 2, 4 & 5, as well as Mueller's Prestidigitation.
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Mueller showcases great players. But even more so, his collaborations capture at its zenith Mueller’s genius ability to dance in and out of motifs and themes, while paying such great respect to composers who came before. He conjures a breadth of emotions and memories effortlessly, expansively, beautifully... Simply awesome."
John LaMantia, contributing critic for Downbeat Magazine
Mueller is counted as one of the founders of New Age music, although his stylings fit more precisely into the experimental post-bop modal jazz category. He stands alongside a contemporary jazz field that includes Brad Mehldau, Fred Hersch, Gerald Clayton, David Lanz, Hiromi and Tigran Hamasyan.
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I am in awe of Tobin’s fearless pursuit of honesty and originality in his work. If you have his entire collection, you know he will not duplicate anything previously recorded! One of the most innovative minds creating music today. Challenging yet accessible, Mueller’s music is never predictable and always takes us someplace new and surprising."
Cover art for Fragments is by Tobin Mueller, utilizing the abstract art of Martha Rae Baker and lettering by Sharon Lia. Martha's artwork has also been incorporated into the promo photos at the bottom of the page.
This webpage will be updated as each recording is conceived and drafted.
This album is decicated to Paul Nelson, the Grammy-winning Blues Hall of Fame guitarist who convinced Tobin to begin this project. Paul thought his contributions on Prestidigitation (2022) resulted in the best work of his career. He wanted to do more jazz-fusion playing. Fragments would not exist without Paul's early enthusiasm and input. Several tracks on the album were chosen specifically for Paul, including "Tobacco Road" and "Is It Tomorrow or Just the End of Time?"
Prior to working with Mueller, Paul worked with Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Slash, Leslie West, Joe Bonamassa, Ben Harper, Dr. John, Joe Walsh and dozens more. He had the distinction of being the hand-picked successor to legendary rock/blues icon Johnny Winter. Nelson received "Best Blues Album of the Year" Grammy for "Step Back" and was nominated for several other efforts. Nelson also appears on Mueller's studio albums Standard Deviations, The Best of Tobin MuellerVolumes 2 & 3, as well as Prestidigitation.
Paul is missed by his family, friends, fans and colleagues. His untimely death in early 2024 has left many people saddened, yet his energy lingers around us, spurring is to new creativity and joy. May his spirit live on in his music, as well as in the music he continues to inspire in others.
Paul Nelson
Fragments
Track List
All Come to Look for America (inspired by Paul Simon) Feels So Good (by Chuck Mangione) Electric Boots (inspired by Elton John) Tobacco Road (by John D. Loudermilk) Dreamer (inspired by John Lennon & Bob Marley) An Empty Space to Fill In (inspired by Joni Mitchell) Is It Tomorrow or Just the End of Time? (inspired by Jimi Hendrix) Seasons Will Pass You By (inspired by Yes) Apollo's Lyre Reimagined (by Tobin Mueller) Winding Road (inspired by Paul McCartney) Always Thought I'd See You Again (inspired by James Taylor) No Place Like Home (inspired by Harold Arlen)
The Band (also see Track-by-Track Liner Notes below)
• Tobin Mueller: acoustic piano, Vintage Vibe electric piano, vibraphone, marimba, kalimba, dulcitone, cow bells, fretless bass
• Woody Mankowski: vocalese
• Ruben de Ruiter: congas, timbales, quinto, bongos, cajon, tumbadora, tambourine, shakers, cymbals, etc.
• Inspired by Paul Simon's "America" and "Cecilia"
• Unusual meters: When the piece utilizes the theme from "America", the meter is 3/4; when it utilizes "Cecilia", it is in 4/4
• See YouTube for music video
• Tobin Mueller: acoustic piano, B3 organ, electric bass, drumset
• Niels van der Steenhoven: 1st lead electric guitar
• Amit Erez: 2nd electric guitar, rhythm electric guitar
• Roy Agee: trombone
• Mikie Martel: trumpets, flugelhorn, saxophones
• Ruben de Ruiter: cajon, congas, kick drum, tambourine, caxixi, shaker, cymbals
• Composed by John D. Loudermilk; arranged by Tobin Mueller
• Tobin Mueller: acoustic piano, fretless bass
• Mikie Martel: solo trumpet, brass section
• Filip Dinev: electric guitar
• Ruben de Ruiter: timbales, congas, tambourine, shaker, kick drum, rumble, cymbals (not yet added)
• Inspired by John Lennon's "Imagine", as well as Bob Marley
• Tobin Mueller: acoustic piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, vibraphone, marimba, kalimba, crotales, electric bass
• Mikie Martel: flugelhorn, muted trumpet, trumpet
• Ruben de Ruiter: djembe, congas, timbales, talking drum, doundoun, repinique, caxixi, shekere, repinique, cowbell, banana bell, cuica, kick drum, cymbals
• Inspired by Joni Mitchell's "Blue" and "Clouds", as well as Fela Kuti • Unusual meters: After the mellow introduction, the first verse is in 6+7/8 with a few 9/8s and 11/8s thown in; the rest of the piece levels out into 4/4, although some of it utilizes 3-over-4 triplets
• Tobin Mueller: acoustic piano, B3 organ, Rhodes electric piano, electric bass, drumset
• Woody Mankowski: vocals
• Amit Erez: electric guitars
• Ruben de Ruiter: timbales, congas, bells, finger cymbals, cymbals, chimes
• inspired by "Purple Haze" and "Manic Depression" by Jimi Hendrix
• Unusual meters: A mixture of 4/4 and 6/8, sometimes using a swing feel, most times not
• Tobin Mueller: acoustic piano, B3 organ, Rhodes & Wurlitzer electric pianos, electric bass, toms, cowbells
• Ruben de Ruiter: congas, bongos, cajon, tambourine, handbells, shakers, cymbals, wind
• Amit Erez: electric guitars
• Tomás Martinez: alto & tenor saxophones
• based on "Close to the Edge" by Yes (Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman, Steve Howe, Bill Bruford)
• Unusual meters: The arrangement utilizes a mixture of 7/4, 6/4, 5/4, 4/4, 3/4 and 5/8
• Tobin Mueller: piano, vibraphone, marimba, dulcitone, crotales, bodhran, taiko drum
• Ruben de Ruiter: congas, quinto, bongos, tambourine, caxixis, vibraslap, windwhistle, windchimes, kick drum, cymbals
• First released as a solo piano performance on Instead of Heaven, remastered for Best of Tobin Mueller, Vol. 5 • Unusual meters: most of the piece is in 5/4, with various other meters used to round out each phrase.
• Rearranged for piano and multiple percussion instruments for Fragments • See YouTube for original solo piano music video
• Tobin Mueller: acoustic piano, acoustic bass
• Peter Ferguson: acoustic guitar
• Chris West: alto flute
• Ruben de Ruiter: quinto, bongos, tamborim, surdo, snare, kick, guiro, maracas, shaker, cymbals
• Inspired by Paul McCartney's "The Long and Winding Road", as well as João Gilberto
• Unusual meters: Although most of the song is in 4/4, utilizing Brazilian rhythms, the first Bridge is 7/8 with 9/8 and 11/8 turnarounds
• Tobin Mueller: acoustic piano, taiko drums, shekere
• Noah Hoffeld: cello
• Chris West: soprano saxophone
• Ruben de Ruiter: surdo, udu, bongos, talking drum, shaker, triangle, finger cymbals, cymbals
• Inspired by James Taylor's "Fire and Rain"
• Unusual meters: Most of the arrangement is in 4/4, although it is tricky because the second half piano pattern has the bass note hit on the 8th note after the downbeat; the bridge is in 5/4
• Tobin Mueller: acoustic piano
• Woody Mankowski: soprano saxophone
• Ruben de Ruiter: congas, bongos, guiro, shaker, kick drum, cymbals, wind chimes
• Remastered; first released on Best of Tobin Mueller, Vol. 5: Chill • Inspired by Harold Arlen
• See YouTube for music video
Tobin Mueller
Ruben de Ruiter
Performers on Grammy Winning albums: Bob Lanzetti, Noah Hoffeld, Roy Agee
Chris West, Mikie Martel, Tomás Martinez, Woody Mankowski
Peter Ferguson, Niels van der Steenhoven, Filip Dinev, Amit Erez