Tobin Mueller's Come In Funky

Come In Funky featuring Ron Carter

available on:
SoundCloud • Apple Music • Amazon Music • Pandora • Qobuz • Tidal • Deezer • YouTube Music Videos

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Fun, joy, love! Pumps the smile juices! 4.5 stars!"

- All About Jazz

After the success of 2010's The Muller's Wheel (remastered/reissued as Müller's Wheel in 2012), Tobin Mueller teamed up yet again with his favorite collaborator (Woody Mankowski) creating another upbeat jazz-funk project. Woody contributing to six of the tracks, adding his unique energy and genius. Tracks from Come In Funky have been featured several times as a "Song of the Day" on AllAboutJazz.com.

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Come In Funky starts with legendary bassist Ron Carter knocking on his standup bass as if wanting to enter. Once the door opens, funky tunes flow from all directions: old school big band funk, experimental duet etudes, quartet funk, original fusion funk and clever funk covers, even reggae funk. Driven by sax, organ, bass, respectively, these recordings form a perfect collection that defines the many faces of funk."

- Jazziz

Five of these recordings also feature legendary Ron Carter on bass. He has appeared on over 2,500 albums and his imagination knows no bounds.

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As the album title suggests, funk is the name of the game, funk, and all its many subgenres – from familiar big band vibes to cross-genre fusions, from reworked covers to the most original compositions, old-school familiarity to forward-thinking freshness. If funk is your thing, then this is for you.

Mueller has made an album for all musical levels. Those in the industry or familiar with the genre will appreciate how cleverly the music is put together, how brilliantly the musicians play off each other, and how they can push even established sounds like jazz and funk into new realms. Those who care less about the artistry and are just interested in some groovy music will find what they need here, too. Come for the clever arrangements, stay for the funky dance vibes!

- Dave Franklin, UK Reviews

Several of these tracks have been remixed and remastered for Mueller's latest compilation: Best of Tobin Mueller, Vol. 1: Jazz Originals.

Some of these tunes are classic yet original funk tracks that transport you back in time to when most everything (music, clothes, language) owed its hipness to the Funk wing of 1970s Jazz. But several others are quirky jazz-funk etudes that resonate with unique playfulness and humor.

Seven of the 13 tracks have no percussion, relying instead on the rhythmic playing of bass or keys to provide the drive. This lends a nimble clarity to the music, highlighting it's intimate whimsy. Tobin's mixture of B3 organ, electric piano, clavicord and synths overlay Ron Carter's dancing bass lines during the "Interludes." Together, they create playful and sometimes psychedelic duets.

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You guys can play! These are, almost without exception, very complicated numbers in terms of rhythm and the general sync of solos with ensemble playing, a stellar set of recordings that, I believe, adds seriously to the body of jazz that this represents. Ron Carter’s bass drives every track, easily taking the low string timbre, the rhythm, and the funky playing to a level of complete delight. (How does he do that?!) Tobin Mueller’s own work on the organ just fascinates, especially with such a fine-tuned sense of timing as he inserts the do-dads that add such tasty spice to the ensemble. There’s a lot of whimsy here, served up with style and exacting precision. And Woody Mankowski is fairly on fire from track to track with such rich, tasty sax solos and the restrained touch of an absolute artist when backing other solos. Remarkable work in every single way I can think of. This is such a bright and happy album that is played with a spirit of invention and joy from the first notes to the last. A delightful experience to hear such excellent compositions played so beautifully in this most-lively of styles."

- Paul Page

This eclectic jazz-funk mix includes a Bonus Track that takes you on yet a different sort of journey, but seems a perfect place to chill. (Many thanks to Fran Dagostino for letting his acoustic guitar work get so wonderfully mangled through the magic of electronics.)

Some of these recordings go back 14 years. Some 8 years. The finishing touches began in 2011, but hurricanes, illness, and other acts of surprise and chaos got in the way. It wasn't until my son, Carl Mueller, heard the raw mixes (while visiting last year) and shared how much he dug them, that I decided to organize and remaster everything. There are some gems in here, for sure. So, thanks! This CD may never have been released without you.

For Mueller's most recent funk-jazz recerdings, see: Prestigiditation.

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Keyboardist Tobin Mueller is back with longtime collaborator Woody Mankowski on sax and bassist Ron Carter. Carter opens the title track and explodes on "Frankenfanny" as they Come In Funky for sure! "Thank You" is an interesting approach to one of Sly's great songs. We enjoyed "Forrests Fire", "Cliff's Edge", "Mueller's Wheel" and "Windowshade" featuring Woody Mankowski (sax). Makes you want to move!"

- Oscar Groomes, O's Place Jazz

	1	Come In Funky - Mueller/Mankowski, featuring Ron Carter
	2	Frankenfanny - Mueller/Mankowski, featuring Ron Carter
	3	Deconstruction of a Glance - Mueller/Mankowski
	4	Interlude I: Grandfather Clock - Mueller, featuring Ron Carter
	5	Forrest's Fire - Mueller/Mankowski
	6	Interlude II: Falling Through The Clouds - Mueller, featuring Ron Carter
	7	Hitchhiker Tales - Mueller, featuring Woody Mankowski
	8	Interlude III: Prowl - Mueller
	9	Beam Up The Funk - Mueller
	10	Interlude IV: Rubber Submarine Dreams - Mueller, featuring Ron Carter
	11	Blue Tats - arr. Mueller, featuring Woody Mankowski [based on Joni Mitchell's Blue]
	12	Island Lost in Time - Mueller/Mankowski
	13	BONUS TRACK: What I Was Thinking While You Were Talking - Mueller/Mungo/Dagostino*

Many thanks to Ron Carter for making his incomparable bass playing available to us.
All keys played by Tobin Mueller. Solo saxes and many of the backing saxes played by Woody Mankowski.
Various friends make out the shifting cast of other characters, differing on almost every tune.
*Fran Dagostino plays acoustic guitar on track 13.