[The following is a reprint from the subscription-based Fanfare Magazine. The interview was
conducted in celebration of Tobin's album "Of Two Minds" making the 2016 Not To Be Missed
Critics' Choice List.]
The Masterworks Trilogy is Tobin Mueller's exploration between musical eras. He has given
contemporary expression to the Romantic Era in Of Two Minds: The Music of Frédéric Chopin and Tobin
Mueller (2016), re-imagined Bach and the Baroque period in Flow: The Music of J.S.
Bach and Tobin Mueller (2015), and fused Jazz with Impressionism in Impressions
of Water and Light (2014 Album of the Year at SoloPiano.com). All three albums won the annual "Favorites" list on MainlyPiano.com. Through adaptation, variation and original works, he combines Jazz, Blues, and New Age
with nearly every style of Classical music, creating a rich fabric that transcends time and genre. Below is the May 2016 interview
by Fanfare Magazine's writer Carla Maria Verdino-Süllwold, for Fanfare Magazine's
Conversations with Composers series. It will be published in October 2016. Because Fanfare is a
subscription-based website, they have granted the composer the ability to duplicate the interview
here:
CMV-S: How have these three projects been different and have they afforded you a linear journey?
Selections from Impressions of Water & Light
TM: Yes, it has been a linear path. I began six years ago when my health was dramatically declining and my
doctor gave me eight-to-twelve years to live. [Mueller suffers from A1AD exacerbated by his volunteer efforts
among the ruins of the World Trade Center in the wake of 9/11.] I decided to make a recording that could be
given away at my funeral. [Song of Myself (2012).] One of my favorite pastimes has been to play piano for my
wife after dinner – usually covers of songs by Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Elton John, and Broadway tunes. I
wanted to preserve them in case I weren’t able to sing or play any more. I had never recorded covers of
other people’s music before, but as it turned out, these recordings got a great deal of airplay on Spotify
and other internet music venues. After that I recorded a Christmas album [Midwinter Born (2013)], and
then I decided I wanted to do something meatier, so I embarked on Impressions of Water and Light, which
explored the Impressionists. I realized how fulfilling it is to go back to my classical training after
a career of playing solely my own music, whether it be Broadway songs, original jazz or progressive rock.
After those discs, I tackled Bach because he was something of a lost composer to me in my youth. I had
always considered him the greatest composer in history; I loved listening to him, but playing his music
did not come second nature to me. I had to practice hard to play his music, and as I did, I came to
understand not only his technical brilliance, but also how many rules he broke (or "expanded"). I ended
up feeling a deep intellectual kinship for Bach. With this Chopin recording, I wanted to discover a
similar kinship. I related to how modern Chopin's music really is. I could start playing one of his
compositions and then just segue into improvising. The kinship I found was on a more emotional level
than Bach's, but just as satisfying.
CMV-S: You have called these projects ‘conversations with the composers.’
TM: Yes, they have all been conversations, resulting in not just inspiration, but growth. I
settled on calling the project “The Masterworks Trilogy.” I did that partly to signal to myself
that it’s time to go back to playing original material. Three albums are enough “homages” for a
while (actually, it’s six if you include the Christmas album and my two cover albums). I have tons
of ideas pent up inside me. But my “Masterworks” journey has been wonderful, and the musical knowledge
I’ve gleaned made it all well worth it.
CMV-S: When you finished this most recent album, what did you want to say to Chopin?
Selections from Flow, Disc 1
Chopin provided me with a joy and lightness beyond what I experienced in the previous two
explorations. Both the Impressionists and Bach were musical groundbreakers. The Impressionists
were masters at creating music that represented the natural world, especially the interplay between
water and light, like the artists of the era. They were aural-painters. You feel immersed in
immediate experience when playing Debussy or Ravel. Instead, Chopin immerses you in emotions,
less tactile, driven more by reflective longing. With Chopin I could sit and play in an effortless,
attainable, contemplative way. Chopin’s music articulated the Zeitgeist of the Romantic period,
yet his pieces, especially the Nocturnes, can sound like contemporary songs. His music doesn’t have
the overt intellectual quality that Bach’s does, an intellectual aspect can separate you from certain
aspects of cathartic human passion. I experienced a great deal of loss and spiritual searching in
Bach’s music, to be sure, and even joy, but there was a great deal of weight attached to each piece,
for me, at least. Even when Chopin’s music expresses loss or longing, there is a seductive beauty or
a revolutionary energy that underpins it all, a sensual expressiveness rather than a deep introspection.
So, I guess I would say to Chopin, “Thank you, I needed that. You made the joy of music effortless again.”
CMV-S: You say in your notes that as you play the works of Chopin and improvise
and arrange them, you are able to enter into the composer’s head. Can you describe how that process happens for you?
Selected tracks from Of Two Minds, Disc 1
TM: I always begin by playing the piece as it is written, then replay the parts I like again and
again. As I am listening to the other composer’s music, I am rewriting it in my head. With Chopin,
I tried to capture a sense of improvisation that corresponds to the Romantic sensibility. I imagined
that if he had written additional variations on the piece, what they would sound like? I ended by
writing less jazz than I thought I would and staying closer to what I saw as his intentions. I
imagined him sitting on the bench beside me, turning pages, nodding. I wanted him to approve of
all of my changes. I wanted the DNA of his music to evolve into mine, the experience of his life to inform my own.
CMV-S: You describe Chopin’s composition process as being a kind of ‘heroic struggle.’ Talk about his
ease of inspiration and then his difficulty to get that down on the page.
TM: I quote from George Sand’s memoirs in my liner notes, where she describes Chopin improvising
at the piano a complete and perfect piece, only to spend the next weeks trying to improve it, working
through draft after draft of additions, only to return to his original inspiration in the final draft,
having wasted all that time and consternation. I can identify with Chopin’s experience. All music starts
as inspiration and improvisation. At some point, when you hit upon something you really like, you ask
yourself ‘will I remember what I just did?’ You begin to write it down. But then you often second
guess the original inspiration, smooth it out, add variations and what you hope are improvements. It’s a
struggle to capture that initial sense of freedom and discovery. Some changes result in stilted, stiff
passages and overwhelming discouragement. When I begin to write down my own compositions, I start with
something that looks like an esoteric cross between a jazz chart and Latin code, a mashup of shorthand
chord changes I began using as a teenager before I really knew what I was doing. But it’s what I fall
back on when I'm in the hurried throes of capturing a moment. Then I begin writing the first verse melody
line and accompanying notes on very large score paper in a very small hand, something I began doing back
when I had better eyesight than I do now, sometimes using three staves (so I can separate out the bass line).
I want to see as much of the piece on a single page as possible. When I come to subsequent variations, I
usually jot down just chords, often with slashes representing rhythmic alterations. Then I play the piece
measure by measure, trying to see how one measure leads to the next, erasing and adding as I play the
piece over and over. It is a laborious process for me. One song could take me a week. Pink eraser bits
litter my piano keys, fall onto the strings. But I never want to write something that I’ve done before,
which can happen when I’m first improvising, so I pay special attention to unique phrasing. I need to make
sure every key change and chord substitution has a 'first time' character to it. Still, when I go to record a
piece, I can’t tell you how often I decide to play something else at a particular moment. (But whatever
that 'something' turns out to be, it would never have happened without all the work and repetition done
in preparation.) Actually, if Chopin were actually sitting beside him, I’d probably drive him crazy.
Suite: Flow
CMV-S: Is there a piece from Disc Two of your latest work that best illustrates this process?
TM: In the piece, “Phases of the Moon,” I attempted
some difficult key changes – major thirds down and augmented fourths up, abrasive intervals. I wanted
to build emotional tension into those key changes, have them seem smooth and natural, not shocking or
abrupt. When I originally wrote them, the ramp up into one key change was about twelve measures. I played
those measures over and over again, over the course of three days. At the end of each session, I was
satisfied, only to play them again later on and feel as if it still wasn’t as effortless as I wanted.
I ended up using six measures that came to me right before recording them. The key change sounds as natural
as a 1-4-5 progression, but has an unusual, added tension. I don’t want the listener to be aware of my
technique or my math, only my emotion.
CMV-S: As with your previous two albums, you pair the music with art and literature in the notes
and in the visuals. Why did you choose the images and quotes you did for this Chopin recording?
TM: I am a photographer as well and experienced in Photoshop, so for the cover, I picked my favorite
image of Chopin as a young man and held it up to my head and had my wife take a photo of the two of us.
Then I used that, overlaid it with three different filters, and created an image that looked like a
woodcut. For the notes I read a great deal of George Sand’s work, especially her Memoires. Chopin’s
songs are above all romantic, and she was the one woman he loved deeply. She was also an unlikely
attraction for him; she was so free in her sensibility, even seen as ‘vulgar’ by his contemporaries, - which
is saying a lot, considering the Bad Boys that were in his circle of friends. But she was honest with
him about his music, which she loved with a nurturing passion, and she had patience and took care of
him when he was ill. He owed a great deal to what she was able to give him in those very intense eight years together.
CMV-S: The second disc contains three original sonatas. The first,
Sonata of Quantum Entanglements, is
informed by a fascination with both music and science. How did this interest come about for you?
Sonata of Quantum Entanglements
TM: My father was a chemist and looked at the world in an exceedingly scientific way. His capacity
for detail was mind-blowing, and I grew up with that kind of existential, rules-based worldview. When
I entered college, I had already composed a symphony and some pieces for our school band. I thought I
knew what I was doing. It was 1974 when composers like John Cage and Elliott Carter were prominent, and
music was trending beyond rule breaking into lawlessness. As an example, my composition professor wrote
a piece while I was her student entitled Sans C in which she never once played middle C in the entire
work, as if that was a sufficient raison d’etre. I wasn’t required to transcribe Bach or study Mozart,
although I did pour over Stravinsky scores on my own and learned as much as I could about Aaron
Copland’s ballets. But the level of abstraction in the classical music world of the 1970s had little
resonance for me, and with typical youthful arrogance, I decided I couldn’t learn anything useful
from my music teachers. So I studied German and read Einstein instead, and I changed my major to physics.
I never intended to be a physicist, but it was something I knew I needed professors to teach me.
Differential equations are like jazz; for every variable change the answer keeps shifting, creating
a single arc of related solutions. Quantum mechanics, with its reliance on relative points of reference
and probability, provides a view of the world where astonishment and truth are interrelated. What seems
like chaos has order behind it. Jazz and physics are like flip sides of a single coin.
CMV-S: The theme of non- linear time runs through these compositions as well? The first movement of
the Sonata of Quantum Entanglements is called Time
as Emergent Phenomenon. What do you mean?
TM: Our experience of Time is an emergent phenomenon, a side effect of quantum entanglement. I was
trying to create an organic sound emerging naturally out of chaos, like an electron emerging as a discrete
particle from a cloud of energy. As I played the rhythmic chords in the first movement, I cared only
for each discrete eighth, not an organizing meter. Yet a meter arises naturally. Over the top, sixteenth
notes fly around with abandon, yet remain entangled, connected, complementary. I tried to represent with
the motion of the music several aspects of physics. Also, for each of these sonatas I listened to and
played a Chopin Prelude for inspiration. In the last movement of that first sonata,
“Two Minds,” I
started with two related Preludes (No. 1 and No. 14), one in a major key and one in a minor. I began by
piecing them together, playing alternating phrases, one major, one minor, back and forth, and loved the
interconnections between the two. I finally decided to write a piece moving between keys to suggest a
balance of light and dark. I start shifting between keys every four measures, but found that too predictable.
Time may be a predictable concept, but our experience of it isn’t.
CMV-S: In the second sonata, Sonata
Under a Night Sky, you say your work is an homage to the Nocturnes. Explain?
Sonata Under The Night's Sky
TM: The idea for the first movement, “Phases
of the Moon,” came to me during a visit from our
daughter, Sarah. She hadn’t yet listened closely to Flow, much
to my consternation, so I played some
tracks for her. What struck her was how the long musical line went through almost every key before
repeating, but you don’t notice this while listening because everything has a center. After that
she sat down and read my zodiac chart. I was amazed that the reading about the phases of the moon
was right on for me. So when I went to write this sonata I combined my love for changing keys with
this sense she had given me of the importance of celestial timing. I was trying to capture a cosmic
sense in the music. Music can express dark and light at least as well as the visual arts. In painting,
you perceive this interplay all at once with the eye, without the passage of time. In music it comes to
you in a progression, one passage (or color or shading) evolving into another; everything is either
leading into or out of something. You have to wait, anticipate, move at the composer's tempo. Light and
dark come in waves, and it takes time to experience the interplay, sometimes multiple listenings. For
all the “night” in this sonata, each movement imparts a lightness that comes from challenge, joy,
gratitude, solitude and the interdependence of living.
CMV-S: In the third piece, Sonata
for Dreamers, which you say was inspired by your cultivation
of ‘lucid dreaming’, you arrive at the end of the third movement with music that seems to suggest an unanswered
question. Is this ambiguity the only certainty we have?
Sonata for Dreamers
TM: Yes, I think that feeling is valid, but I would add that this sense of ambiguity has a strong
aspect of innocence to it. I begin the first movement, “Storytime,” by making a clear statement, as
one might to a child, and then I end with something that is perhaps impossible to hold (in the final
movement). In between, for the second movement (Stages
of Dream and Memory), I use a quote from Chopin’s
well known Prelude No. 15 and go on to alter it so that ultimately the end of the movement has nothing
to do with the beginning. I wanted to show how one idea can morph so that by the end you can’t tell where
it originated – rather like the experience of dreaming. In the last movement,
“Starfall,” I tried to create
a moment where everything stops – a suspended state of innocence where, like in dreaming, you exist beyond
judgment, goals, limitations. For me Chopin is the most innocent composer in my pantheon. I thought this
a fitting finale.
CMV-S: You say that Chopin’s music reads like a musical diary. Is this true for Tobin Mueller’s
as well, and if so, what do you share and what are you revealing?
New England Suite
TM: We share not only a musical vocation, but also the fact that as artists we are working
with the burden of illness. Also, Chopin lost a sister to tuberculosis, and he himself later
died of the disease. I lost my nineteen-year-old sister to A1AD, and I was later diagnosed, at
fifty-four, with the same illness. It has affected my immune system, nervous system, stamina,
strength and, especially, my lungs. I am required to avoid all forms of stress, which alters my
schedule as well as my relationship to ambition and goal setting. It has not only impacted my
playing (and completely sidelined my singing), but also my compositions and what I am try to
convey in my music. I hear in Chopin - and I am trying to impart in my own music - this sense
that mortality frames beauty, meaning and an impetus to cherish. Time is an emergent phenomenon;
it shades, highlights, and alters our experience. As we move forward, we expand our universe,
but somewhere deep within, we remain a child no matter how old we are. And that innocence can
be the core around which our expanding universe evolves. We still need to play to help integrate
our accumulated wisdom.
CMV-S: So after three such mammoth albums, what next?
TM: I did consider a Beethoven project, but the anger and intensity in his music would make
it too physically challenging a prospect. For my next project, I am producing another double
album where I quote from my favorite books, verbally, and then play original music inspired by
the quote. I call it Afterwords. I didn’t want to do another double album, but I simply have
too many ideas and too many beloved authors to whom I want to pay homage. Words have always been
important to me. They were central to my career when I was working as a playwright. After I
retired from scriptwriting in order to reduce stress, I soon began to miss the written word. This
new project is a great way to incorporate words into my music again; plus, there are so many
pent-up styles of music and ideas which I haven’t accessed yet and still want to explore. I’m
enjoying a project that is firmly based in musical storytelling, something I’ve always loved
doing. It’s very energizing and so much fun!
4
River god at play... (Maurice Ravel)
9
Pavane (Gabriel Fauré)
10
Golliwog is Steppin' Out (Claude Debussy)
12
Risen Cathedral (Claude Debussy)
13
Sitting with Satie: Conversation & Life (Erik Satie)
1
Joy
6
First Starfield (Prelude No. 1)
8
Leopold's Short Life: A Prelude and Fugue
9
Sleepers Wake
15
Encore and Amen (Prelude No. 21 in G Minor)
1
Tide Pools
2
Momentary Undertow
3
Yin and Yang
4
Salmon Ladder Variations
5
Bird In Migration
6
Curved Surfaces
1
River Ice (Winter)
2
Ghostly Bells (of Independence)
3
Lighthouse (Spring)
4
Train (Summer Tango)
5
Nor'easter (Early Autumn)
6
Berkshire Shadows (Late Autumn)
5
Étude No. 12 in C Minor, Op. 10
10
Fantaisie-Impromptu No. 4 in C Sharp minor, Op. 66
8
Polonaise in A-Flat Major, Op. 53
4
Mazurka No. 4 in A Minor, Op. 17
9
Prelude No. 20 in C Minor, Op. 28 / Nocturne No. 2 in C-Sharp, Op. Posthumous
1
Time As Emergent Phenomenon
2
Unexpected Escape
3
Two Minds
1
Phases of the Moon
2
Momentary Clarity
3
The Goddess Speaks
1
Storytime
2
Stages of Dream and Memory
3
Starfall: Untold Reflections
Tobin's Solo Piano Collection
Instead of Heaven - Mueller follows his upbeat jazz ensemble album What Survives with a series of contemplative piano meditations. All original compositions using Greek myth as inspiration, this 10-track album forms a lyrical song cycle, a spiritual journey of both emotional and intellectual content. Melds modal post-bop, Romanticism, Jazz Impressionism and New Age styles. Influences include: Keith Jarrett, Brad Mehldau, Michel Camilo, as well as Chopin, Debussy, Rachmaninoff. "Each composition is breathtaking, adding to the musical language of both modal post-bop jazz and neo-classical piano." George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly
Flow: The Music of J.S. Bach and Tobin Mueller is a double album featuring
Mueller's reinterpretations of Bach's greatest hits (Disc 1) plus two original jazz piano suites by Mueller
(Disc 2). Inventive, playful, joyous, beautiful, full of emotion and intelligence. Mueller embraces the sense
of timelessness one achieves when in the state of flow, bridging the centuries, letting Bach's 300 year
old manuscripts inspire through new expression. Jazz influences include Brad Mehldau, Fred Hersch, Gerald Clayton. "This may be the pianist-composer’s most ambitious and sophisticated recording. Highly recommended." Fanfare Magazine's 2015 Editor's Choice.
Of Two Minds: The Music of Frédéric Chopin and Tobin Mueller is the final addition to
Mueller's "Masterworks Trilogy" in which he explores the intersections of classical and jazz piano. Mueller reinterprets
Chopin's most iconic piano solos (Disc 1) and uses the preludes
to inspire three original jazz piano sonatas (Disc 2). Seductive, rebellious, heroic and beautiful. Jazz influences include Chick Corea, Dave Brubeck, Keith Jarrett. "One would be hard-pressed to find an artist with a more creative musical mind than Tobin Mueller’s." Fanfare Magazine's 2016 Editor's Choice.
Impressions of Water & Light is an exploration of the cross-inspirations between Impressionist and jazz piano,
including adaptations of music by Debussy, Ravel, Fauré, Satie, Ibert and Carpenter. Tobin uses the written notes as if they are light and his imagination as if
it is water, creating all new interpretations. This post-Impressionist
music illustrates the intimacy between jazz and Impressionist music. You will
never hear these works the same again. The gorgeous CD booklet is a work of art in itself, pairing an Impressionist
painting with each piece. One of the three album in Mueller's "Masterworks Trilogy".
Midwinter Born is a collection of jazz piano interpretations of traditional
Christmas carols. Mueller captures the quiet simplicity, expectant playfulness and over-riding joy of the season. A
delightful and sometimes surprising album destined to become one of your annual holiday favorites. The 18 track album includes: First
Noel, Bring A Torch Jeanette Isabella, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, O Holy Night, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Carol of the Bells, Lo How A Rose E'er Bloom, Good King Wenceslas, Still, Still, Still and many more.
Morning Whispers is Tobin's first solo piano collection, a song cycle of
tragic beauty. Music of healing and introspection. The use of key changes,
unusual time signatures, and other variational devices makes this work involving, not merely New Age background music. Its gentle intensity, however, does not detract from its healing essence, its sense of inner joy. Influences include
Aaron Copland, Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Bill Evans, David Lanz, Liz Story. Several of these piano pieces have since been used in film and documentaries.
13 Masks is Tobin's second solo piano collection. An exploration of the links between avant-garde 20th Century music and jazz. Tobin used illustrations of 13 medieval masks to inspire songs combining ragtime, jazz and 20th Century avant-garde
classical. Influences
include Thelonious Monk, Dave Brubeck, Art Tatum, Scott Joplin, John Medeski, as well as classical composers Shostakovich, Ligeti, Bartok. These pieces will startle and delight.
"A truly unique album with music to really sink your teeth into."
Afterwords - Combining spoken word and
solo piano, Tobin "illustrates" his favorite works of literature with a wide variety of new
musical compositions. He pays homage to classic authors like Hemmingway, Steinbeck, Vonnegut,
Faulkner, as well as new authors Dave Eggers, Chuck Palahniuk, Aimee Bender and China Miéville. Musical influences include Oscar Peterson, Hiromi, Brad Maldheu, Fred Hersch, John Taylor, even Keith Emerson. "An astonishing work of art." Jazziz's 2017 Critics' Choice.
Afterwords: Solo Piano Bonus Tracks - For those of you who prefer music without any interruptions, seven of the best tracks from Afterwords have been remastered with the talking edited out. Originally conceived for distribution to jazz radio stations, this Bonus Album is now avaiilable to the egeneral public. Influences include Oscar Peterson, Hiromi, Brad Maldheu, Fred Hersch, John Taylor; post-bop, stride, new age, classic jazz.
Standard Deviations - Jazz/Blues - Although this is mainly an ensemble album, half the tracks on Disc 2 of this two volume recording are solo piano arrangements. Think of this is a piano album with fabulous guest artists sitting in on 2/3s of the tunes! See Standard Deviations project page for complete Liner Notes and several Bonus Tracks. "The greatest collection of reimagined standards in the last decade."
Best of Tobin Mueller, Volumes 1-2 - First two volumes of his 5-volume compilation, presenting Mueller's best Contemporary Jazz, Funk, Fusion, Blues, more. A stunning collection featuring such greats as Ron Carter, Donny McCaslin, Paul Nelson, Dane Richeson, Scott Rockenfield and Woody Mankowski. Mueller is front and center on piano, B3 organ, vintage keys. "Nothing short of excellent. Mueller has performed across the entire spectrum of jazz, creating a fabulous assortment of classics."
Prestidigitation - The best of Contemporary Jazz Fusion. Mueller's all-star band takes on Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Frank Zappa, John Coltrane, Weather Report, Stevie Wonder, Bill Evans, Tower of Power and more. Featured soloists: Paul Nelson (Grammy-winning guitarist), David Dejesus (Birdland Jazz Band director), Ruben de Ruiter (John Patitucci Band), Woody Mankowski (What Survives)... "A jazz-fusion tour de force. Each spin and turn opens the door to a new interpretive wrinkle that is sure to delight."
What Survives - Radio Edits - Jazz - Remastered Radio Edits of the best tracks from What Survives - Volumes 1 & 2. Fresh and spontaneous yet expertly crafted arrangements. Contemporary Jazz at its finest. Ensemble includes: Woody Mankowski, Ron Carter, Bill Barner, Doug Schneider, Tom Washatka, Ken Schaphorst, Bob Levy, Dane Richeson, Martyn Kember-Smith and Tobin’s nephew Chris Mueller. CD contains 15 tracks; digital version includes 3 Bonus Tracks.
Standard Deviations - Jazz/Blues - Keyboardist Tobin Mueller is joined by Grammy-winner Paul Nelson (guitars), Woody Mankowski (saxophones), Lamar Moore & Mike Nappi (percussionists) to breathe new life into 33 standards in this fresh Two Volume CD. An homage to Monk, Ellington, Gershwin, Brubeck, Bernstein, Berlin, Kern, Mercer, Hoagy Carmichael, Lennon-McCartney, Richard Rodgers, Harold Arlen, Billy Strayhorn and more. "The greatest collection of reimagined standards in the last decade."
Come In Funky Old School Funk and and small combo Jazz featuring
legendary bassist Ron Carter. "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. A 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." - Paul Page
The Muller's Wheel is a collaborative project combining the
talents of pianist Tobin Mueller and saxophonist Woody Mankowski, featuring their jazz quartet and their larger 8-pieace ensemble, playing swing to bop to fusion to funk. The
styles of Count Basie, Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Herbie Hancock, The Brecker Brothers, Weather Report and more
influence this homage to the jazz greats. This is joyous music. "It reminds us of the happiness we relive when returning to our musical roots," say Mueller and Mankowski.
Rain Bather is an 80 minute long play CD featuring superlative solo performances by all-star band members. Most of the tunes are in the jazz-funk-fusion vein,
but many others try to break new ground, defying easy labels. Tobin Mueller - B3 organ, synth;
Woody Mankowski - soprano sax;
Chris Mueller - acoustic piano;
Jeff Cox - acoustic bass;
Dane Richeson - drums;
Tom Washatka - tenor sax;
Doug Schnieder - tenor sax;
Ken Schaphorst - flugelhorn;
Bob Levy - trumpet;
Sal Giorgianni - flute;
Bill Barner - clarinet.
WONDER - progressive rock/pop Jazz Fusion. Although this tour de force double album is mainly about the power of progressive rock, Mueller's interpretive jazz keyboards add a modal flavor to each track. Styles transcends prog and pop, with influences of jazz, classical, electronica and world music layered throughout. Features rearrangements of songs from his Audiocracy years, rock operas and stage shows, plus new material certain to blow you away.
Mickey Spleen Save the Day - Jazz Musical Theatre. This delightful recording is Mueller's educational children's musical about the human body, health and the immune system. It features his CenterStage youth Theatre Troupe performing his film noir who-done-it musical comedy. Characters include Mickey Spleen, Vinny Virus, The Lymphette Sisters and the GI Guys. Mueller wrote 8 children's musicals, but this is the only all-jazz score.
Instead of Heaven - Contemplative piano meditations, all original compositions using Greek myth as inspiration. 10-tracks forms a lyrical song cycle, a spiritual journey both emotional and intellectual. Melds modal post-bop, Contemporary Romanticism, Jazz Impressionism and New Age styles. Influences include: Keith Jarrett, Brad Mehldau, Michel Camilo, as well as Chopin, Debussy, Rachmaninoff. "Uniquely breathtaking, adding to the musical language of contemporary piano." George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly
Afterwords - Combining spoken word and
solo piano, Tobin "illustrates" his favorite works of literature with a wide variety of new
musical compositions. He pays homage to classic authors like Hemmingway, Steinbeck, Vonnegut,
Faulkner, as well as new authors Dave Eggers, Chuck Palahniuk, Aimee Bender and China Miéville. Musical influences include Oscar Peterson, Hiromi, Brad Maldheu, Fred Hersch, John Taylor, even Keith Emerson. "An astonishing work of art."
Flow: The Music of J.S. Bach and Tobin Mueller, especially Disc 2 - Tobin plays Tobin. Two post-bop jazz piano suites make up Disc 2. Each shows Bach influences, but draws more from contemporaries Brad Mehldau, Fred Hersch and Gerald Clayton. "This may be the pianist-composer’s most ambitious and sophisticated recording project to date... a journey that inevitably explores the interactions of Baroque and jazz." Fanfare Magazine's 2015 Editor's Choice Award.
Of Two Minds: The Music of Frédéric Chopin and Tobin Mueller, especially Disc 2 - Tobin plays Tobin. Three original jazz piano sonatas make up Disc 2. Each shows Chopin influences, but draws more from contemporaries Chick Corea, Dave Brubeck and Keith Jarrett. "One would be hard-pressed to find an artist with a more creative musical mind than Tobin Mueller’s - especially one with the playing chops to fulfill his or her vision." Fanfare Magazine's 2016 Editor's Choice Award.
Impressions of Water and Light is an exploration of the cross-inspirations between Impressionist and contemporary jazz piano,
including adaptations of music by Debussy, Ravel, Fauré, Satie, Ibert and Carpenter. "The listener has the sense that Mueller is having his personal conversation as a composer and pianist with these great 19th- and 20th-century composers." This is third album of "The Masterworks Trilogy" which includes Flow and Of Two Minds.
Midwinter Born is a collection of jazz piano interpretations of traditional
Christmas carols. Mueller captures the quiet simplicity, expectant playfulness and over-riding joy of the season. The 18 track album includes: First
Noel, Bring A Torch Jeanette Isabella, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, O Holy Night, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Carol of the Bells, Lo How A Rose E'er Bloom, Good King Wenceslas, Still, Still, Still and many more.
Morning Whispers is Tobin's first solo piano collection, a song cycle of
tragic beauty. Music of healing and introspection, these New Age and Neo-Classical pieces do more than evoke emotion: they tell stories. Influences include Aaron Copland, Bill Evans, David Lanz, Liz Story. Several of these piano pieces have since been used in film and documentaries.
13 Masks is Tobin's second solo piano collection. An exploration of the links between avant-garde 20th Century music and jazz, influences
include Thelonious Monk, Dave Brubeck, Art Tatum, John Medeski, as well as classical composers Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Ligeti, Bartok. "A truly unique album with music to really sink your teeth into."
Afterwords: Solo Piano Bonus Tracks - For those of you who prefer music without any interruptions, seven of the best tracks from Afterwords have been remastered with the talking edited out. Originally conceived for distribution to jazz radio stations, this Bonus Album is now avaiilable to the egeneral public. Influences include Oscar Peterson, Hiromi, Brad Maldheu, Fred Hersch, John Taylor; post-bop, stride, new age, classic jazz.
WONDER - progressive rock/pop fusion. This tour de force double album combines the power and virtuosity of prog with the intimate simplicity of lullabies. Track list alternates between vocals songs and instrumentals, giving time to contemplate Mueller's poetic lyrics. Styles transcends prog and pop, with influences of jazz, classical, electronica and world music layered throughout. Features appearances by Michael Hedges, Scott Rockenfield, Bob Piper (Pleiades), Anton Mueller (Audiocracy), Steve Stone, Aaron Paul, Lennon Loveday (Shadow of Nine), more...
Prestidigitation - Contemporary Prog Fusion. Mueller's all-star band takes on Frank Zappa, Yes, Happy the Man, Weather Report, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Stevie Wonder, Sly Stone and more. Featured soloists: Paul Nelson (Grammy-winning guitarist), David Dejesus (Birdland Jazz Band director), Ruben de Ruiter (John Patitucci Band), Woody Mankowski (What Survives)... "A jazz-fusion tour de force. Each spin and turn opens the door to a new interpretive wrinkle that is sure to delight."
Audiocracy - progressive rock - A post-political neo-prog concept
album. Tobin Mueller: vocals, keyboards; Twøn: vocals, bass;
Darren Chapman: guitars; Bob Piper/Tadashi Togawa: guitars; Rob Thurman: drums. "A symphonic whirlwind of passion and sensations. With their tight, gorgeous arrangements,
the songs used every hertz of my sound system. The album flows from idea to idea like birds winging from
tree to tree. I predict you will return to this album time and time again, gaining new insight, just like
I did." - Progressive Magazine.
A Bit of Light - A progressive folk / cross-genre collection of songs Tobin's been accumulating for a decade,
A Bit of Light includes some of his favorite collaborations with
saxophonists, fiddle players and guitarists, mixing jazz, bluegrass, tango and folk-rock. World renown violinist Entcho Todorov, Grammy winner
saxophonist Danny McCaslin and L.A.'s Woody Mankowski, Enlish fiddler Martyn Kember-Smith and guitarist John Luper provide fabulous highlights. The CD comes
with a digital booklet in PDF format.
If I Could Live Long Enough - Previously unreleased
outtakes from earlier projects, including the 1998-1999 Rain Bather sessions, the 2004-2006 MacJams collaborations, and selected songs from two of Mueller's musicals: Creature and Runners In A Dream.
Featuring acoustic guitar by Grammy winner Michael Hedges, vocals by Woody Mankowski and Emily Rohm,
and some of Mueller's best songwriting. Six free Bonus Tracks available here.
September 11 Project: Ten Years Later - Music written following 9/11/2001. Tobin was asked to participate in the 10th
anniversary at Ground Zero ceremony and revisted these songs. He decided to put them out as an album instead of keep
them to myself. Since he was unable to sing at the event, after contracting a lung disorder, this music gained layers
of poignancy. Recorded in the months following the tragedy.
Standard Deviations - Jazz/Blues - Keyboardist Tobin Mueller is joined by Grammy-winner Paul Nelson (guitars), Woody Mankowski (saxophones), Lamar Moore & Mike Nappi (percussionists) to breathe new life into 33 standards in this fresh Two Volume CD. An homage to Monk, Ellington, Gershwin, Brubeck, Bernstein, Berlin, Kern, Mercer, Hoagy Carmichael, Lennon-McCartney, Richard Rodgers, Harold Arlen, Billy Strayhorn and more. "The greatest collection of reimagined standards in the last decade."
What Survives - Radio Edits - Jazz - Remastered Radio Edits of the best tracks from What Survives - Volumes 1 & 2. Fresh and spontaneous yet expertly crafted arrangements. Contemporary Jazz at its finest. Ensemble includes: Woody Mankowski, Ron Carter, Bill Barner, Doug Schneider, Tom Washatka, Ken Schaphorst, Bob Levy, Dane Richeson, Martyn Kember-Smith and Tobin’s nephew Chris Mueller. CD contains 15 tracks; digital version includes 3 Bonus Tracks.
The Muller's Wheel - Contemporary Combo Jazz - Remastered
as "Müller's Wheel," this jazz ensemble recording takes you on a joyous
history of instrumental jazz from acoustic fusion to bop, swing to funk. The happiest, hippest hour of music you'll ever hear, featuring
Tobin Mueller on piano & organ, Woody Mankowski on saxes. All original tunes that pay homage to jazz greats that came before. Released 2010; remixed and
reissued 2012.
Puzzle People - Love and loss, joy and betrayal, courage and perserverence define this spoken word offering. Each poem selected is accompanied by Mueller's original music that ranges from jazz to fusion to pop prog. The force and color of Del's readings earn this collection a high recommendation, but the synergy of Tobin's breathtaking music make this a truly compelling addition to Mueller's collected works. The CD includes 3 instrumental tracks as well.
TOBIN MUELLER: Best of the CenterStage Years - soundtrack/musicals. Compilation of 42 songs from Mueller's 9 musicals produced under the CenterStage banner. Volume One highlights his delightful children's pop rock educational music; Volume Two presents his rock opera and dramatic Broadway offerings. From humorous wordplay to romantic soliloquys to rock anthems, this music informs, inspires, entertains and satisfies.
Prestidigitation - Jazz Fusion Standards. Mueller's all-star band takes on Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Frank Zappa, Weather Report, Tower of Power, Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, more. Featured soloists: Paul Nelson (Grammy-winning guitarist), David Dejesus (Birdland Jazz Band director), Ruben de Ruiter (John Patitucci Band), Woody Mankowski (What Survives)... "A jazz-fusion tour de force. Each spin and turn opens the door to a new interpretive wrinkle that is sure to delight."
Standard Deviations - Jazz/Blues - The only instrumental album in Tobin's "Standards" collection. An homage to Monk, Ellington, Gershwin, Brubeck, Hoagy Carmichael, Lennon-McCartney, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, Henri Mancini, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer and more, featuring great players and innovative arrangements. "The greatest collection of reimagined standards in the last decade."
Song Of Myself - Tobin's favorite songs from The American Songbook, reinterpretted. Intimate, heartfelt,
devistatingly honest music. Complete lyrics and song notes are linked
from Tobin's Song of Myself page. Ballads, blues, showtunes,
folk rock, jazz - the music of Tobin's roots. These are songs he's song
for decades, arrangements that have evolved and matured with him. "American Tune" by Paul Simon. "Blackbird" by Paul McCartney. Bob Dylan's "Dignity." A
Joni Mitchell and an Elton John medly. "Being Alive" from Company (Stephen Sondheim).
"Impossible Dream" from Man of la Mancha. "Oh Danny Boy." "Frozen Man" by James Taylor.
Many more, plus two original songs by Tobin Mueller.
Hard Place To Find - Tobin has released a second volume of his
favorite songs from The American Songbook. Complete lyrics and song notes are linked from Tobin's Hard Place To Find project page.
"Still Crazy" by Paul Simon. Bob Dylan's "Shelter from the Storm"
and "Bob Dylan's Dream." Richie Haven's "Paradise." "Dulcinea" from Man of la Mancha. "Alfie" by Bacharach.
"Somewhere" from West Side Story. Many more, plus one original song by Tobin Mueller. All songs have to do
with journeying, questing, searching. Released June 2nd, 2013. "Tobin Mueller is something of a Renaissance man of the arts, and 'Hard Place To Find' presents another
volume in his prolific and impressive output. More of an art-music album than a pop release, I recommend
it if you are looking for something different and deeply personal!" - Kathy Parsons, Mainly Piano
TOBIN MUELLER: Best of the CenterStage Years - soundtrack/musicals. Compilation of 42 songs from Mueller's 9 musicals produced under the CenterStage banner. Volume One highlights his delightful children's educational music; Volume Two presents his Broadway offerings. From humorous wordplay to clever histories, romantic soliloquys to powerful rock opera duets, this music informs, inspires, entertains and satisfies.
