Best known for his ensemble works at the keyboards, Tobin Mueller shows his talent at solo arias (with a duet here and there) on this collection of piano performances. All of the songs are his own, and the album is held together by a rich mixture of lyricism and exploration, with dynamics changing within and between tunes.
There’s a wonderful richness to his counterplay on the Bill Evans-inspired “Ghostly Bells” with a dash of Oscar Peterson, while some Debussy-esque impressions float like lily pads during “Time As Emergent Phenomenon”. Old School stride is festive and fun on “Birth Joy” and the blues are brewing on the showtune-ish “One Body Of Man” with Mueller in an assertive duet format. The fingers are in a reflective and romantic mood for “Eye Of The Night” modern classical melding with Ellingtonia on the digitally daring “The Space Between Chaos and Shape”. Mueller’s debt to Keith Jarrett is displayed on some improvisations on the expressive “Two Peas In A Chili Pod” and a salute to the icon on a heartfelt “A Prayer For Keith Jarrett.”
In a day where every pianist sounds like everyone else, it’s encouraging to hear an artist who imbibes from the masters, but can create meals with his own personal flavor.
https://www.tobinmueller.com/piano/