WHEN YOU THINK OF THE BLUES, VIENNA, THE LAND OF MOZART AND BRAHMS, IS NOT WHAT FIRST COMES TO YOUR MIND. BUT AUSTRIAN GUITARIST WOLFGANG MUTHSPIEL’S LAST COUPLE OF ALBUMS HAVE HAD HIM THE HEAVY COMPANY OF BRAD MEHLDAU, AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE, BRIAN BLADE, LARRY GRENADIER AND ERIC HARLAND, PRODUCING SOME INTIMATELY SWINGING POST BOP.
HIS LATEST ALBUM, ANGULAR BLUES, HAS THE GUITARIST TAKING THE NEXT LOGICAL STEP, STRIPPING DOWN TO A TRIO FORMAT WITH BLADE AND BASSIST SCOTT COLLEY, AND MIXING HIS OWN ORGINALS WITH HIS FIRST FORAY INTO JAZZ STANDARDS. EVEN MORE ADVENTUROUS IS HIS OPENING THIS ALBUM UP WITH ACOUSTIC GUITAR WORK ON PIECES SUCH AS THE PRISMATIC “ANGULAR BLUES” AND TEXTURED “HUTTENGRIFFE” WHICH HAS THE GUITARIST EMPLOYING EFFECTS AKIN TO BILL FRISELL, EMPHASIZING TONE OVER CHOPS.
WHILE MUTHSPIEL HAS HAD AN IMPRESSIVE CAREER, INCLUDING STINTS WITH GARY BURTON AND PAUL MOTIAN AS WELL AS A LARGE CATALOGUE OF ALBUMS AS A LEADER, HE HAS UNDESERVEDLY STAYED UNDER THE AMERICAN RADAR. HOPEFULLY THIS LATEST ALBUM WILL BRING MORE ATTENTION TO THIS MASTER.
MR. MUTHSPIEL WAS GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO SPEND SOME TIME AND SHARE HIS VIEWS ON HIS MUSIC, CAREER AND HERITAGE ON THE GUITAR. HIS DEMEANOR WAS CLASSICALLY AUSTRIAN, MIXING DRY HUMOR WITH HUMBLE OBSERVATIONS.
HOW ARE YOU HOLDING UP WITH THE WHOLE VIRUS SITUATION?
Here, my little family, my wife and four-year-old daughter are mostly in our apartment. It’s weird to go outside; we have to wear masks when we go to the supermarket. It’s a difficult time for a lot of musicians.
I’m holding up fairly well. It’s a pretty intense family time, which is also nice because I have been away on tour a lot. We’re enjoying that.
On the other hand, a lot of the work at the university where I teach in Switzerland is going on. We’re doing auditions for next year; you can still play, practice and write. You can still be creative.
I am sorry that my tours are getting canceled. We are working on rescheduling the tour I had with Brian Blade and Scott Colley. It will probably now take place in early 2021, like February.
YOU ARE ONE OF THE FEW MODERN JAZZ GUITARISTS THAT HAS A UNIQUE SOUND. WAS THERE A TEMPLATE THAT YOU WORKED FROM OR IS IT SOMETHING NATURAL AND ORGANIC?
That’s a very interesting comment, because for the longest time in my musical life, people were criticizing me for sounding like this guy or that guy, mostly Pat Metheny.
In the beginning I was very strongly influenced by Pat Metheny, who I still love. But, basically, whatever I like I try it on. Not so much in transcribing, but the vibe of it. I can imitate well.
When I got conscious of that and listened back to my old recordings, I could hear the influences where I sounded too much like somebody else. I then decided not to play certain things that were trademarks of other people. I just stopped doing that.
Other than that, my way of playing is getting away from the idea of what I want to do to a more communicative act with other musicians. When that is in the foreground, the chances are higher that your natural sound comes out, because you don’t think about it. You just speak to them, and that usually produces truth.
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“my way of playing is getting away from the idea of what I want to do to a more communicative act with other musicians”
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IS IT EASIER OR MORE DIFFICULT DEPENDING ON IF YOU’RE PLAYING ELECTRIC OR ACOUSTIC GUITAR?
I think it’s easier to find your own sound on the acoustic guitar, because the production of the tone is 100% dependent on your fingers. There’s no amp involved. With the electric guitar there is this technical aspect after the production of the sound on the instrument as the cable it goes through some devices into some boxes and stuff. It’s more direct to play the acoustic guitar; it’s more comparable to playing the saxophone.
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“It’s more direct to play the acoustic guitar; it’s more comparable to playing the saxophone”
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ONE OF YOUR FIRST STINTS WAS WITH GARY BURTON, WHO’S HAD MANY GUITARISTS IN HIS BAND SUCH AS METHENY, KURT ROSENWINKEL AND JULIAN LAGE. WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM HIM?
Apart from the opportunity from listening to him so much, and having the luxury to having played in a great band, as I got to know Larry Grenadier in that band, and Donny McCaslin was very nice to me.
One thing Gary taught me was because we had very short solos in that band. He wasn’t interested in long solos. You had to come to the point quickly, do your thing right away, and get it done.
I had come from an aesthetic where I was playing these long intros, building up something for a long time as I was influenced by Keith Jarrett. I had to learn to be concise and not wander around.
WHICH PERSON GAVE YOU THE BEST MUSICAL ADVICE?
The best advice I got from a teacher was from Mick Goodrick, who was my main guitar teacher at New England Conservatory before I went to Berklee.
The ones who taught me the most were musicians who taught me not necessarily with words, but through their playing.
Paul Motian would be a top guy in that category. The way he played and the way he agreed with some things on the instrument that I played, or even disagreed. (laughs) That was a big school for me.
At that age when I played with Paul Motian, I had had so many teachers before; I’d been playing music since I was six years old.
But when I came on the stage with Paul Motian, it was about this core of jazz that I had not grown up with. That’s what I was looking for, as I grew up with classical music. That core jazz of a swing pulse was from playing with Paul Motian, playing with him and being just next to his cymbal.
WHEN YOU HEAR OTHER GUITARISTS, WHAT DO YOU LISTEN FOR?
When I’m in the audience, I’m just looking for being taken on a trip or being told a story.
I’m looking for being transported away from the work of the guitar player. I’m happy when music just “takes” me, because once that happens you stop judging music, which always gets in the way of music, anyway.
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“When I’m in the audience, I’m just looking for being taken on a trip or being told a story”
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IS THERE A GUITARIST THAT YOU’D PAY $1000 TO SEE?
I would definitely pay $1000 to see Jimi Hendrix. It must have been something incredible to hear that thing live.
LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR RECENT ALBUM WITH BRIAN BLADE AND SCOTT COLLEY. HOW DID IT COME ABOUT?
We were invited to play some concerts at the Cotton Club in Tokyo. I put together this band with Brian and Scott as I knew that they were available and wanted to do it. The thought of playing with them turned me on and I started to write some music for them.
When we started playing there it felt good; I liked how the material was sounding. We decided spontaneously to add on another date in Tokyo and document this flow1228. We had six sets of 75 minutes, so we were really familiar with the music and there was a certain naturalness about it, and I wanted to capture it. Luckily it came out well.
We went to a great little studio that…turned out to be a beautiful place with music fans and great old gear.
WHEN YOU HAVE A DRUMMER AS LOOSE AS BRIAN BLADE, WHOM DO YOU LOCK INTO?
You know, he’s loose, but he’s super solid. Whatever he does is really connected to what you and the other guys in the band are doing. When you’re playing with him it doesn’t feel loose, it feels like a super safe support net. It’s so in-the-moment that it’s not a layer of a pattern or pulse that you can ride on; that’s not his concept. It’s super-reactive-whatever you play will make him play something else.
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“When you’re playing with him (Brian Blade) doesn’t feel loose, it feels like a super safe support net”
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THIS ALBUM HAS SOME ELECTRONIC GUITAR EFFECTS. IS THAT SOMETHING NEW?
I used the delay for the two “Kanon” pieces, one in 6/8 and one in 5/4. These are really the only strong effects on the record, the rest is just normal reverb.
This delay thing is interesting, because I can play a “Kanon” with the delay, as a Kanon is nothing else but a delay. I got into it when I wrote some Kanons and I realized that I can play them also by myself with a delay. I then started to practice improvising this “kanonic” idea that was behind it.
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“I’m happy when music just “takes” me, because once that happens you stop judging music, which always gets in the way of music, anyway”
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IT’S LIKE A MIX OF BAROQUE AND 21ST CENTURY
Yes, because the head that I wrote has this baroque vibe, and after the page is over I continued playing it, improvising until it morphed into something more modern.
YOU TALKED EARLIER OF PLAYING WITH LARRY GRENADIER. HOW DID HE INFLUENCE YOU?
I feel so blessed that I’ve played so much with these guys like Larry and Brian.
I know Larry from the 80s; I’ve played with him so much and he was already very strong when he was super-young. He already had this deep groove, and a certain clarity of a certain life that comes from every note.
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“Once you play on a ballad with(Larry Grenadier) you hear that every note has a punch, and you know how good it can be. That’s the beauty and the curse”
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WAS YOUR ALBUM WITH BRAD MEHLDAU AND AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE A ONE-OFF OR THE RESULT OF A CONCERT TOUR?
That exact personnel did only a few concerts before the recording.
After the recording I toured quite a bit with the same instrumentation, but not the same people. I toured with Ambrose and Larry but had other drummers and piano players.
TO USE AN AMERICAN PHRASE, WHAT IS YOUR “COMFORT FOOD” AS FAR AS TYPE OF BAND TO PLAY IN?
It doesn’t depend so much on the instrumentation; it depends more on the sound. The sound of the room, or the sound of whatever is amplified. When all of that gels, I feel very comfortable. I’m really dependent on the sound.
AT ONE TIME YOU STARTED YOUR OWN LABEL, BUT NOW YOU’RE ON ECM. WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF RUNNING YOUR OWN LABEL?
One advantage of being on my own label was that I can do whatever I feel like immediately without having to ask anybody. That helped create some very fringe projects that I probably wouldn’t have been able to realize on other labels.
But, one big bonus point on being with ECM is that the albums are introduced into the world with a completely different power 1934. People will actually have this record in Korea or wherever.
ECM has such an incredible standing that it automatically creates an interest for you.
DO THEY GIVE SUGGESTIONS OF WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO DO?
They don’t give me ideas what to do, but if I have an idea I talk to Manfred Eicher about it. He has to be into it; he’s very much involved. It’s his thing-it’s his life. Every week he’s in the studio recording something.
It’s a deep relationship that you have with him if you’re on the label, because he’s really passionate and it’s really important how the record sounds. It’s not just a guy in the studio saying “Yeah, man!” (laughs)
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR DREAM RECORDING SESSION?
My gosh! There must be so many scenarios to think of!
If I could think of just one, it would be comping on guitar in Prince’s band. I love him, and just to be close to him for a second would be great.
THAT’S THE SECOND TIME IN THIS DISCUSSION YOU’VE SHOWN AN AFFINITY FOR EDGY ROCK, EVEN THOUGH YOU PLAY CLASSICAL AND JAZZ. IS THERE SOMETHING INSIDE OF YOU TRYING TO GET OUT?
Yes. I have to say that it’s not that I like it the most, as in Hendrix, but it’s the most different world from what I am doing on such a high level of music that I have not been close to. So, I want more of it.
THAT’S THE SIGN OF A TRUE ARTISTIC PILGRIM-YOU WANT TO EXPLORE NEW WORLDS.
IS THERE A BOOK, PHILOSOPHY, RELIGION OR TEACHING THAT HAS GUIDED YOU ON THIS PATH TO MAKE YOU WHO YOU ARE?
I was “guru hopping” for many, many, many years. I have a mixture of a lot of these guys and philosophies, but it all comes down to the idea that I believe in: the power of your own images inside, your own thoughts and the world that you create in yourself.
That is something that, once you actually believe that, it can sort influence a lot of aspects of your life, and of course your playing.
Basically, playing is nothing more than you creating something that you feel in the moment, and you express it. So, whatever you feel is going to be what it sounds like. You start thinking “how do I clean up that whole inner world?”.
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“Basically, playing is nothing more than you creating something that you feel in the moment, and you express it. So, whatever you feel is going to be what it sounds like. You start thinking ‘how do I clean up that whole inner world?'”
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YOU ARE RIGHT. IT HAS TO START WITH YOU. AS G.K. CHESTERTON SAID, “THE PROBLEM, SIR, IS ME”
Exactly.
WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO SAY WHEN THEY PUT YOU IN THE GRAVE?
(laughs) “Of all the guitarists in the world, he was one of them” (laughs)
I GREW UP IN A NEIGHBORHOOD IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IN THE EARLY 60s THAT WAS FILLED WITH FIRST GENERATION GERMANS AND AUSTRIANS. CONVERSING WITH WOLFGANG MUTHSPIEL HAD ME RETURN TO THOSE DAYS, AS HE RESONATED WITH CLASSIC OLD WORLD VALUES OF FAMILY, HUMILTY, HARD WORK, CRAFT AND A SENSE OF ONE’S PLACE IN THE WORLD.
WHILE WE AMERICANS USUALLY DISMISS MUSIC FROM CENTRAL EUROPE AS “OLD”, WOLFGANG MUTHSPIEL SHOWS ON THIS LATEST ALBUM AS WELL AS THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER THAT NEW SOUNDS FROM VIENNA IS NOT SOMETHING NOVEL, BUT A CONTINUATION OF A MUSICAL TRADITION THAT GOES BACK FURTHER THAN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY.
CHECK OUT HIS LATEST ALBUM THAT COMBINES THE TRADITIONAL SOUNDS OF TWO CONTINENTS.