Wolfgang Muthspiel
Encyclopedia
Christian Muthspiel
Christian Muthspiel is an Austrian composer, trombonist, and pianist most associated with jazz.He started with the piano at six and began study of the trombone at 11. From 1987 to 1988 he had a scholarship to study in Banff, Alberta. He also does new classical music.His brother is guitarist...
.
He started playing the violin at six and began study of the guitar as a teenager. After studying classical and jazz guitar in Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
, he completed his studies at the New England Conservatory and the Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
. His high reputation, even in young years, made him the replacement of Pat Metheny
Pat Metheny
Patrick Bruce "Pat" Metheny is an American jazz guitarist and composer.One of the most successful and critically acclaimed jazz musicians to come to prominence in the 1970s and '80s, he is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works and other side projects...
in Gary Burton
Gary Burton
Gary Burton is an American jazz vibraphonist.A true original on the vibraphone, Burton developed a pianistic style of four-mallet technique as an alternative to the usual two-mallets. This approach caused Burton to be heralded as an innovator and his sound and technique are widely imitated...
's band.
In the following years Muthspiel played with several famous jazz greats like Maria Joao
Maria João
Maria João is a Portuguese jazz singer.She is known for her vocal flexibility and improvisational skills. While normally considered a jazz singer, her music incorporates a mix of folk/ethnic music, modern jazz, and the avant-garde...
, Dave Liebman
Dave Liebman
Dave Liebman is an American saxophonist and flautist. In June 2010, he received a NEA Jazz Masters lifetime achievement award from the National Endowment for the Arts.-Biography:...
, Peter Erskine
Peter Erskine
Peter Erskine is an American jazz drummer and composer. He has enjoyed a long and successful career as a session drummer, recording and touring with many famous jazz and rock artists, including Steely Dan and Weather Report...
, Paul Motian
Paul Motian
Stephen Paul Motian was an American jazz drummer, percussionist and composer of Armenian extraction.He first came to prominence in the late 1950s in the piano trio of Bill Evans, and later led several groups...
, Bob Berg
Bob Berg
Bob Berg was a jazz saxophonist originally from Brooklyn, New York City. He started his musical education at the age of six when he began studying classical piano. He began playing the saxophone at the age of thirteen. Bob Berg was a Juilliard graduate influenced heavily by the late 1964–67 period...
, Gary Peacock
Gary Peacock
Gary Peacock is an American jazz double-bassist.-Biography:After military service in Germany, in the early sixties he worked on the west coast with Barney Kessel, Bud Shank, Paul Bley and Art Pepper, then moved to New York. He worked there with Bley, the Bill Evans trio , and Albert Ayler's trio...
, Don Alias
Don Alias
Charles 'Don' Alias was an American jazz percussionist.Alias was best known for playing congas and other hand drums...
, Gary Burton
Gary Burton
Gary Burton is an American jazz vibraphonist.A true original on the vibraphone, Burton developed a pianistic style of four-mallet technique as an alternative to the usual two-mallets. This approach caused Burton to be heralded as an innovator and his sound and technique are widely imitated...
, Larry Grenadier
Larry Grenadier
Larry Grenadier is an American jazz double bassist.His father, Albert, was a trumpet player, and his two brothers, Phil and Steve, would eventually play trumpet and guitar respectively. Grenadier too began on trumpet when he was 10 years old. His father taught him to read music and gave him his...
or John Patitucci
John Patitucci
John Patitucci is an American Grammy-winning jazz double bass and jazz fusion electric bass player.-Biography:Patitucci is of Italian descent and was born in Brooklyn, New York, where he began playing the electric bass at age ten, composing and performing at age 12, as well as the acoustic bass at...
. Later a collaboration with famous Norwegian jazz singer Rebekka Bakken followed.
In 2002 Muthspiel returned to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, founding his record label Material Records, which focuses on publishing own records as well as those of young aspiring musicians.
Besides his own band, the Wolfgang Muthspiel 4tet, he is collaborating with Brian Blade
Brian Blade
Brian Blade in Shreveport, Louisiana is an American jazz drummer, composer, session musician, and singer-songwriter.-Early years:...
in the project "Friendly Travelers" and with Ralph Towner
Ralph Towner
Ralph Towner is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and bandleader. He plays the twelve-string guitar, classical guitar, piano, synthesizer, percussion and trumpet.-Biography:...
and Slava Grigoryan
Slava Grigoryan
Slava Grigoryan is an Australian classical guitarist and recording artist of Armenian heritage.He was born in Kazakhstan to Eduard and Irina Grigoryan, both professional violinists. His family emigrated to Australia in 1981 and he was raised in Melbourne. Grigoryan began to study guitar with his...
in a new Guitar Trio named MGT.
In 2003 he won the European Jazz Prize.
As leader
- 1985 - Duo Due Schneetanz (with Christian MuthspielChristian MuthspielChristian Muthspiel is an Austrian composer, trombonist, and pianist most associated with jazz.He started with the piano at six and began study of the trombone at 11. From 1987 to 1988 he had a scholarship to study in Banff, Alberta. He also does new classical music.His brother is guitarist...
) - 1987 - Duo Due Focus It (with Christian MuthspielChristian MuthspielChristian Muthspiel is an Austrian composer, trombonist, and pianist most associated with jazz.He started with the piano at six and began study of the trombone at 11. From 1987 to 1988 he had a scholarship to study in Banff, Alberta. He also does new classical music.His brother is guitarist...
) - 1989 - Timezones
- 1989 - Duo Due Tre (with Christian MuthspielChristian MuthspielChristian Muthspiel is an Austrian composer, trombonist, and pianist most associated with jazz.He started with the piano at six and began study of the trombone at 11. From 1987 to 1988 he had a scholarship to study in Banff, Alberta. He also does new classical music.His brother is guitarist...
) - 1990 - The Promise
- 1993 - Muthspiel-Peacock-Muthspiel-Motian (with Christian MuthspielChristian MuthspielChristian Muthspiel is an Austrian composer, trombonist, and pianist most associated with jazz.He started with the piano at six and began study of the trombone at 11. From 1987 to 1988 he had a scholarship to study in Banff, Alberta. He also does new classical music.His brother is guitarist...
) - 1993 - Black and Blue
- 1993 - In and Out
- 1994 - Magic Labynrith (with Marc Johnson and Arto TunçboyacıyanArto TunçboyaciyanArto Tunçboyacıyan is an Armenian-Turkish musician. A famous avant-garde folk artist , he appeared on more than 200 records in Europe before arriving in the United States, where he went to work with numerous jazz legends including Chet Baker, Al Di Meola, and Joe Zawinul as well as a semi-regular...
) - 1995 - Loaded, Like New
- 1996 - Perspective
- 1998 - CY (with Christian MuthspielChristian MuthspielChristian Muthspiel is an Austrian composer, trombonist, and pianist most associated with jazz.He started with the piano at six and began study of the trombone at 11. From 1987 to 1988 he had a scholarship to study in Banff, Alberta. He also does new classical music.His brother is guitarist...
) - 1999 - Work in Progress
- 2000 - Daily Mirror (with Rebekka Bakken)
- 2001 - Real Book Stories (with Marc Johnson and Brian BladeBrian BladeBrian Blade in Shreveport, Louisiana is an American jazz drummer, composer, session musician, and singer-songwriter.-Early years:...
) - 2001 - Echoes of Techno (with Christian MuthspielChristian MuthspielChristian Muthspiel is an Austrian composer, trombonist, and pianist most associated with jazz.He started with the piano at six and began study of the trombone at 11. From 1987 to 1988 he had a scholarship to study in Banff, Alberta. He also does new classical music.His brother is guitarist...
) - 2002 - Continental Call
- 2002 - Beloved (with Rebekka Bakken)
- 2003 - That's all Daisy Needs
- 2003 - EARly MUSIC (with Christian MuthspielChristian MuthspielChristian Muthspiel is an Austrian composer, trombonist, and pianist most associated with jazz.He started with the piano at six and began study of the trombone at 11. From 1987 to 1988 he had a scholarship to study in Banff, Alberta. He also does new classical music.His brother is guitarist...
) - 2004 - Air, Love & Vitamins (with Marc Johnson and Brian BladeBrian BladeBrian Blade in Shreveport, Louisiana is an American jazz drummer, composer, session musician, and singer-songwriter.-Early years:...
) - 2004 - Solo
- 2005 - Bright Side
- 2007 - Friendly Travelers (with Brian BladeBrian BladeBrian Blade in Shreveport, Louisiana is an American jazz drummer, composer, session musician, and singer-songwriter.-Early years:...
) - 2007 - Glow (with Dhafer YoussefDhafer YoussefDhafer Youssef is a composer, singer and oud player. He developed an interest in jazz at an early age and clandestinely listened to it during his education at a Qur'anic school. He later left Tunisia to start a jazz career and has lived in Europe since 1990, usually in Paris or Vienna. He also...
) - 2008 - Friendly Travelers Live (CD and DVD)
- 2008 - Earth Mountain
- 2008 - From a Dream (with Slava GrigoryanSlava GrigoryanSlava Grigoryan is an Australian classical guitarist and recording artist of Armenian heritage.He was born in Kazakhstan to Eduard and Irina Grigoryan, both professional violinists. His family emigrated to Australia in 1981 and he was raised in Melbourne. Grigoryan began to study guitar with his...
and Ralph TownerRalph TownerRalph Towner is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and bandleader. He plays the twelve-string guitar, classical guitar, piano, synthesizer, percussion and trumpet.-Biography:...
) - 2009- Live at the JAZZ STANDARD (with Mick GoodrickMick GoodrickMick Goodrick is an American post bop jazz guitarist and educator most noteworthy for his work with vibraphonist Gary Burton's band from 1973 to 1976, where for part of that time he was playing alongside guitarist Pat Metheny...
)
As sideman
With Paul MotianPaul Motian
Stephen Paul Motian was an American jazz drummer, percussionist and composer of Armenian extraction.He first came to prominence in the late 1950s in the piano trio of Bill Evans, and later led several groups...
- Reincarnation of a Love Bird (JMT, 1994)