Wolfgang Muthspiel Trio feat. Scott Colley & Brian Blade
Dream team of improvised music
The trio formed by Austrian guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel with Scott Colley (bass) and Brian Blade (drums) is a true jazz dream team: open, free, yet ravishingly melodic and sonorous. Each of the three is considered an authority in his field: Muthspiel shines on both electric and acoustic instruments with sovereignty and inventiveness and also writes great pieces. Colley’s pithy tone on the bass is as much a delight as the agility of his lines. And Blade, who never plays what is expected of him, is a lucky show in his own right. One should be cautious about predicting stellar performances. But when these three top improvisers play in the Elbphilharmonie, the prediction that they will lift the listeners into stellar spheres with their playing does not seem too daring.
In spring 2022, the three toured the US and subsequently recorded an album (»Dance of the Elders«, ECM) in the studio, which will be released in autumn. In addition to Muthspiel’s own compositions, it also contains a bow to Bach in the very own trio idiom and a cover version of Joni Mitchell’s »Amelia«. This is also a perfect fit because Brian Blade has led many a Joni Mitchell tribute in recent years and, as a trusted drummer, knows the Canadian songwriter’s oeuvre particularly well.
Performers
Wolfgang Muthspiel Trio
Wolfgang Muthspiel guitar
Scott Colley bass
Brian Blade drums
Series
Jazz at the Elbphilharmonie