Wolfgang Muthspiel (born 2 March 1965) is an Austrian

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

guitarist and record label owner. He is the brother of musician Christian Muthspiel.

Music career

When he was six, he began playing violin, and at fourteen he moved on to classical guitar. He went to the Berklee College of Music on a scholarship. Beginning in 1985, he recorded three albums with his brother Christian. He released his first solo album, ''Timezones'', in 1989. For two years, he toured with

Gary Burton Gary Burton (born January 23, 1943) is an American jazz vibraphonist, composer, and educator. Burton developed a pianistic style of four-mallet technique as an alternative to the prevailing two-mallet technique. This approach caused him to be he ...

and guitarist

Mick Goodrick Mick Goodrick (June 9, 1945 – November 16, 2022) was an American jazz guitarist who spent most of his career as a teacher. In the early 1970s, he worked with Gary Burton and Pat Metheny. Biography An Elvis fan, Goodrick began studying guitar ...

, one of his teachers at Berklee. During the 1990s, Muthspiel lived in New York City and recorded more solo albums. His sidemen included

Don Alias Charles "Don" Alias (December 25, 1939 in New York City – March 28, 2006 in New York City) was an American jazz percussionist. Alias was best known for playing congas and other hand drums. He was, however, a capable drum kit performer: for ...

Larry Grenadier Larry Grenadier (born February 6, 1966 in San Francisco) is an American jazz double bassist. Early life Grenadier's father, Albert, was a trumpet player, and his two brothers, Phil and Steve, play trumpet and guitar, respectively. Grenadier be ...

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, and

Kenny Wollesen Kenny Wollesen (born 1966) is an American drummer and percussionist. Wollesen has recorded and toured with Tom Waits, Sean Lennon, Ron Sexsmith, Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, John Lurie, Myra Melford, Steven Bernstein, and John Zorn. He is a fou ...

. He appeared as a guest on albums by

Patricia Barber Patricia Barber (born November 8, 1955) is an American songwriter, composer, singer, and pianist. Biography Barber's father Floyd was a jazz saxophonist who played with Bud Freeman and Glenn Miller. She played saxophone and piano from a young ...

, Marc Johnson,

Paul Motian Stephen Paul Motian (March 25, 1931 – November 22, 2011) was an American jazz drummer, percussionist, and composer. Motian played an important role in freeing jazz drummers from strict time-keeping duties. He first came to prominence in the ...

, and Gary Peacock. He was the given the award for Austrian Jazz Musician of the Year in 1997. He founded his own label, Material Records, in 2000, and recorded again with his brother Christian and with Norwegian singer

Rebekka Bakken Rebekka Bakken (born April 4, 1970 in Lier, near Oslo) is a Norwegian singer, songwriter and music producer who is often associated with jazz, although she refuses to characterise herself as a jazz musician. Her voice reaches over three octaves ...

. He formed the MGT trio with

Slava Grigoryan Slava Grigoryan (born 1976) is an Australian classical guitarist and recording artist. He frequently collaborates and performs with his younger brother, fellow guitarist Leonard Grigoryan, performing as the Grigoryan Brothers. Early life He was ...

and

Ralph Towner Ralph Towner (born March 1, 1940) is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and bandleader. He plays the twelve-string guitar, classical guitar, piano, synthesizer, percussion, trumpet and French horn. Biography Towner was born i ...

, another trio with Larry Grenadier and Brian Blade, and one with

Brad Mehldau Bradford Alexander Mehldau (; born August 23, 1970) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Mehldau studied music at The New School, and toured and recorded while still a student. He was a member of saxophonist Joshua Redman's Qua ...

and Ambrose Akinmusire. He has composed for the Austrian Esterházy Foundation, the Austrian Ministry of Arts, Benjamin Schmid, the Hugo Wolf Quartet, and the

Klangforum Wien The Klangforum Wien is an Austrian chamber orchestra, based in Vienna at the Konzerthaus, which specialises in contemporary classical music. Founded by composer and conductor Beat Furrer in 1985, it is run on collective principles, having no ...

Discography

As leader

* ''Timezones'' (Amadeo, 1989) * ''The Promise'' (Amadeo, 1990) * ''Black & Blue'' (Amadeo, 1992) * ''In & Out'' (Amadeo, 1993) * ''Loaded Like New'' (Amadeo, 1995) * ''Perspective'' (Amadeo, 1996) * ''Real Book Stories'' (Quinton, 2001) * ''Bearing Fruit'' (Material, 2003) * ''Steinhaus'' (Material, 2003) * ''Solo'' (Material, 2004) * ''Air, Love & Vitamins'' (Quinton, 2004) * ''Bright Side'' (Material, 2005) * ''Friendly Travelers'' (Material, 2006) * ''Friendly Travelers Live'' (Material, 2008) * ''Earth Mountain'' (Material, 2008) * ''From a Dream'' (Which Way Music, 2008) * ''Live at the Jazz Standard'' (Material, 2010) * ''Drumfree'' (Material, 2011) * ''Vienna Naked'' (Material, 2012) * ''Driftwood'' (ECM, 2014) * ''Rising Grace'' (ECM, 2016) * ''Where the River Goes'' (ECM, 2018) * ''Angular Blues'' (ECM, 2020)

As sideman

With Christian Muthspiel * ''Muthspiel/Peacock/Muthspiel/Motian'' (Amadeo, 1993) * ''CY'' (Lotus, 1998) * ''Play Parts of a Shattered Love Story'' (Lotus, 1999) * ''Echoes of Techno'' (Material, 2001) With

Vienna Art Orchestra The Vienna Art Orchestra was a European jazz group based in Vienna, Austria. Organized at different times as either a big band or as a smaller combo, it was regarded as one of the leading European jazz ensembles and was an official cultural ambas ...

* ''American Rhapsody'' (RCA Victor, 1998) * ''Duke Ellington's Sound of Love'' (TCB, 1999) * ''Artistry in Rhythm: A European Suite'' (TCB, 2000) With others *

L'Arpeggiata L'Arpeggiata is a European early music group led by Christina Pluhar, and founded by her in 2000. The group has presented both traditional early music and also several collaged and themed performances and recordings. The group focuses on Italian, ...

Christina Pluhar Christina Pluhar (Graz, 1965) is an Austrian theorbist, harpist, conductor, and director of L'Arpeggiata ensemble.Herz Europas "Christina Pluhar ist eine der innovativsten Musikerinnen der Alte-Musik-Szene, die in ihren Projekten die Grenzen d ...

, ''Music for a While'' (Erato/Warner, 2014) *

, ''Daily Mirror'' (Material, 2000) * Rebekka Bakken, ''Beloved'' (Material, 2002) *

, ''A Distortion of Love'' (Antilles, 1992) *

, '' Cool Nights'' (GRP, 1991) * Corin Curschellas, ''Goodbye Gary Cooper'' (Make Up, 1999) * Aydin Esen, ''Dialogo'' (Material, 2005) *

Gil Goldstein Gil Goldstein (born November 6, 1950 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American jazz pianist and accordionist. He has won 5 Grammy Awards and he was nominated 8 time Biography He began studying accordion at age 5 after noticing it in The Lawrence We ...

, ''Zebracoast'' (EAU, 1992) * Gabrielle Goodman, ''Travelin' Light'' (JMT, 1993) * Gabrielle Goodman, ''Until We Love'' (JMT, 1994) *

, ''In the Same Breath'' (CMP, 1996) *

Mike Holober Mike Holober (born April 21, 1957) is an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and educator. Holober moved to New York in 1986, and worked as a composer and sideman pianist. After working with baritone saxophonist Nick Brignola in the late ...

, ''Canyon'' (Sons of Sound, 2003) * Mike Holober, ''Wish List'' (Sons of Sound, 2006) * Dieter Ilg, ''Folk Songs'' (Jazzline, 1997) * Dieter Ilg, ''Fieldwork'' (Jazzline, 1998) * Marc Johnson, '' Magic Labyrinth'' (JMT, 1995) *

, '' Reincarnation of a Love Bird'' (JMT, 1994) *

, ''

Travel Guide A guide book or travel guide is "a book of information about a place designed for the use of visitors or tourists". It will usually include information about sights, accommodation, restaurants, transportation, and activities. Maps of varying det ...

'' (ECM, 2013) * Dhafer Youssef, ''Electric Sufi'' (Enja, 2001)

References

External links

Interview with Wolfgang Muthspiel, 2019
{{DEFAULTSORT:Muthspiel, Wolfgang 1965 births Living people Austrian jazz composers Austrian jazz guitarists Male guitarists Male jazz composers People from Judenburg