Wolfgang Muthspiel
Austrian guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel first appeared on ECM in 2013 via the album Travel Guide as a member of a cooperative trio with fellow guitarists Ralph Towner and Slava Grigoryan. In 2014, Muthspiel made his ECM leader debut with Driftwood, featuring two top American jazz players: bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Brian Blade. Lyrical, grooving and atmospheric by turns, Driftwood saw Muthspiel exploit the rich sonic qualities of the guitar – electric and acoustic – even as he aimed for a sort of piano-trio ideal in terms of harmonic density and polyphony. He said: “I wanted to feature the liquidity and wide horizon of the guitar while also approaching the contrapuntal possibilities of a piano trio.”
Rising Grace and Where The River Goes followed, two acclaimed quintet recordings featuring trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, pianist Brad Mehldau, Larry Grenadier on bass and, respectively, Eric Harland [...]
Austrian guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel first appeared on ECM in 2013 via the album Travel Guide as a member of a cooperative trio with fellow guitarists Ralph Towner and Slava Grigoryan. In 2014, Muthspiel made his ECM leader debut with Driftwood, featuring two top American jazz players: bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Brian Blade. Lyrical, grooving and atmospheric by turns, Driftwood saw Muthspiel exploit the rich sonic qualities of the guitar – electric and acoustic – even as he aimed for a sort of piano-trio ideal in terms of harmonic density and polyphony. He said: “I wanted to feature the liquidity and wide horizon of the guitar while also approaching the contrapuntal possibilities of a piano trio.”
Rising Grace and Where The River Goes followed, two acclaimed quintet recordings featuring trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, pianist Brad Mehldau, Larry Grenadier on bass and, respectively, Eric Harland and Brian Blade on drums. With Angular Blues, Muthspiel introduced his new trio with Scott Colley on bass and Brian Blade. The Times called it a “quietly impressive album”. In September 2023 the trio’s second recording for ECM, Muthspiel’s sixth altogether, followed. According to Glide Magazine, on Dance of The Elders there are no wasted notes, no overt showmanship, just intimate trio interaction that yields beautifully flowing, mesmerizing music.“
Muthspiel studied both classical and jazz guitar at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Graz, subsequently winning national competitions for classical music as well as the International Guitar Competition in Mettman, Germany. Interested in improvisation from an early age, he emigrated to the U.S. in 1986 to study at the New England Conservatory. At the Berklee School of Music in Boston, he met Gary Burton, who invited him to join his quintet. While based in New York from 1995 to 2002, he performed with a diverse array of artists: Trilok Gurtu, Youssou N’Dour, Gary Peacock, Dave Liebman, Peter Erskine and Rebekka Bakken, among others. In addition to his jazz projects, Muthspiel writes for contemporary classical ensembles and has received commissions from the Ensemble for New Music Zurich, Klangforum Wien, Austrian Ministry of Arts, Boston-based Marimolin ensemble and more.
Read moreRead less
| YEAR | DATE | Artist | VENUE | LOCATION | |
| 2025 | May 03 | Wolfgang Muthspiel | Jazzfest | Bonn, Germany | Event |