Wolfgang Muthspiel, Dance of the Elders Review

Dance of the Elders: The Boundary-Pushing Complexities of Wolfgang Muthspiel’s Trio

Wolfgang Muthspiel’s latest release, Dance of the Elders, is a work of intricate artistry and spontaneous brilliance. Following the highly praised Angular Blues, this new album finds Muthspiel once again collaborating with Scott Colley on bass and Brian Blade on drums, pushing the envelope of modern jazz with elements of folk and classical influences, showcasing their ability to seamlessly blend disparate musical worlds.

Opening with “Invocation,” the trio patiently creates a meditative atmosphere. Muthspiel’s guitar lines, combined with Colley’s nuanced bass and Blade’s textural drumming, form an ethereal soundscape that evokes a sense of ritual and reverence. Shifting gears, the next track, “Prelude to Bach,” is a daring exploration into classical realms. The piece unfurls around a spontaneous rendering of Bach’s “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded,” revealing Muthspiel’s deep-rooted connection to classical choral works. His touch and tone are excellent, and his chord voices are rich and textured.

The title track, “Dance of the Elders,” is a rhythmic masterpiece in various meters, featuring a clever clapping loop towards the end of the piece that showcases an unexpected clave shift—a sudden change in the rhythmic pattern that adds a thrilling twist. The composition weaves through world folk and jazz, evidence of the trio’s tight-knit musical relationship. “Liebeslied,” a Kurt Weill classic, is an elegantly played jazz waltz. Muthspiel’s electric guitar brings an expressive touch to the piece, filling the room with emotional resonance as his chords are answered with flowing single-note ideas.

“Folksong” captures the beauty of simplicity. Inspired by Keith Jarrett, Muthspiel and Colley utilize static chord figures to build an intricate modal patchwork of sound while Blade’s drumming dances gracefully around them. “Cantus Bradus” pays homage to Brad Mehldau with its complex harmonic structure. The song captures the kind of dense, bluesy centers commonly found in Mehldau’s music. “Amelia,” a Joni Mitchell classic, rounds off the album beautifully. The trio remains faithful to the original, making it a heartfelt homage to the folk-jazz legend.

The trio’s chemistry is palpable. Their years of playing together, including extensive touring, have fostered a deep mutual trust. The trio’s chemistry is palpable, something Muthspiel attributes to “enormous trust,” allowing them to explore new musical landscapes fearlessly. They breathe life into Muthspiel’s compositions, expanding them in unpredictable yet wholly organic ways.

The end result is an album that serves as a remarkable showcase for Muthspiel’s multifaceted talents as a composer and guitarist, elevated by the adept musicianship of Colley and Blade. Dance of the Elders solidifies Muthspiel’s status as a significant creative force in modern jazz and exemplifies the genre’s potential for expansion and evolution. For the listener, the experience is akin to journeying through a musical landscape as varied and beautiful as challenging and intricate—a masterful achievement by any measure.