Interpretations is a 2-volume collection of Tobin Mueller' best interpretive piano covers, remastered, including six new arrangements.
These unique arrangements and improvisations transform both classical and jazz standards, turning each iconic piece into a reimagined fantasy. Based on works by composers throughout the ages, from J. S. Bach, Frédéric Chopin, Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel to Hoagy Carmichael, Wayne Shorter, Bill Evans, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett and more, this collection shows the connections and shared inspirations that have been passed down from era to era.
The collection is a follow-up to TOBIN MUELLER: At The Piano, an exploration of Mueller's best original solo piano works. It also forms a wonderful addendum to Best of Tobin Mueller, Vol. 2: Jazz Arrangements), in which he applies his arranging skills and jazz chops to well-known jazz standards. Both are definitely worth checking out.
“
Mueller succeeds at creating a musical diary that penetrates to the heart of the Romantic sensibility and reframes it in compellingly modern terms. Mueller’s own playing does ample justice to Classical virtuosity at the same time that he hears and conveys ambiguities, moments of unguarded openness, the essential intimacy in the pieces, through both improvisation and well-crafted arrangements. A fascinating, innovative recording."
Mueller utilizes differing genres in distinct, compelling ways, creating an exceptional style all his own. He effortlessly combines Modal Jazz and Post-Bop energy with Baroque, Romantic, Impressionist and contemporary classical techniques. His keyboard arrangements sometimes sound more like full-blown ensemble adaptations, complete with countermelodies and dense harmonies. The transitions he performs into time and key signature changes are seemless. The result is remarkable virtuosity. His music transcends the boundaries of genre and generation.
“
There is no doubting Mueller’s dexterity, his sincerity, his emotional trajectories. A cross between reinterpretations and arrangements, Mueller explores the intersection between Classical repertoire and Jazz. A strangely fascinating phenomenon, zooming off into the future about a hundred years... Enjoyable."
Every performance tells a story, often taking cues from the originial. But these musical journeys rarely end where the listener anticipates. Be prepared to be surprised, even while finding comfort in recognizing classic melodies. The music is smart yet emotional, fusing elegance, fluidity and inventiveness. Even when he builds complexity into an explosion of passion, there is something serene about these interpretations. Every recording needs to be listened to multiple times in order to appreciate the depth of thought and skill displayed.
“
A truly enjoyable set! As a musician, I’ve learned to spot quality in music, but have been intimidated by jazz in any form. With this compilation, Tobin Mueller has broken down that wall by sneaking in through the door of my affinity for the classics. His variations and reinventions are very inviting, warm and comfortable. A delight. Tobin’s creativity shines, and his arrangements carry you smoothly through colorfully nuanced musical adventures. The melodies and well-placed notes make for one enjoyable ride! I recommend it to all, no matter what your usual listening pleasures may be."
These pieces have been recorded by several different pianos in different settings over the past 20 years.
"Interpretations" cover art designed by Tobin Mueller. Piano/book artwork executed by Jim Weidert (he also did the Prestidigitation and Best of Tobin Mueller series covers. Background painting by Martha Rea Baker, entitled "Giverny Reflections V".
based on Étude in C Minor by Frédéric Chopin; remastered from Mueller's performance initially released under the title Revolutionary Disquisition • Fanfare Magazine 2016 Notable Recording - "Chopin meets Gerwshwin, with a bit of Art Tatum thrown in. Played like a contemporary tango, adding to the étude's inherent passion."
• YouTube Music Video
based on The Well-Tempered Clavier Prelude & Fugue No. 21 in Bb Major (BWV 866) by J. S. Bach; remastered from Mueller's performance initially titled Encore and Amen • Fanfare Magazine 2015 Notable Recording - "Lighter than air. Full of dexterous expressiveness."
by Claude Debussy, 6th movement from his suite for solo piano "Children's Corner"; remastered from Mueller's performance initially titled Golliwog Is Steppin' Out • SoloPiano.com 2013 Album of the Year - "Delightful rendering. 1930s style jazz-blues bordering on ragtime. Refreshing!"
• YouTube Music Video
based on Étude in G-Flat Major by Frédéric Chopin; remastered from Mueller's performance initially titled Black Keys and Butterflies • Fanfare Magazine 2016 Notable Recording - "Full of theatrical flair and virtuosity, capturing the chaotic flight of butterflies. The left hand gives this interpretation a showtune feel."
• YouTube Music Video
by Bart Howard, originally titled "In Other Words"
• Jazz Weekly 2018 Notable Recording - "Ethereal chord progressions remake this classic into a reflective, tender, thrilling masterpiece."
• YouTube Music Video
based on J.S. Bach's "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme" (Awake, calls the voice to us) (BWV 140), from Six Chorales of Diverse Kinds for organ
• Fanfare Magazine 2015 Notable Recording - "Perfect blend of jazz instincts and Baroque insistence."
traditional English Christmas carol with Cornish origins; remastered
• Mainly Piano 2014 Album of the Year - "The right hand ostinato falls like snow over an ever-expanding landscape of quiet melody. Breathtaking."
• YouTube Music Video
by Hoagy Charmichael (music) and Stuart Gorrell (lyrics)
• Jazz Weekly 2018 Notable Recording - "The dreamy introduction evolves into understated jazz-blues, representing nostalgic recollections of home."
based on La cathédrale engloutie by Claude Debussy, from his first book of Préludes, with improvised additions by Tobin Mueller; remastered from Mueller's performance initially titled Risen Cathedral • SoloPiano.com 2013 Album of the Year - "Raises the cool of Debussy from the deep, into the blue night air, until the pastel colors of a Monet sunrise wash over it again."
• YouTube Music Video
10.
Fantasy on Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 in G major: Prelude, BWV 1007
based on the Prelude of Bach's first suite for unaccompanied cello (BWV 1007); remastered from Mueller's performance initially titled In Anna Magdalena's Hands • Fanfare Magazine 2015 Notable Recording - "Transforms Bach’s masterpiece into a stream of consciousness tone poem. Rhapsodic yet calming."
by Paul Desmond, made famous by The Dave Brubeck Quartet; also see the duet with drummer Mike Nappi on Standard Deviations • among Dr. Jazz's 2018 Notable Recordings - "Playful, explosive, emotionally charged intepretation of a modern jazz classic."
improvisation based on "Air on the G String", second movement of J. S. Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major (BWV 1068)
• Fanfare Magazine 2015 Notable Recording - "Peaceful intertwining of Romanticism, jazz, and late night blues. Effortlessly bridges over 300 years of music."
• YouTube Music Video
based on Bach's Two-Part Invention No. 13 in A Minor (BWV 784); initially titled Reinvention No. 13 • Fanfare Magazine 2015 Notable Recording - "Reinvents this 2-part invention within a jazz perspective, yet remains true to its original drive and balance. Beguiling."
based on Jeux d’eau by Maurice Ravel, dedicated to Gabriel Fauré, inspired by Liszt's Au bord d'une source, with compositional additions by Tobin Mueller
• SoloPiano.com 2013 Album of the Year - "Captures the beauty of wild currents and pristine waterfalls, while reminding us of the perilous potential of an untamed river. Modal and New Age jazz meets luxurious Impressionism."
by Wayne Shorter, first recorded by Miles Davis' Second Great Quintet
• "Using Shorter’s version (recorded with The Manhattan Project) as inspiration, this piano duet attains an entirely unique perspective on the majesty and allure of the legendary Egyptian beauty. One of the best tracks in the collection."
by Keith Jarrett
• "Although his starting point demonstrates early bebop, Mueller then employs a post-bop baseline that speaks more to the mysteries of endless improvisation, something Keith Jarrett helped invent."
"Un flambeau, Jeannette, Isabelle" - Provence, France, 16th century
• Mainly Piano 2014 Album of the Year - "Grandeur, dance, joy and grace combine to remake this classic carol into a New Age hymn."
• YouTube Music Video
by Sammy Fain, from the 1953 film Calamity Jane; remastered from Best of Tobin Mueller, Vol. 5: Chill • Jazz Weekly 2018 Notable Recording - "Sometimes a ballad can be played with such insight, it transcends the original, becoming something more akin to prayer, or a profound unspoken truth. This is such a performance."
• YouTube Music Video
based on Bach's Prelude & Fugue No. 3 in C# Minor (BWV 848); remastered from Mueller's performance initially titled Well-Tempered Prelude & Me • Fanfare Magazine 2015 Noteable Recording - "A delicate dance that defies gravity."
by Frédéric Chopin, originally titled "Variantes", written while he was staying with George Sand; remastered from Mueller's performance initially titled Lullaby avant Sati • Fanfare Magazine 2016 Notable Recording - "A gorgeous cascade of improvised variations, inspired by Chopin, Sati and perhaps Bill Evans."
by Chick Corea, from his Piano Improvisations, Vol. 1
• "Mueller grafts another layer of harmony onto Corea’s improvisation, with added bass and tasteful incidentals, lending it even greater depth and significance."
by Pat Metheney & Lyle Mays, dedicated to Bill Evans
• "An excellent example of how Mueller turns instrumentals into lyrical storytelling. Each section adds layers of experience, wisdom, emotionality, until the final verse makes the listener feel internally changed, because of the journey."
by Bronislaw Kaper & Ned Washington for the 1947 film On Green Dolphin Street; this improvision was inspired by the music of Herbie Hancock
• "The essence of flow, Mueller taps into a place beyond time, living in the present yet never losing sight of either future or past. Satisfied happiness personified."
based on Bach's cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147 ("Heart and Mouth and Deed and Life")
• Fanfare Magazine 2015 Notable Recording - "Has the spiritual aspect of joy ever been described better than by these variations? At once intimate and grand, hushed yet penetrating. Beautifully crafted and perfectly executed."
• YouTube Music Video
