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Tobin MUELLER Impressions of Water and Light CD BABY (without number)

1. Fantasy Girl with Flaxen Hair (Claude Debussy)

2. Leur chanson se mêle au Claire de Lune (Debussy)

3. Dance for a Princess Gone (Maurice Ravel)

4. River God at play (Ravel)

5. Le Petit Nègre variations (Debussy)

6. Rêverie (Debussy)

7. Tango Américaine (John Alden Carpenter)

8. Blue Prelude (Debussy)

9. Pavane (Gabriel Fauré)

10. Golliwog is Steppin’ Out (Debussy)

11. A Giddy Girl’s Fantasy (Debussy)

12. Risen Cathedral (Debussy)

13. Sittin’ with Satie: Conversation & Life (Erik Satie)

Tobin Mueller (piano)

rec. no recording details given [66:21]

I well remember how bowled over I was when I first heard the Jacques Loussier Trio’s interpretations of Bach way back in the 1960s. I was particularly struck by Loussier’s ability to come up with a refreshing new piece which still retained the indelible musical fingerprint of the original. I was equally impressed by his discs of Ravel’s Bolero and his Satie reinterpretations among others. This disc is also of jazz versions of classical works by pianist Tobin Mueller though for solo piano in his case.

It seems fitting to me to concentrate on works by Debussy since he was such a groundbreaking composer who was the musical equivalent of the impressionist school of art and his music lends itself so well to the jazz idiom. Along with his music we have some by Ravel, Ibert and Satie, all three of whose music also seems so easily translatable into jazz as well as one by American composer John Alden Carpenter.

In some cases Mueller has stuck close to the source material and with others has been the tail wagging the dog but in each case has created something quite magical that encourages the listener to take a new aural ‘look’ at the originals. Mueller’s pianism is also so ‘pin sharp’ with the ability to find similar areas of light and shade as the composers did in his interpretations with contrasting speeds, light and heavy playing and telling pauses. The disc does not require further deconstruction it demands to be listened to! Highly recommended.

Steve Arloff

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