You want ambition? Look no further than this two disc set by Tobin Mueller. He plays piano, synth, bass and percussion and goes solo, duo trio and small group in a mix and match parade with Woody Mankowski/sax, Paul Nelson/g, Kenny Cash/b and Lamar Moore/dr. He takes on jazz standards, and reworks them like a mad scientist left alone with Erlenmeyer Flasks, test tubes and Bunsen burners. Doing solo work in the lab, he is filled with lyricism and reflection as he plays piano and/or synth on “Secret Love” a sonata’d “Where Is Love” and thoughtful “A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square.” His touch and feel on the keys is of a homey and personal mind.
With fellow lab partners, he puts on the goggles and does a rockish “Moanin’/Blue Monk” while having a gass of a time on a clever workout on “Birdland/Roundabout” mixing jazz/rock with rock/jazz. A funky “St. Louis Blues” and intimate “Take Five” give new allure to these standards while Ellington’s “Take the ‘A’ Train” is an artsy affair. The burettes and pipettes were used to full effect on this experimental session.
www.tobinmueller.com/standard/