Rising Grace

Rising Grace

• For his sophomore ECM release, Austrian guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel has convened a very special quintet, adding jazz luminary Brad Mehldau on piano and the young star trumpeter, Ambrose Akinmusire, to the subtly virtuosic Grenadier/Blade rhythm section from his label debut

Wolfgang Muthspiel: guitar, Ambrose Akinmusire: trumpet, Brad Mehldau: piano<br>Larry Grenadier: double-bass, Brian Blade: drums<br><br>Wolfgang Muthspiel whom The New Yorker has called - a shining light - among todays jazz guitarists made his ECM leader debut in 2014 with the trio disc Driftwood, featuring him alongside two long-time colleagues, bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Brian Blade. <br><br>All About Jazz declared the album - sublime - while JazzTimes praised its - rapt atmospheres - calling Driftwood haunting. <br><br>For his follow-up Rising Grace the Austrian guitarist has convened a very special quintet, adding jazz luminary Brad Mehldau on piano and a star among young trumpeters, Ambrose Akinmusire, to the subtly virtuosic Grenadier/Blade rhythm section. <br><br>Muthspiel moves between electric guitar and classically tinged acoustic six-string, his playing by turns grooving (Boogaloo) and enchanting (Rising Grace). <br><br>The lyrical flights of Akinmusires trumpet and the probing improvisations of Mehldau run through Muthspiels rich set of compositions like golden threads, the tracks including a warm tribute to a late, great ECM artist, Kenny Wheeler (Den Wheeler, Den Kenny). <br><br>Rising Grace also includes a deeply melodious piece that Mehldau composed especially for the album, Wolfgangs Waltz.