Extended Bio

Todd’s compositions feature strong melodies, sometimes sung by female vocalists recalling the aesthetic of Brazilian musician Sérgio Mendes; virtuosic but lyrical instrumental prowess; deep-pocket grooves informed by a variety of jazz, world, and rock-based traditions; and a deep sense of spiritual intent. To date, Todd has released 5 albums and one single. Along the way, he has earned raves from Windham Hill Records founder Will Ackerman; ZZAJ’s Dick Metcalf; India’s Music Ambassador Ustadt Imrat Khan; 17-time Grammy Nominee and jazz guitar legend Mike Stern; and Berklee College of Music President, 7-time Grammy Award Winner, and jazz legend, Gary Burton.

An acclaimed Indian and jazz guitarist influenced by St. Louis’s vibrantly varied cultural blend of Indian, African-American, and Americana traditions, Mosby is one of few musicians in America who has mastered western classical, jazz, and Indian raga musical forms, incorporating them freely as a part of his musical language. His compositions feature strong melodies, sometimes sung by female vocalists recalling the aesthetic of Brazilian musician Sérgio Mendes; virtuosic but lyrical instrumental prowess; deep-pocket grooves informed by a variety of jazz, world, and rock-based traditions. Mosby attended Berklee College of Music-undergrad, Webster University-graduate and 13 years classical North Indian music with Ustadt Imrat Khan.

He has the distinction of being the only guitarist to become a member of the famed Imdhad Khani Gharana of musicians, India’s most prestigious family of sitar musicians dating back 500 to Tansen in the court of Mughal Emperor Akbar. From his years studying this rarified and sacred music, Imrat worked with Mosby to develop a unique guitar technique. This led to  an innovative bridge instrument, the Imrat guitar, which has been undergoing design upgrades since 1997. Built by luthier Kim Schwartz to the performance specs of Mosby and the overall sonic palette of Imrat Kahn, the resulting hybrid 18-stringed sitar-guitar instrument allows for a cross-cultural East-West musical dialogue right at your fingertips and integrated into his musical vocabulary.

He has earned the respect in performance and studio of the finest musicians on the scene today. Coming along for the ride on Land of Enchantment are A-list musicians such as longtime Prince bassist Rhonda Smith; jazz-fusion icon saxophonist-composer, Tom  Scott (Joni Mitchell, Quincy Jones, Frank Sinatra); drummer Vinnie Colaiuta (Herbie Hancock, Jeff Beck, Frank Zappa); Grammy-winning violinist Charlie Bisharat (Elton John, the Rolling Stones, Shadowfax); pianist Dapo Torimiro (Frank Ocean, Lauryn Hill); vocalist Laura Vall (Stevie Wonder); bassist Timothy Bailey (Ariana Grande, Julia Michaels, Jill Scott); award winning Los Angeles cellist Adrienne Woods (Ariana Grande, Josh Groban, Christina Aguilera); two-time Grammy winning producer Jeffrey Weber (Linda Rhonstadt,, Freddie Hubbard, MCcoy Tyler, David Crosby); and Emmy and Grammy-winning engineer Clark Germain (Michael Jackson, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Bonnie Raitt).

After decades as a professional musician with countless gigs under his belt, and rarely-achieved mastery of 3 challenging musical idioms, Mosby still has a child’s passion for music. He says: “Music is bottomless. I am always exploring and learning new approaches, solutions, discoveries! And each discovery opens a new world of exciting possibilities which is filled with fun, excitement and intrigue.”

His journey in spirit and song is beautifully winding. Todd spent, or rather misspent, his formative teen years listening to James Taylor, Joni Mitchel and Jimmy Spheris while smoking pot and perfecting his drawing skills. Around the age of 14 he worked cutting firewood to buy his first guitar, and Alvarez acoustic auditorium. From there he began sitting in with friends at parties learning the folk rock tunes of the day. Later on he was turned on to the music of Billy Holiday, Lester Young, Errol Gardner and the Norman Grants series Live At The Philharmonic.

Guitar was always a means to an emotive outlet in high school but it did not really click as a career path until his freshman year of college where he had the opportunity to study with pro players and play in jazz ensembles. During this time, Todd began to devour the music of Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, Hermeto and Brazilian singer Milton Nascimento. When many of the ace student musicians who taught him did a mass exit to Los Angeles the following year, he decided to follow a friends advice and sharpen his skills at Berklee College of Music.

Parallel to his music discovery, Todd absorbed the multi-cultural mecca of St. Louis which was brimming with Indian and African-American traditions, and an eclectic array of music subcultures, spanning world-music, jazz, blues, punk, ska, and new wave. For Todd, these all became pathways to deeper musical expression.

“I am a seeker who believes in the power of music to change lives,” the  St. Louis, Missouri-based guitarist shares. “I had a troubled childhood that led me to some dark places. Music was an emotional release from those demons, and it has helped me create a world of light and sound which I love to share with others.”