Todd Mosby American Heartland

Todd  Mosby: Land Of Enchantment
by George W. Harris • October 12, 2023

No clutter on these frets…
Guitarist Todd Mosby creates modern smooth sounds with a mix and match team that includes Vinnie Colaiuta/dr, Dapo Torimoro/p and Rhonda Smith/b. At times, there’s an almost Steely Dan feel to the tunes, as on the folksy and clever “Georgia’s World” with Laua Vall’s voice while the team gets funky around Smith’s bass line on “Place In The Sun’.
Mosby has a George Benson feel to his tone and licks as he breezes on ”Moonrise Samba” and a beautiful sound for “A Distant Light”. He plays a bluesy read of “Norwegian Wood” with an acoustic Imrat guitar, and gives a James Taylorish feel to the classic “By The Time I Get To Phoenix’. - George Harris, Jazz Weekly

Land Of Enchantment Review
May 12, 2023

“Wherever one goes in the Southwest, one encounters magic, strength, and beauty,” Ansel Adams wrote. Inspired by the same landscape – and Georgia O’Keeffe‘s art – each of the pieces on Todd Mosby’s upcoming album have similar characteristics. Land of Enchantment has magic enough for several releases. Stylish, playful and cool, the album underlines the deep connection between geography, art and culture.

Todd Mosby has created a new musical syntax integrating Indian classical music and Western music. His 13-year study of traditional North Indian music with his neighbor and guru-ji Ustadt Imrat Khan led to the development of acoustic and electric versions of the Imratguitar, a hybrid sitar-guitar. His most recent albums are On Eagle Mountain (2016), Open Waters (2019) and Aerial Views (2020).

Place in The Sun
The album opener is called Place in the Sun – and what a warm and inviting piece it is! Under a cloudless sky, good company and a playful atmosphere make this album opener into something truly spectacular! The female vocalization (Laura Vall) and Timothy Bailey’s bass sound divine. But don’t take my word for it; check it out for yourself:

The track fades beautifully into Moonrise Samba. I especially enjoy the jazzy, guitar driven melody. The Rhodes keyboard too shines brightly in the moonlight. Vinnie Colaiuta is, as usual, brilliant. We are in the company of world-class performers, no doubt about that. The warm and upscale piece makes it impossible to sit still.

Talking about movement; Native Dancerseems to incorporate the two tracks we just heard, and somehow takes it all into a new and creative direction – much thanks to the Imratguitar and sax. Where ever you might be, the landscape of New Mexico seems near.

A Distant Light
At this stage, the album changes pace. The delicate A Distant Light gives time to reflect on everything we have experienced this far and ponder about what’s next. Adrienne Woods’ cello and Mosby’s electric guitar engage in a wonderful duet that will illuminate even a dark room.

Listening to Georgia’s World gives the same experience as studying Georgia O’Keeffe’s artworks; one cannot help thinking that this is indeed a genuine masterpiece! The blues guitar and the Rhodes piano, similar to the mid-section on The Doors’ Riders on the Storm I think, invite us into this unique and incredibly well-crafted track. The melody is easygoing and light, making the listener hang on to each note. Georgia’s World is, in short, a winner from start to finish.

Norwegian Wood, The album’s rendition of the Beatles’ Norwegian Wood is playful and makes the melody fit well with the New Mexico atmosphere. Especially the last 40 seconds are fantastic.

On Emerald Springs, we finally get a Todd Mosby solo. The steel string guitar sounds incredible! It is a very dynamic melody Mosby has in store for us; after a powerful opening it almost stops, then a more thoughtful segment follows – before a few heavy riffs are heard. It is only three minutes long, so I had to put it on replay to really appreciate this part of Mosby’s musical expression.

I’m happy to report that the album ends on a high note; Glen Campbell’s By The Time I Get To Phoenix rounds off the album in a dreamy and heartwarming way. The lovely guitar and violin duet twists and turns delightfully.

Todd Mosby

In conclusion: Bold and uncompromising, Land Of Enchantment by Todd Mosby is an exploration of the connection between nature, culture and art. The summery vibe often hides the fact that this is a flawless release by an artist at the very height of his abilities. Dapo Torimiro on piano and Vinnie Colaiuta on drums, to name a few, do their part in making this journey in music both rewarding and unforgettable, too.

From jazz, jazz fusion and samba to Bossa-nova and folk-rock, the album’s genre defying style makes sure that there is something here for everyone. I enjoy how the sound seems to represent the landscape, from the baking A Place in the Sun to the reflective By The Time I Get To Phoenix. There is a lot to discover in-between with almost limitless replay value.

Georgia O’Keeffe said: “I know now that most people are so closely concerned with themselves that they are not aware of their own individuality. I can see myself, and it has helped me to say what I want to say—in paint” Listening to Todd Mosby play, I’m 100% sure that he can say the same about the guitar.

TODD MOSBY; Interview

Growing up in Missouri near St. Louis, how old were you when you started to play jazz guitar and what was most helpful in your personal development as a guitarist?
I first started playing/studying Jazz guitar my first year at college in Salt Lake City, Utah when I was 18. There was a great music program there which was moving to Grove Music school in LA. the next year. I decided to go to Berklee College of Music for the next three years to continue my studies in earnest. It was a great experience seeing  so many great Jazz musicians perform live. It had a lasting impact. Bill Evans, Joe Pass, Pet Metheny, Wether Report, Pat Martino, Kenny Burrell, Mike Stern were all people i would go out and see perform live in small clubs or concert halls.

It appears that you have Los Angeles connections. Am I correct?
Yes, in 2016 I was in LA for a music conference and met veteran producer Jeffrey Weber (Emily Remler, David Benoit, Freddie Hubbard, Tom Scott, Chick Corea, Stanley Clark, Kenny Burrell, McCoy Tyner) thru a friend. We began initial talks for a possible record at that time. I had just completed my first album Eagle Mountain with Will Ackerman/Tom Eaton producing. After a successful run of three albums (2016-2021), I wanted to move my music and recordings in a new direction. This is when I re-connected with Jeff Weber and in May of 2022, we began weekly conversations on scope of the project, tune selection, instrumentation, band members, coordination, etc. A great producer has access to great musicians. Jeff had this and more. He has been with his team for over 20 years. He produced some of my favorite jazz recordings including the last and best album of Emily Remler, This Is Me. In July, the band was finalized with some of my heroes that Jeff uses including Tom Scott, Vinnie Colaiuta and Rhonda Smith. He produced two of Tom Scotts records which are on his label and received Grammy nominations. All of the players on Jeffs call list have a long history with him.

Did you study with any well-known musical personalities, or are you self-taught?
I have been mentored and studied my whole life. Ultimately, it is up the individual to absorb, apply, research and discover insights thru time spent on your instrument. In that sense everyone is self-taught. Formal studies began at Westminster College in salt Lake City for one year and then at Berklee College of Music in Boston for three years. Years later I finished with an MM in Composition in St. Louis at Webster University. In between I had private teachers, all notable. Here is a list: Private Studies & Mentors Include: Guitar - Mike Stern, Jim Kelly, Rob Block, Rick Haydon, Fareed Haque; Improvisation - Gary Burton, Ed Tomasi, Imrat Khan; Composition - Dr. Roland Jordan, Orchestration - Ben Newhouse, Arranging - Michael Gibbs, Bob Chestnut, Dan Moretti. Classical North Indian Studies: - 13 years traditional with Ustadt Imrat Khan - India’s foremost proponent of sitar and Brian Jones and George Harrison’s first sitar teacher.

To you, what are three of the most influential jazz guitar albums and why? (give details)
1) Montgomeryland - Wes Montgomery - These were some of the first Wes solos I took down. 2) Grantstand - Grant Green - Grant is a master of the extended Jazz blues forms. 3) Natural Elements - Shakti - John Mclaughlin - Acoustic fusion at its highest level with virtuoso jazz and Indian raga performances.

Tell how Windham Hill Records founder, Will Ackerman, effected your playing and career.
Will is an inspiration and guiding light. He believes in strong melodies, streamlined forms, developed ideas. Every single note counts and he prefers a unique, melodic statement over fast phrases always. The experience and confidence gained as a grammy level world class recording artist and composer is incalculable. Will and Tom came to trust my musical insights and we developed a very nice symbiotic relationship with the recording, music creation and mixing process. They then turned me on to the various promotional aspects of releasing a record.

Tell us about your goals in making your new album Land of Enchantment with Tom Scott on saxophone, pianist Dapo Torimiro, drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and other fine musician
The goals for this new album are multi-faceted. The first goal was to break me into a new market, from New Age into Contemporary Jazz so I would get noticed. Although I have had much success in the New Age/ Contemporary Instrumental genre, we needed to make an impact out of the gates into a more Contemporary Jazz sort of genre. Jeff selected tunes from my catalogue dating back to 2013 to current and had me write a new one for the recording.He wanted to showcase my writing and performance abilities across a wide musical spectrum. He felt players like Tom Scott, Vinnie Coliauta, Rhonda Smith, Dapo Totimiro and others would be elevate my credibility to a new level and give credence to those not familiar with my previous work.

“All these stirring details make Mosby’s music seem revolutionary, but even if you are unaware of them, you can still enjoy the graceful, organic and slightly exotic chill flow that makes this one of the year’s most dazzling instrumental collections.”

TODD MOSBY, Aerial Views Considering that legendary new age guitarist and Windham Hill Records founder Will Ackerman and his production partner, keyboardist Tom Eaton, have literally recorded hundreds of incredible acoustic new age and jazz projects at their Imaginary Road Studios, we best listen when Ackerman touts guitarist Todd Mosby’s all at once pin drop exquisite, playfully rollicking and sonically ambient and spacious album Aerial Views as one of the most brilliant recordings he has ever been associated with.

From the infectious, breezy jazz melody of “Gliding” (featuring Premik Tubbs’ lilting soprano sax deep in conversation with Mosby’s electric imrat guitar) through the gleefully percussive, high spirited closing track “Shining Lights” (spotlighting the ethereal lead vocals of Lola Christine), the 12-track collection continues two very powerful threads running throughout Mosby’s artistry. With songs created thematically to reflect the feeling of air and air travel – influenced in part by Mosby’s childhood experiences co-piloting his father’s plane - Aerial Views is the third in a series of concept albums (after Eagle Mountain and Open Waters) centered around natural elements.

It’s also the latest of the award-winning artist’s works to reflect his deep, lengthy immersion in Indian music, which includes a 13 year disciplined study of classical North Indian technique, raag and philosophy in the Imdad Khan gharana tradition. A hypnotic swirl of these influences and elements shine throughout, whether Mosby is strumming gently over a hypnotic ambient percussive groove (“Aether,” “Into Starlight”) or loping over a lively beat with sitar-like string modulations (“Earth & Sky,” “Between the Clouds”).

His ensemble of greats include Tubbs (who also plays lap steel and wind synth), violinist Charlie Bisharat, bassists Tony Levin and Michael Manring and drummer Jerry Marotta, with Eaton on Rhodes and piano and Lola Kristine on vocals, piano and Rhodes. Mosby takes his Indian influences one step further in complementing his acoustic and electric guitars with a new instrument (and powerful lead artistic voice) called the Imrat guitar. Released in 2019 and designed by sitar player Imrat Khan, Mosby and luthier Kim Shwartz, it’s an 18 stringed hybrid instrument that bridges the sounds of Eastern and Western music and allows for subtle and melodic phrasing characteristic of the sitar and the modal chord harmonies of jazz.

All these stirring details make Mosby’s music seem revolutionary, but even if you are unaware of them, you can still enjoy the graceful, organic and slightly exotic chill flow that makes this one of the year’s most dazzling instrumental collections.