Hidden Remedies 12/18/13

I had a great rehearsal this morning with Frank Silva, Dave Tranchina and Mike Lockwood for a show at the Blue Whale on Wednesday, December 18th. We are stretching out on a lot of Frank's original compositions, one from Mike Lockwood, and a couple of mine as well. The concert is a triple party: not only a show, but a CD release of Hidden Remedies, recorded in April this year and now a finished product for you to hear! It's also Frank's birthday...so come celebrate with us, we're hanging late! Get those details on facebook here.

Mike, Dave, Frank and me. It took all four of us to screw in that lightbulb.

The quartet show is looking like my last show of 2013, but January will be full of Michael Mull Octet performances as we gear up for our recording session in February. We will be playing in Woodland Hills, a house concert in Highland Park, and sharing what promises to be an amazing night at ArtShareLA with the Baba-Rowan Large Ensemble on January 24th! Dates for the first two shows are TBD, so stay in touch here and follow the Octet on facebook. We will be kicking off the new year with a crowd-funding campaign to help us make the recording, so think about maybe buying yourself a late Christmas present...? Details and more exciting news coming soon!

Video from Blue Whale 10/25/13

I compiled some memorable moments from the last Michael Mull Octet show, featuring the soloists of the evening. Stay in touch at www.facebook.com/MichaelMullOctet as we near recording our first album in February 2014!

Octet @ The Blue Whale this Thursday 3/28/13

Friends, it is my pleasure to "officially" announce the Michael Mull Octet's next show, this Thursday, March 28th, at the Blue Whale in downtown LA. We played our first show there in June 2012, and we have developed as a group over the past months. The Octet is taking over the whole night this time around, so come and enjoy two sets of music, much of it brand new, on Thursday! The band has been putting in a lot of work and is sounding incredible...

Michael Mull Octet is:
Michael Mull, Frank Silva - woodwinds
Harrison Kirk, Will Wulfeck - trombones
Adam Ratner, Tim Fischer - guitars
Emilio Terranova - bass
Mike Lockwood - drums

Michael Mull Octet @ The Blue Whale
Thursday, March 28th
9pm, two sets
$10, no minimum (food and full bar available)
Ages 21+ only, sorry!
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Blue Whale
123 Astronaut E S Onizuka St Los Angeles, CA 90012

Free street parking, or structure parking off of 2nd St.

bluewhalemusic.com

Octet Videos pt 2

Here we have two more videos from the Michael Mull Octet's first show at the Blue Whale in Little Tokyo. This first one was the set opener, entitled "Fallujah". This tune was a staple of the Big Enough Band, a quintet I was involved in for several years. It was a treat to fill out and orchestrate it for the Octet. "Fallujah" features guitarist Adam Ratner at the helm of a freight train crescendo.




The below video was the set closer, "Sources". This was originally written for a 5-piece band at CalArts, and I expanded and re-arranged it for the Octet. One of the more complex tunes I've written in a lot of ways, it is based on 9-beat grooves and features a collective improvisation from myself on bass clarinet and Harrison Kirk on trombone. Taking us barreling to the end is Tim Fischer on his brand new guitar.



If you are liking the influx of videos recently, keep your eyes open; I had a fun Michael Mull Trio performance in Northridge on Friday evening, and we filmed a lot of that evening's music as well. It won't look or sound as wonderful as the above videos though, so thanks again to Alex Chaloff for the great Octet videos...enjoy!

Octet Videos pt 1

The first performance of my new octet was part of a wonderful night at the Blue Whale. The room was packed to the gills (pun slyly intended) for Blockrad, who played an extraordinary set of subtle musical creations. The atmosphere was warm and friendly, and had a great casual feel that is sometimes lacking when the music starts to get "fancy". After a mad rush to set up and get the recording gear going, my octet braved the new music for all to hear. There were some great moments, and thanks to videographer/recording engineer Alex Chaloff, we got it on tape. Here are videos of what I feel were the strongest performances of the night.

The first is an original, "The People Who Raised Us", composed specifically for this group. It was actually the first piece I completed when forming the octet. Will Wulfeck is featured on trombone, getting just the right amount of outrageous with Emilio and Mike on bass and drums respectively. I recommend viewing these full-screen and with headphones; Alex did a fine job all around and it's worth seeing/hearing fully!



The next is an arrangement of "Caught Up In You" by the rock band .38 Special. I had been hearing this song my whole life and just heard something else in it one day. The band really blends here and Frank Silva takes a gorgeous solo.



Looking forward to making more music with these fellas. Stay tuned here for more videos from the performance and more gigs! I have a trio gig coming up in a couple weeks too, info to follow!

Pictures from Boo Boo Records

Here are a few pictures from our show at Boo Boo Records in San Luis Obispo on Friday 9/9/11. Following an awesome set the night before at the Santa Barbara New Music Series (with Cameron Hicks on drums), we swapped out Cameron for Mike Lockwood on the drums and played another rocking set in Boo Boo's great vinyl room. Thanks to the fantastic audiences at both gigs, hope to see you all again soon!

Up North Next Week

A couple of gigs next week for you northern-dwelling-denizens:

Thursday 9/8/11
Michael Mull Trio @ Santa Barbara New Music Series
Muddy Waters Cafe
805 E Haley St.
Santa Barbara 93101

$8 cover (it all goes to the bands)
9:00pm - Michael Mull Trio
8:00pm - Casey Anderson/Casey Butler/Josh Gerowitz/Louis Lopez


Saxophonist Colter Frazier has been hosting this music series since 2006, giving hundreds of talented artists a supportive place to play in beautiful Santa Barbara. I have been lucky to play here a couple of times before with Tim Fischer and Mahadev, and am excited to bring my trio in for an energetic set of originals from my Formation album. The gig will feature Ben Shepherd on bass and Cameron Hicks on drums.


Friday 9/9/11
Michael Mull Trio @ Boo Boo Records
Boo Boo Records
978 Monterey St
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401


5:30pm - one set only
No cover, please check out a CD!


This is a special gig for me as it is technically my first public performance in my home town since I moved to the LA area in 2006. Further, Boo Boo Records was a haven for me growing up, and the place that provided me with a huge chunk of my music collection. I would love to fill the place up and play for you all, so please come by to check it out. This gig features my trio with Ben Shepherd on bass and Mike Lockwood sitting in on drums.


.........ORKESTAR MEZE debut album is almost here......get ready for the PEASANT FUNK........

FBJO, Mahadev and MORE

Happy Friday everyone!

Apologies for the long break since the last post. As soon as I returned from the weekend tour with Mahadev, there was a mad scramble to get ready for a tour with the Fatum Brothers Jazz Orchestra beginning July 28th. I was joining this fine young big band in the midst of their summer tour (they had already been on the road for two weeks) just in time for a four-night run at Chicago's famed club, The Jazz Showcase. We recorded two sets a night, soon to be pared down and molded into "The Fatum Brothers' Jazz Orchestra: Live at the Jazz Showcase". We caught some great stuff on tape, so I'll be sure to keep you updated as this project keeps rolling.

After Chicago, we packed up and drove some long hours, making our way down and across to play shows in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Columbus, Jacksonville, and Sarasota over the next week, ranging from concert halls to jazz clubs to farmers' markets to backyard parties! This was all thanks to an incredible amount of work put in by Michael Fatum, the trumpet-playing Fatum brother and one heck of an ambitious character. Let's put it this way; the only big bands that are touring these days (aside from the Fatums and Maria Schneider's band) have been around since the 1950's...I am very proud to be a part of an ambitious project like this one that literally runs on the love of the music. Stay in the loop at fatumjazz.com.

In addition to bringing home a vicious sunburn from the tour, I also grabbed a copy of pianist Adam Kromelow's debut album, Upgrade. He plays in the Fatum Brothers Jazz Orchestra as well, and regularly melts minds with his control, spontaneity, and dynamic range. I gave the album a listen straight through this morning and I am thoroughly impressed; a great set of originals and interpretations rooted not only in jazz, but in rock as well. The performances are full of energy without the tiresome, over-played quality of many contemporary groups.

As I type I am listening to yet another new musical aquisition, a solo record of ambient music produced and performed by the talented Mike Lockwood. Entitled "HAPPY:entropy", the album boasts pieces that meld electronics, field recordings, and recorded instruments to provide you a brisk walk through Mike's brain (or at least a part of it). If you've heard Mike play the drums, you know already that his music is to be taken seriously. If you haven't heard him play, do it. And buy the album.

Lastly, there are only a few days left for you to pledge support for Mahadev's album on Kickstarter.com! We are just over the halfway point, but need a lot more help to reach our goal. Any amount helps, and a pledge of only ten bucks can secure you a digital copy of the album when it is finished. Know what you're getting yourself into, listen to some rough takes from the album! Please let me know if you have any questions about Kickstarter, and thanks in advance for your support.

More news coming soon, thanks for reading!

Benefit Event for Japan at Peace Yoga

Friends, the media rolls onward to cover the latest news, but we mustn't forget the terrible happenings that began with an earthquake in Japan on March 11th this year. I am pleased to invite you all to a wonderful event a week from today to take place at Peace Yoga in downtown Los Angeles. My wife Ami Mull has been working tirelessly for the past few months organizing, recruiting, scheduling, and rehearsing for this event, and she has lined up three bands, a short dance show, and an enticing stack of raffle prizes for those who attend. The best thing: ALL proceeds go to the Japanese Red Cross --- all entertainment and prizes (plus use of the venue) were donated, allowing admission/raffle ticket money to go to Japan %100! With a big event like this one, this is a rare claim; come support our neighbors across the Pacific and have a blast doing it.

I'll be performing a set with my quartet, featuring Juanma Trujillo, Emilio Terranova, and Mike Lockwood. You can find all other info below, including the event on Facebook. You are encouraged to download the flyer below and spread the word! The more people to party, the more we help those in need.


BENEFIT EVENT for JAPAN at PEACE YOGA
Sunday, June 5th
Doors @ 1:30pm, entertainment/raffle 2:00-6:00pm
$10 donation for admission (or more if you want!)
$2 raffle tickets (check here for a listing of awesome prizes)

Peace Yoga
903 S Main Street, Los Angeles
Click the flyer below to view closer!