Pre-Sale Ticket Discount for Orenda Anniversary

If you pre-order your tickets for the upcoming Orenda Records 1st Anniversary Festival on January 30th and 31st, you can get $5 off the ticket price! Click here to pre-order tickets for one or both nights.

The Michael Mull Octet is closing the first night, January 30th, with a set of all new music. Brand new artwork by Eron Rauch will be up, including much about the process of designing each album, including mine! You'll be able to see some of what was behind the incredible album art for Source Code. Full details are on the FB event. In the meantime, bang your head:

mm8tet @ Orenda Records Anniversary Show

As we all know, a year can pass by quickly in a blur of happenings. One wonderful happening of 2014 was the founding of Orenda Records by trumpeter/composer Dan Rosenboom. Orenda has been laying down deep roots in LA's creative music scene all year long, and already has an impressive catalogue of releases; it was an honor to release the Michael Mull Octet album Source Code on the label on 12/4/14.


To celebrate a musically adventurous and prolific year, there will be two consecutive nights of music from Orenda artists on January 30th and 31st at Blue Whale. Each artist is cooking up a short set of brand new music just for this event, so if you like to be in the "I heard it first" club, this is prime-time for you! More details on the groups as we near, but the short list is below (along with the incredible poster by Eron Rauch). You can also check out more info on Facebook.

January 30th: Jon Armstrong, Jonathan Rowden, Cathlene Pineda, Michael Mull Octet
January 31st: Kubilay Uner, Gavin Templeton, Alexander Noice, Dan Rosenboom

LAJC Summer Fest 8/23-8/24

As the summer burns past in multiple ways, I realize that a highly-anticipated event is coming our way in a matter of weeks. I'm pleased and excited to announce that I will be performing in the Los Angeles Jazz Collective Summer Festival at the Blue Whale. The festival is taking place on Saturday 8/23 and Sunday 8/24, including multiple projects each night. See below for the full lineup (click to enlarge):

As you can see, the Michael Mull Octet will be closing out the festival on Sunday night, 8/24. I am working on a brand new arrangement to debut for this performance. As you can't see, I'm going to also be playing Saturday night, joining the Matt Otto Group for a set of his original music. I have been a huge fan of Matt since I first heard him, not long after I moved to LA, and I am honored to play in his group, which will also include Gary Fukushima, Steve Cotter, Darek Oles and Mark Ferber - what a band! Matt has been living in Kansas City, MO for a while now, so this will be a relatively rare chance to hear him.

Hope to see many of you there at the Whale!

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!

Mahadev in Concert 6/22

I've had a great summer so far - got to experience Bjork at the Hollywood Bowl a couple weeks ago! Had a rip-snorting good time playing with my Trio last Saturday for the Blue Whale outdoor concert series, and very cool to play with amazing drummer Gene Coye for the first time. Sticking around after that to hear the Bennie Maupin trio (with Darek Oles and Tootie Heath) was icing on the trio cake...what a sound! Here's a nice shot of my trio having fun, with my bass clarinet nabbing background props.

Tomorrow night, Saturday 6/22, I'm performing at another outdoor concert series, this time in Thousand Oaks and with world music mash-up masters Mahadev. Check this facebook link for addresses, ticket info, and more. Show starts at 7pm at the beautiful Hillcrest Center for the Arts, right up the hill from The Oaks mall area.

Finally, I've jumped on the Twitter-wagon - follow me if you please @mmullmusic. I'll be updating there about shows and events, as well as keeping tabs on the progress of recording a couple different albums throughout the rest of the year, including one for my Octet (in the planning stages), and one for Orkestar MEZE. We have a fundraising campaign, please take a look and watch our video!

That's it for now, stay friendly here, on Facebook, and on Twitter for some great music coming down the tubes!

Michael Mull Trio + Gene Coye, Tempest Twins

Reached my 27th year on June 7th last week, and am ready to keep the ball rolling along with perpetually increasing musication! Orkestar MEZE played some super funky sets down in San Diego, the Michael Mull Octet is sounding incredible on some new music, and the Tempest Twins are officially launched on bandcamp and youtube! Get launched while you read the rest of the post - play the track below:


I'm excited to announce that I'll be playing a Michael Mull Trio gig at the Blue Whale's new outdoor series this Saturday, June 15th at 6:30pm! Shows have been taking place outside in the Weller Court area every Saturday and are ALL AGES and FREE. The Trio will feature a special guest this time around, the illustrious Gene Coye on drums! I saw Gene play shortly after I moved to LA and have been hoping to play with him since...come and see it go down if you are in the LA area. Did I mention it's FREE?! Bennie Maupin Trio is playing upstairs at the Whale after we play, so stick around!

And a shout-out: if you are in the Valley on Saturday the 15th, you might like to go to Barclay's in Northridge and catch Ami & The Marissa Calille Quartet at 7pm!

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

Best of the Blue Whale: 2012

It is my honor to announce the release of a new album, Best of the Blue Whale: 2012. Compiled by videographer and sound engineer Alex Chaloff as a surprise gift to the Blue Whale club's owner Joon Lee, this digital-only release features twelve choice cuts from performances at the Blue Whale that Alex recorded audio and video for. The album includes my composition "The People Who Raised Us" from the Michael Mull Octet's debut performance, and we couldn't ask to be in better company - other tracks include the likes of Anthony Wilson, Ben Wendel, Larry Koonse, Josh Nelson, Larry Goldings, John Daversa and more.

The reason this is a "gift" to Joon Lee is that 100% of the proceeds of the album sales will go toward upgrading the sound and lighting systems at the Blue Whale, meaning a greater listening experience for the music and a greater viewing experience of the ever-changing art installations! All the artist represented on this album donated their tracks so that we all can see, hear, and feel the benefits at the bastion of great music that the Blue Whale has become. Stream and download the album exclusively on bandcamp.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!

Octet + Blockrad @ Blue Whale 6/19/12

Haven't been staying up on the old blog recently, but I'm jumping back in with a very exciting show coming up on Tuesday, June 19th at the Blue Whale. This will be the debut performance of my octet, and we have all been putting in a lot of work to get this music sounding great. We are joined by the Blockrad trio, and I am super excited to hear what they have for us to hear! The show will be recorded and filmed, so come be a part of the action and the permanence, and be able to say "I was there!" Details about the show can be found on facebook, or take a look below. Also, check out the writeup for LA Weekly.

9pm - Blockrad
Steven Blum - Piano/keyboards
Mike Lockwood - Drums/percussion
Andrew Conrad - Tenor sax/clarinet

10:30 ish pm - Michael Mull Octet
Michael Mull - Alto sax/soprano sax/clarinet/bass clarinet
Frank Silva - Tenor sax/soprano sax
Harrison Kirk - Trombone/bass trombone
Will Wulfeck - Trombone
Tim Fischer - Guitar
Adam Ratner - Guitar
Emilio Terranova - Bass
Mike Lockwood - Drums

Blue Whale
123 Astronaut E S Onizuka Street, Suite 301
Los Angeles 90012
$10, no minimum
21+ only (unless accompanied by a guardian)
Parking in structure off of 2nd street (look for yellow "P" sign). Bring your ticket upstairs to the Blue Whale and give it to the door attendant. It will either be free or $5 (heard they may be charging now).

Review: Dave Binney 4tet at the Blue Whale

New York-based jazz musicians pass through the LA area from time to time, and I always try to catch a good show when I can. I never pass up an opportunity, however, to see alto saxophonist David Binney. I have been a fan of his playing and compositions for several years now, and have had the opportunity to hear him perform a few times. A relentless explorer and veritable bandleader, Binney builds his set from a long list of his original compositions over the last decade (sometimes more), and unleashes his band upon the material. With a freshness and freedom often only heard in a composition's first performances, Binney and his bandmates breathe new life into the music each time, taking risks, surrendering at times, relentless at others. Binney brought a tight quartet to the Blue Whale on Saturday night, demonstrating once more the malleability of his music and the artistry of the musicians he chooses to play with.

Dave Binney brought from New York pianist John Escreet and electric bassist Tim LeFebvre, completing the quartet with LA's own Louis Cole on drums. If you are unfamiliar with Louis's music, I would highly recommend checking out some of his videos on Youtube. His style and influence was apparent throughout the night, his layered, often aggressive playing splashing against Tim LeFebvre's inventive bass. The grooves were at once tight and loose, a sublime push-and-pull against Binney's and Escreet's improvisations. Escreet demonstrated how an acoustic piano can not only function, but excel in a sound setting that would otherwise be regarded as "electric"; employing two-handed, percussive techniques, Escreet often built material not with melodies, but with rhythmic and tonal shapes and gestures.

Binney, as expected, lit the place on fire. With music that intense, it is difficult as an improviser to find the proper pacing; many soloists dive too quickly into "loud and fast and lots". Binney is a patient and thoughtful soloist in any context, but his composition-centric, "serving the big picture" abilities were highlighted at the Blue Whale as he maintained a gradual rise in intensity in each improvisation, engaging both his bandmates and the audience from start to finish. Binney's experience as a composer is also evident in his strength of idea, or motive, when improvising. Pitches alone are not considered: sound as a whole is introduced and developed.

This was not a show of technical prowess (although it was definitely apparent), but one of textural, rhythmic, and gestural exploration. Nights like Saturday remind us all that there is still plenty of new music being made that holds deep roots in the jazz tradition --- not the outward, obvious tradition of playing swing and standards, but the tradition of "live" and "living" music. As the inimitable Eric Dolphy said:

When you hear music, after it's over, it's gone, in the air. You can never capture it again.

Musicians like Binney, Escreet, LeFebvre, and Cole continue the catch-and-release of this music we so dearly love. It was beautiful to be a part of a packed house enjoying such a fresh night of music, and I believe it is a testament that we'd all like to see a little more of Dave Binney and his groups on the old West Coast. Thanks for a spectacular show, guys.

FORMATION Digital Release

I'm pleased to announce the digital release of my first album, "Formation". It is now available on CDbaby, Digstation, and iTunes, and soon will be available on various other sites like AmazonMP3, eMusic, and more.

If you would like a physical copy of the album, your best bet will probably be to meet up with me or come out to a gig --- no shipping costs! Alternatively, CD's can be purchased from CDbaby, and the album can be purchased digitally (in mp3 format) from CDbaby, Digstation, and iTunes. I would encourage digital customers to use Digstation, as I get the best cut from them! Links below:

Formation on CDbaby (CD/mp3)

Formation on Digstation (mp3)

Formation on iTunes (mp3)


The Feb. 17th CD release party at the Blue Whale was a great success! Many, many thanks to those who made it out and those who were there in spirit; we had an incredible time playing for you all, and the energy in the room was inspiring. Throughout our two sets, we played every tune off of "Formation" with a few new ones thrown in the mix; with your support and a little luck, I see these tunes on the next Michael Mull Trio album!

Thanks again to Ben Shepherd and Cameron Hicks for playing the hell out of my music, and to Joon Lee at the Blue Whale for having us. My parents even made it down from San Luis Obispo, and Ben's folks all the way from Melbourne! Let's take this positive thang and keep it going...keep your eyes here for more coming up very soon (Santa Barbara next week!).

CD Release Party + Website Launch

Prepare yourselves for the official release concert for my first album, "Formation"! Tomorrow night's the night, and Ben, Cameron and I are getting hyped up to play some great music for you all. CD's will be on sale for the first time anywhere, and for an extremely discounted price. Check out the details below:

Michael Mull Trio "Formation" CD Release Party
8:30pm-midnight
$10 cover, no minimum

The Blue Whale

123 Astronaut E S Onizuka St. Suite 301

Los Angeles, CA

Visit the event on Facebook

 

 

In other exciting Mull-news, I'm officially launching www.michaelmull.com with the posting of this blog. Take a look and enjoy! "Formation" will be available digitally sometime next week (and physically on CDbaby.com), so if you can't make it to the CD release party, check back on my site or here on the blog for details and links. Over the coming months, I will be adding more and more features to michaelmull.com, including more audio and a "store" where you can purchase scores and parts for some of my original music.

Whew! Can't wait to play tomorrow night and share this project with all of you. Hope to see you at the Blue Whale!

Update

It's been a while since my last post and I neglected to post a few gigs that have happened since then. It's been an extremely busy time getting the last stages of the "Formation" record completed (compounded by many other factors including a fried hard-drive), but it makes me that much more excited for the release party February 17th at the Blue Whale. If you're facebooking around, you can check out the event here.

"Formation" CD Release Party
Thursday, February 17th
8:30pm
The Blue Whale
123 Astronaut E S Onizuka St. Suite 301 (Park in the structure w/ a yellow "P" sign off of 2nd street and take the elevator up)

$10 gets you in, and I'll be selling fresh copies of the new album at this gig for a discounted price. Shortly after the release party, the album will be available digitally through CDbaby, Diggstation, and more (details as I get them).


Last week I played two nights in a row at Cafe Roma in Beverly Hills. First with a new group led by trumpeter Phil Fiorio, with trumpet/flugelhorn, bass clarinet, marimba, drums and bass. We had a great time playing Phil's latest compositions, one of my own, and some standards. I'm looking forward to more gigs with this open, "woody" sounding group. The second gig was with Juanma Trujillo's latest quartet formation: Juanma on guitar, Emilio Terranova on bass, Cameron Hicks on drums, and myself on saxophones. We had tons of music prepared and rolled out an eclectic mix of originals and standards. Both of these groups have provided me with new musical challenges, something I always look forward to.

Post-CD release, I have a smattering of fun performances coming up, including Orkestar MEZE, Mahadev, some recitals, and my trio in Santa Barbara. Come back often for details and updates, and I hope to see many of your smiling faces on February 17th!

FORMATION

Great news people!

I'm making leaps and bounds toward releasing my trio album. First of all, I named it: FORMATION. The artwork is being finished up and looks incredible so far, I'll be posting a preview of the cover very soon, so watch for it.

Secondly, I'm honored and excited to announce that our CD release party will take place at the Blue Whale on Thursday, February 17th. The Blue Whale is quickly becoming "the place" for great live jazz; classy but laid-back atmosphere, nice bar with awesome bartenders, resident baby grand piano and drumkit, no pesky food or drink minimums, and a true focus on the music. It's a no-hassle spot where people go to listen, and they continue to host tons of killer groups from LA and beyond. I'm grateful that my first opportunity to play at the Blue Whale will be for such a momentous occasion in my life.

More updates, previews, and details soon, make sure to check back often. Mark those calendars for February 17th!