East West by Mosby Group

2) Studies in Contemporary Classical Composition with Roland Jordan, a world renowned composer of numerous works and music theorist of phenomenological methodology and structuralist/post-structuralist theory.

Mosby has given special art opening performances at the Contemporary Art Museum and St. Louis Art Museum, worked with choreographers from St. Louis and New York, has been a guest a featured artist for performances in San Francisco and throughout the St. Louis/ Missouri Region and given solo Indian / Jazz performances with standing ovations from concert audiences in Russia.

Latest CD Mosby Group - East West reflects explorations into the melding of eastern and western improvisational styles and features the Imratgitar on two of the more rag based compositions. A brand of fusion which is palatable to traditional and contemporary jazz fans as well as traditional fans of classical north Indian music. Imrat Khan calls it Indian Jazz.

“…Todd Mosby, a gifted musician who combines searing jazz rock ala John McLaughlin and Pat Metheny, with North Indian rag influences...” - Pete Pardo, sea of tranquility.

“...a split between traditional mainstream acoustic jazz...and the jazz fusion branch that moved into electronic, rock and exotic instrumentation starting in the late 60’s." - Riverfront Times

Voted one of St. Louis' top Guitarists - Riverfront Times

A featured group at the Whitaker Jazz Festival, opening for Spyro Gyro and Chris Boti at the Pageant and representing Indian Music at International festivals, Mosby performs with the brightest jazz musicians on the St. Louis scene.

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Bio - Full Story

Born in St. Louis, Mo. to a family of artists, inventors and doctors, Mosby got his first electric guitar at age 8, began studying trumpet at age 12 and switched to guitar again at age 14. Formal study of guitar began at age 18 with the first year of college. “I got interested in the music and culture of India from the age of 12 when my grandparents brought back artifacts from the region. I began reading North Indian books on yoga and meditation, listening to the music, burning incense and was torched on that culture from then on.” Through high school Mosby was also listening to bluegrass artists and songwriters James Taylor and Joni Mitchel. Later, George Benson, Billie Cobham, Earth Wind & Fire and Joe Sample. “I loved the sound and virtuosity found in bluegrass and it also reminded me of Indian rag music because it stayed pretty much in one key. James’s and Joni’s music sparked me in the way they create beautiful melody supported by lush harmony. I loved the way they intertwined both.” As a result, Mosby began experiments in writing.

He was introduced to Billie Holiday, Joe Pass, and Lester Young at about age 16 but did not start formal study until his first year of college. “Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah, was a great place to start formal study in music. I had no prior training but a strong will to survive. I had my first introduction to ensemble performance and I was hooked. I found a very inspiring guitar teacher whom I really admired. I loved his way of improvising and he showed me things I still think back on today.” A listening analysis class opened the doors to a whole range of improvisational composer/artists, Hermato, Wayne Shorter, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Flora Purim, Benny Goldstien, and Mcoy Tyner. “I really loved the way music sounded when Brazilian composers came up and hired American artists to ply on their recordings. That music is so beautiful and alive any way, but this combination really attracted me.”

He went on to study composition and arranging at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Jazz Improvisation and Ensemble Performance at Skidmore College in New York under the direction of jazz legend Milton Hinton and received a B.S. /B.A. in Business Administration and Music Business at Fontbonne College. After Berklee Mosby came back to St. Louis and got involved in the St, Louis Punk scene which was just evolving. He began writing and collaborations for a band Trained Animal in the new wave, hard core, ska and reggae music styles of the time.

Continuing education includes private study in composition under the direction of Dr.Roland Jordan, private study in Classical North Indian Raga Music and Performance under the direction of Ustadt Imrat Khan and private study in Jazz Guitar Improvisation under the direction of Fareed Haque.

Mosby is a diverse and original guitarist. His compositions for performance, film and dance have received national and international radio and television airplay. Works include compositions for Hammer Dulcimer virtuoso Joe Venegoni on two nationally released CDs Open Road and Where Rivers Meet, He has scored music for solo guitar, solo piano, small ensemble, percussion ensemble, large ensemble, theater, modern dance, video and film, compositions for New York based choreographer Paul Mosely on such modern dances as Prom, Vigils, Body Language and Singles. He has also been a featured artist in over 700 major corporate, private, cultural, civic, regional, night club and concert.

“Having a solid understanding of music and its historical context adds a certain level of depth to my playing...”

Mosby has been writing, producing and performing innovative music in the St. Louis area professionally since 1986. He has been voted as one of St. Louis' top guitarists by the Riverfront Times music polls and has been featured in concerts regionally, nationally and internationally. He has held staff composer and teaching positions at Washington University, St. Louis Studios and St. Louis University. He has scored and performed music for such corporate clients as Anheuser Bush, Fleischmann-Hilliard, Edward Jones and Master Card. Mosby has used his education and experience to teach music professionally. He has held staff positions at Washington University teaching a course entitled Creating Descriptive Music and written an essay entitled Guitar Performance - Fundamentals & Philosophy. Currently, Mosby is on staff in St. Louis University's Performing Arts Department, gives lecture demonstrations, and teaches guitar, musicianship skills, composition and improvisation privately.

“I am constantly trying to expand my understanding of music through listening, study and performance. This brings a beautiful perspective and depth to my sound.”

Mosby is constantly striving to evolve the sound of his instrument and his improvisational technique through new technology and a tradition of music from North Indian which reaches back thousands of years.

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CD STORY

This project originally started as a drum, tabla and imratgitar demo of Bhim's Palasie showcasing the imratgitar's sound for Pat Metheny and a few others. Mark and Ron liked the composition and wanted me to flesh it out for rhythm section ensemble and track it. We did this and liked the combination of sound, instruments and musicians.

From there I began composing music which would blend the eastern melodic and compositional forms with the more traditional jazz modal and chordal forms as a thread and conceptual basis for the CD.

Mark decided that we were to track this music as it went into the hard drive with no overdubs. We did two, maybe three takes and went with either the first or second take. Each composition goes through a range of emotive shifts so were only good for one or two takes per tune.

The performances were tracked over a period of time due to different scheduling so we did one to two tunes per session. I would bring in the music we would rehearse, then track. Some tunes took two sessions until we got what we wanted.

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Inside Liner Notes:

Thank you for making this cd a part of your music collection. East West has its history in a love for two great improvisational forms; Classical North Indian and Traditional American Jazz. This was a fun way to bridge 10 years dedicated study in Classical North Indian music and a life long study of Traditional Jazz & Composition. Fortunate to be working with great people and exceptional talent, I began pulling works from my performance catalog which allowed a choice of playing; a) only the notes of a rag (Indian tradition), b) only the notes & scales of a chord (Jazz tradition) or, c) a modal mixture of both. The compositions explore; a) chordal harmonies within the structure and movement of a particular rag (tracks 02, 03, 05), b) the movement of rag notes parallel over parallel chord structures (track 07), and c) a little consideration of both (tracks 01, 04). Thanks & enjoy.

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