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Todd Mosby
Instrumental composer, songwriter, and Imrat guitar innovator Todd Mosby is a storyteller and a landscape artist. He uses the guitar to whisk listeners away to a borderless realm where jazz, jazz fusion, North Indian classical, classical composition, bluegrass, bossa-nova, and folk-rock create transporting and transformative experiences. His latest album, Land Of Enchantment, is a gorgeous scrapbook of the visual, emotive, spiritual and cultural interactions Todd has personally experienced within the New Mexico region of the United States.
Todd is an acclaimed Indian and jazz guitarist influenced by St. Louis’s vibrantly varied cultural blend of Indian, African-American, and Americana traditions. He is one of the few musicians in America who has mastered three mountains of music; western composition, jazz improvisation, and Indian raga music, incorporating them freely as a part of his musical language. He attended Berklee College of Music as an undergrad, Webster University as a graduate student, and, for 13 years, studied classical North Indian music with Ustadt Imrat Khan in the most disciplined way. 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 standards 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.
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.
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.
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Todd Mosby: Land of Enchantment
by Jack Bowers
As Land of Enchantment is New Mexico's state motto, it is not hard to ascertain the motive behind Missouri-bred guitarist Todd Mosby's latest album. As for its target, that would seem to be the light or smooth jazz market, as there is an abundance of rhythmic flow but a lack of what could be considered improvisational focus. Yes, saxophonist Tom Scott does venture an ad-lib or two, as do Mosby and pianist Dapo Torimiro, but these are ...
Continue ReadingGuitar Innovator Todd Mosby’s New Album, ‘Open Waters’ Coming August 1
Source:
Presto Public Relations Inc.
World-renowned, Indian, Jazz, New Age, Contemporary crossover artist and co-creator of the Imrat guitar, Todd Mosby, is releasing his fifth album Open Waters on August 1. Produced by Windham Hill Records founder, Will Ackerman, and with a sound described as an album to daydream to," Open Waters finds Mosby once again embarking on a creative journey navigating through elements of Jazz, New Age, Folk and Indian music. “Open Waters is the best project I have been involved with…Todd Mosby is ...
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World's Only Imrat Guitarist Todd Mosby Debuts Album With Six Grammy Winning And Nominated Artists
Source:
DeBlaze & Associates
The Walking Cradle Co. presents acoustic and Imrat guitarist, composer and improviser Todd Mosby, who debuts his genre-defying music—On Eagle Mountain. A unique blend of new age, jazz, and world music, with hints of folk, bluegrass and classical North Indian flair—Mosby will kick-off the tour from the 'Focal Point' in St. Louis on Saturday, April 30, 2016 at 8 pm. Album artists Michael Manring, Jeff Haynes and Premik Russell Tubbs will join Mosby on tour in California. Two men adept ...
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World's Leading Performer Of Hybrid Sitar/Guitar Todd Mosby Tours California With Michael Manring & Henry Kaiser
Source:
DeBlaze & Associates
St. Louis based composer, inventor and recording artist Todd Mosby performs genre-defying music—a blend of jazz, classical, and traditional Indian—for over 35 years. The contemporary acoustic guitarist is the ONLY guitarist worldwide, outside of the royal family in India, whose mastered the 20-stringed Imrat Sitar. Todd makes his second of seven tour appearances—When Music Worlds Collide—at Don Quixote on Tuesday, August 18, 2015 at 7:30 pm in Santa Cruz, CA. The evening features world-renowned, leading solo bassist / Grammy Nominee ...
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Imrat Khan, Todd Mosby to Play Benefit Concert on Saturday, April 17
Source:
St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
Sitarist and teacher Imrat Khan and his son, tabla player Shafaatulla Khan, will team with guitarist Todd Mosby (pictured) in a benefit concert called Music for the Heart" at 7:00 p.m. Saturday, April 17 at the Ethical Society, 9001 Clayton Road.The event also will showcase the latest iteration of the Imrat Guitar, a hybrid of the guitar and sitar developed by Khan and Mosby. (For more about the instrument, see this 2007 piece from the Riverfront Times.) Khan ...
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Todd Mosby to Give Free Concert/Clinic on Tuesday, September 22
Source:
St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
Guitarist Todd Mosby has announced he'll be presenting a free concert and clinic at 6:00 p.m. next Tuesday, September 22 at the Music Center of Kirkwood, 113 W. Jefferson.In an email promoting the event, Mosby promises to reveal my personal Mysteries of Music 101" to all students, hackers, curiosity seekers, music lovers and teachers of all levels. My unique, streamlined and simplified approach to playing popular, finger style and pick style guitar over any tune using 8 universal ...
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Jazz This Week: Todd Mosby, Legacy Jazz Quintet, Funky Butt Brass Band, a Jazz St. Louis Benefit, and More
Source:
St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
There's only time for a very short post this week, so here, in abbreviated form, are some of the jazz and creative music performances worth checking out over the next few days in St. Louis:Tonight, guitarist Todd Mosby and his group will do a free concert for the Whitaker Music Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden, and tomorrow night, the summer Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University will present a free concert by the Legacy Jazz Quintet.
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“Todd Mosby is the most unique sounding guitarist I have ever worked with, nobody does what he does… ” - Will Ackerman, Founder Windham Hills Record
“Mosby’s music seems revolutionary, graceful, organic…” - JONATHAN WIDRAN, JW VIBE
Primary Instrument
Guitar
Location
St. Louis