Exposé Online banner

The Muffins

The Muffins
Country
United States
Profile
The Muffins was a Maryland-based progressive rock / avant-jazz group initially influenced largely by Canterbury groups like Soft Machine. They were formed in Washington, DC in the early 70s by Dave Newhouse (keyboards, saxes), Michael Zentner (guitar), and Billy Swann (bass), who were soon joined by Tom Scott (saxes); Paul Sears (drums) was added in 1976. The original group, with some variations, recorded four albums before disbanding in 1981. In the late 90s, after Cuneiform had some success reissuing The Muffins' albums, the group reformed with Newhouse, Swann, Scott, and Sears, a group which returned to recording and performing, often working with other musicians. In 2016, it was announced that the band had permanently broken up, though members have continued to work together in various projects.
Website
http://www.themuffins.org
Related articles (19)
Releases on file (16)
Various Artists — Romantic Warriors III: Canterbury Tales Various Artists — Romantic Warriors III: Canterbury Tales
(Zeitgeist Media 3, 2015, DVD)
The Muffins — Mother Tongue The Muffins — Mother Tongue
(HOBART 003, 2012, CD)
Various Artists — Romantic Warriors II: About Rock in Opposition Various Artists — Romantic Warriors II: About Rock in Opposition
(Zeitgeist Media 2, 2012, DVD)
The Muffins — Palindrome The Muffins — Palindrome
(Musea FGBG 4865, 2010, CD)
Various Artists — Kinections: The ProgDay Support CD Various Artists — Kinections: The ProgDay Support CD
((Not on label) no#, 2005, CD)
The Muffins with Marshall Allen & Knoel Scott — Loveletter #2 The Muffins with Marshall Allen & Knoel Scott — Loveletter #2 "The Ra Sessions"
(HOB002, 2005, CD)
The Muffins — Double Negative The Muffins — Double Negative
(Cuneiform Rune 199, 2004, CD)
The Muffins — Bandwidth The Muffins — Bandwidth
(Cuneiform Rune 161, 2002, CD)
The Muffins — Loveletter #1 The Muffins — Loveletter #1
(CoNtOrTeD CON6, 2001, CD)
Various Artists — Unsettled Scores Various Artists — Unsettled Scores
(Cuneiform Rune 75/76, 1995, 2CD)
The Muffins — Open City The Muffins — Open City
(Cuneiform 55010, 1985/1994, CD)
Various Artists — Recommended Records Sampler Various Artists — Recommended Records Sampler
(Recommended Records (RéR) ReR 25A/B, 1982/2009, 2CD)
The Muffins — <185> The Muffins — <185>
(Cuneiform 55013, 1981/1996, CD)
The Muffins — Manna / Mirage The Muffins — Manna / Mirage
(Cuneiform 55004, 1978/1993, CD)
The Muffins — Secret Signals 1 The Muffins — Secret Signals 1
(New House NH02, 1978/2017, CD)
The Muffins — Chronometers The Muffins — Chronometers
(Cuneiform 55007, 1975/1993, CD)

Latest news

2018-07-31
Tomasz Stańko RIP – Tomasz Stańko, one of the greats of Eastern European jazz, has died at the age of 76. Stańko's career started in Krzysztof Komeda's quintet, where he contributed trumpet from 1963-1967, when he formed his own group. He worked extensively with Edward Vesala, Don Cherry, Zbigniew Seifert, Chico Freeman, Howard Johnson, Cecil Taylor, and many others. Many of his recordings have been released by ECM, an association that began in the mid-70s. » Read more

2018-07-09
Soft Machine Set to Release New Music – It's been 50 years since The Soft Machine changed the face of music with their first album. Their blend of psychedelic rock and jazz was unique, and while the band went through many changes before disbanding in 1981 — by which time there were no original members remaining — they remained an innovative force with a style all their own. » Read more

2018-07-01
7d Surfaces Happy Rhodes Back Catalog – We've covered singer Happy Rhodes before, both for her solo work and recently with The Security Project, but her 11 albums have been hard to track down. Until now. 7d features high-quality downloads of all her releases, and several of them are also available on CD. » Read more

2018-06-25
Fred Chalenor RIP – We have news of another sad passing in the world of creative music. Bassist Fred Chalenor, whose creativity featured on albums by Tone Dogs, Caveman Shoestore, and many more, died on June 23, 2018 after a long battle with Alzheimer's. Tributes have poured in from the many musicians and fans whose lives he touched. » Read more

2018-06-13
Jon Hiseman RIP – One of the great drummers of the rock era has died. Jon Hiseman was a veteran of such ground-breaking groups as Colosseum (I and II), Tempest, John Mayal's Bleusbreakers, and was a founding member of the innovative large band United Jazz + Rock Ensemble. » Read more

More news

Previously in Exposé...

Soft Machine - Live at Henie Onstad Art Centre 1971 – The challenge for any archivist of the Soft Machine catalog has been to present just what it was like to attend a performance by the classic line-up of Wyatt, Dean, Ratledge, and Hopper. Now with half...  (2011) » Read more

Various Artists - Innerhythmic Sound System – I had heard about half of the tracks on this compilation before I got it, so I knew what to expect. Innerhythmic is dedicated to a kind of world/jazz/electronic fusion that I generally enjoy, and I...  (2002) » Read more

Spirits Burning & Bridget Wishart - Earth Born – Some may remember Wishart from her brief tenure as a member of Hawkwind in the early 90s (she was featured on the Space Bandits studio album, and the live Palace Springs and Live at Nottingham 1990...  (2008) » Read more

Mind's Eye - Waiting for the Tide – Mind's Eye may not have the most original name, but this quartet (vocals, guitar, bass, and a drummer who also plays keys) more than makes up for it with a sound that is. The requisite elements of...  (2000) » Read more

Magma - Attahk – While Attahk continues in the same general musical direction set by Üdü Wüdü, the moods and emotions evoked on this album are decidedly more upbeat and positive. At times funky and...  (1995) » Read more

Random review

Listen & discover

What Happens When Mike Keneally and Ben Levin Get Together?

More recommendations
ProgStock 2017

Print issues