Mulo Francel – Saxophonist, Composer, Sound Traveler

Between Jazz, Classical, and World Music: The Sensual Sound of Mulo Francel

Born on September 21, 1967, in Munich, Mulo Francel has developed a musical career that cultivates a blend of jazz history, European classical music, and world music. His stage presence is fueled by an artistic evolution characterized by improvisational curiosity, meticulous craftsmanship, and global encounters. As the creative whirlwind of the ensemble Quadro Nuevo and as a soloist, he has shaped a saxophone sound that critics describe as extraordinarily sensual and narrative. His discography includes albums that range from intimate chamber music, cinematic soundscapes, to elegant cool jazz – always with a keen sense for melody, form, and atmosphere.

Francel perceives his instrument as a voice that tells stories. In his compositions and arrangements, Mediterranean colors, tango hints, arabesque ornaments, swing idioms, and neoclassical shades condense into a rich tapestry. He consistently maintains a balance between structure and spontaneity: clear themes, sensitive phrasing, warm timbre, and a sense of dramatic arcs. With this approach, he has won awards, performed globally, and for decades set standards in style-open yet responsibly curated jazz production.

Biography: From Bavaria to the World

Francel's musical journey begins in Upper Bavaria; the early loss of his father leads him to collect records, igniting his fascination for jazz. At the age of 16, he takes up the saxophone and initially teaches himself the instrument. He later abandons his linguistics studies in favor of music, deepening his knowledge of saxophone, clarinet, composition, and arrangement in Munich, Linz, and New York. This breadth is still evident in his repertoire today: standards, original compositions, song adaptations, film music – always with a clear sound ideal and stylistic permeability.

Together with Lisa Wahlandt, he early on founded the group Mind Games and even achieved chart successes in Asia with a Getz/Gilberto program. From the mid-1990s onward, he has decisively shaped Quadro Nuevo – an ensemble that blends world music, tango, and Mediterranean melodies with jazz improvisation. Tours have taken Francel to concert halls, jazz clubs, festivals, and sometimes as a street musician to squares, from the Montreal Jazz Festival to Carnegie Hall. This lived cosmopolitanism shapes his artistic profile as a bridge-builder between cultures.

Career Highlights: Quadro Nuevo, Duo Projects, and Solo Path

As the saxophonist of Quadro Nuevo, Francel has repeatedly received the German Jazz Award, twice the Echo Jazz for Best Live Act, and the European Impala Award – accolades that underline his authority in contemporary jazz. In parallel, he pursues solo projects and collaborations, such as with pianist Chris Gall in the duo project "MYTHOS," with organist and pianist Nicole Heartseeker in chamber music programs, with vibraphonist Tim Collins in acoustic dialogues, or with Egyptian pianist Rami Attallah in Arab-European sound encounters. Francel uses these configurations to continuously evolve composition, sound dramaturgy, and improvisational culture.

A particular focus of his interest is on performance venues with specific acoustics and thematic journeys: mountains, coasts, island worlds, and urban spaces become resonant bodies. The recording situations influence the tempo, articulation, and spatial feeling of his saxophone playing – sometimes breathing and expansive, sometimes rhythmically contoured, sometimes dancing and floating.

Discography: Albums that Open Spaces

Francel's discography reflects his artistic development. Earlier works like "Rendezvous" (with Evelyn Huber) and "Bossa Nova Affair" (with Lisa Wahlandt) showcase his affinity for lyrical tones, vocal closeness, and Brazilian-inflected rhythms. Later solo titles like "The Sax & the Sea" (2014) expand the sound palette through unusual recording locations near the sea – an example of his experience in sensitively embedding architecture, space, and nature into the production process. "Mocca Swing" (2017) bridges orchestral opulence and quartet intimacy, acknowledging the European elegance of cool jazz.

With "The Melody Sax" (2023), Francel dedicates an entire program to the historical C-Melody saxophone – an expertise that connects rare instrument history with fresh interpretation. "Mountain Melody" (2021) reflects on the motifs of ascension and expansiveness: music as topography of sightlines and breathing spaces. The duo album "Mythos" (2019) with Chris Gall weaves together improvisation, neo-classical music, and world music. "Global Players" (2025) with Rami Attallah focuses on cross-cultural rhythmic and melodic ease; reviews highlight the melodically rich tenor saxophone sound and the authoritative arrangements.

Current Projects 2024–2026: Releases, Collaborations, Sound Exploration

Between 2024 and 2026, Francel intensifies his production activity. In 2024, Quadro Nuevo will present an expanded album chapter with "HAPPY Deluxe," while 2025 will see the release of a series of new recordings: "Global Players" (release August 1, 2025) with the Rami Attallah Group, the vinyl edition of the duo album "How did we get there?" with Tim Collins, and "Moon River" (Nicole Heartseeker & Mulo Francel) as a vinyl re-release. Concurrently, the duo MYTHOS will continue its collaboration and present the program as a poetic-epic sound journey between the myth of Icarus and impressionistic sound images.

Francel also remains present in the single format: in 2025, "The Path" and "Time Remembered" will be released. These releases showcase his compositional interest in thematic density, a clear melodic line, and subtle rhythms. Live activities remain internationally oriented – bridging connections to Egypt, the Mediterranean, and Latin America – allowing his stage presence to continually inscribe itself into new cultural contexts.

Style and Technique: Sound Color, Phrasing, Production

Francel's expertise is reflected in the care of his production and the fine detailing of his phrasing. His approach combines breath control, legato-based lines, and a vibrato that serves more as a color accent than a constant stylistic device. In composition, he prefers singable themes that unfold coherently in arrangements: clear formal sections, space for solos, and carefully balanced dynamics. In sound mixing, he values transparency, spatial depth, and the balance between woodwind timbre and the metallic velvety spectrum of the tenor saxophone.

Similar to the aesthetics of West Coast and cool jazz, yet expanded to include Mediterranean, Arab, and Latin American idioms, Francel cultivates a tone that combines warmth, calmness, and agility. The rhythmic foundations – from subtle grooves to gentle pulses – provide support for his melodic arcs without disrupting the flow of the narrative.

Critical Reception: Sensual Tone, Melodic Sovereignty

Music press and specialist media have repeatedly acknowledged Francel's playing. Phrases like "currently the most sensual saxophone sound in Europe" mark his status in the European jazz discourse. Reviews emphasize the melodic elegance, the clever arrangements, and the stylistic sensitivity of his productions. Particularly, "The Melody Sax" is celebrated as an expert and simultaneously fresh homage to a nearly forgotten instrument, while "Global Players" underscores the ability to organically intertwine Western jazz traditions with South American, Mediterranean, and Arab elements.

This perception aligns with his performance aesthetic: on stage, Francel prefers a narrative, communicative playing style that allows space for his fellow musicians while still drawing a clear dramatic thread. This creates the impression of a "speaking" saxophone that paints atmospheres rather than merely demonstrating virtuosity.

Aesthetics of Places: Sea Noise, Mountain Air, and Urban Acoustics

A recurring motif in Francel's work is the choice of significant recording locations as sound-forming parameters. "The Sax & the Sea" utilizes churches, cisterns, docks, or coastal landscapes as acoustic resonance spaces – an experience that shapes the texture of the tones. "Mountain Melody" negotiates high-altitude air and expansive views as musical metaphors. This conceptual production technique leads to recordings where spatial reverberation, microphone placement, and natural acoustics become part of the composition. Thus, Francel intertwines sound shaping, space, and narrative into a coherent sound design.

This practice demands meticulous preparation: repertoire selection, test recordings, microphone setups, playing positions, and post-production. The result: a discreet yet characteristic "location sound" that enhances the narrative content of his music and audibly continues his artistic development.

Cultural Influence: Bridge-Builder and Programmer

Francel's artistic strategy aims for dialogue: between genres, traditions, and audience expectations. His collaborations with musicians from the Arab cultural sphere, his Mediterranean expeditions with Quadro Nuevo, and the chamber music projects with Nicole Heartseeker or Chris Gall demonstrate how music functions as a connecting medium. He emphasizes quality assurance in composition and production without losing accessibility – a blend that makes him equally attractive for festivals, cultural institutions, and clubs.

Awards, critics' lists, and international tours strengthen his authority. For jazz lovers, he offers connections to tradition; for curious listeners, he opens doors to world music, film music influence, and neoclassicism. This connectivity explains why his albums repeatedly appear in charts and best-of lists and why his name has become synonymous in the European scene for stylishly curated, melody-rich jazz.

Conclusion: Why Listen to Mulo Francel Now – and Experience Him Live?

Mulo Francel represents music that tastefully, experientially, and with an inquisitive gaze transcends genre boundaries. Those who appreciate jazz as an art of storytelling will find in his discography an abundance of melodies, sound colors, and dramatic details – from the nostalgic warmth of the C-Melody saxophone to the transcultural energy of current productions. His stage presence combines virtuosity with intimacy, narrating in soft tones and shaping grand arcs. In short: an artist whose music reaches both the mind and the heart.

Recommendation: Listen to his recent releases, then attend a live concert – there his narrative saxophone unfolds most impressively. For those who wish to dive deeper afterward, the duo and ensemble formats reveal new facets of a consistently developed sound language.

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Mulo Francel