“I am a seeker who believes in the power of music to change lives,” the St. Louis, Missouri-based guitarist shares. “I had a troubled childhood that led me to some dark places. Music was an emotional release from those demons, and it has helped me create a world of light and sound which I love to share with others.”
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 specs 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.
Guitar was always a means to an emotive outlet in high school but it did not really click as a career path until his freshman year of college where he had the opportunity to study with pro players and play in jazz ensembles. During this time, Todd began to devour the music of Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, Hermeto and Brazilian singer Milton Nascimento. When many of the ace student musicians who taught him did a mass exit to Los Angeles the following year, he decided to follow a friends advice and sharpen his skills at Berklee College of Music.
Parallel to his music discovery, Todd absorbed the multi-cultural mecca of St. Louis which was brimming with Indian and African-American traditions, and an eclectic array of music subcultures, spanning world-music, jazz, blues, punk, ska, and new wave. For Todd, these all became pathways to deeper musical expression.
His latest release, Land of Enchantment, explores his fascination with the mystique the Southwest held for him as a child, and his experiences and impressions the region made on him as an adult, including his passion for iconic American Southwest artists and writers such as Georgia O’Keefe and Ansel Adams. Select album highlights include “Place In The Sun,” “Moonrise Samba,” and “Georgia’s World.” The playfully-titled “Place In The Sun”, exudes the transcendent feeling of being in such beautiful natural environs—exudes a sense of spirituality and joyous mystery. The song features many musical keepsakes from Todd’s musical journey, including dreamy Sérgio Mendes-style female vocals, a funk and Motown-like grooving rhythm section, and 1970s jazz-fusion musicality with Todd’s lyrical but dexterous guitar playing. On “Moonrise Samba,” Todd showcases his strong lead melody writing, his penchant for intriguing Steely Dan-esque chord sequences, and his imaginative arrangement skills by including a samba-flavored bridge. The picturesque “Georgia’s World” is a tribute to Georgia O’ Keefe’s home in Abuqui, New Mexico and Ghost Ranch, and boasts satiny Wes Montgomery octave licks, a slinky bossa-nova groove, and sultry female melody vocals. Todd also turns in a stunning reading of the Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood” replete with virtuosic micro-tonal soloing done on his Imrat guitar, and a dreamy version of Glen Campbell’s “By The Time I Get To Phoenix.”
Coming along for the ride are A-list musicians such as longtime Prince bassist Rhonda Smith; Todd’s childhood musical hero, jazz-fusion icon saxophonist-composer, Tom Scott (Joni Mitchell, Quincy Jones, Frank Sinatra); drummer Vinnie Colaiuta (Herbie Hancock, Jeff Beck, Frank Zappa); Grammy-winning violinist Charlie Bisharat (Elton John, the Rolling Stones, Shadowfax); pianist Dapo Torimiro (Frank Ocean, Lauryn Hill); vocalist Laura Vall (Stevie Wonder); bassist Timothy Bailey (Ariana Grande, Julia Michaels, Jill Scott); award winning Los Angeles cellist Adrienne Woods (Ariana Grande, Josh Groban, Christina Aguilera); two-time Grammy winning producer Jeff Weber (Diane Reeves, Luther Vandross, David Crosby); and Emmy and Grammy-winning engineer Clark Germain (Michael Jackson, Wayne Shorter, Tina Turner).
After decades as a professional musician with countless gigs under his belt, and rarely-achieved mastery of 3 challenging musical idioms, Todd still has a beginner’s passion for music. He says: “There is never a dull moment as I am always learning and growing. I research music like a scientist and researcher, always discovering new things with new ears. Each discovery opens a world of exciting possibilities which is filled with fun and intrigue.”
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