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"The Muffins were an American band from the Washington, D.C. area...Their complex approach wove Canterbury-esque prog, electric fusion, vanguard jazz, modern classical composition, and free improvisation in a sound so ambitiously creative, it's difficult to easily categorize." – AllMusic

“So, what is the Muffin sound? A uniquely coherent blend of Brit prog, fusion, psych, improv/free jazz, avant-garde – kinda Soft Machine, Art Ensemble, Braxton, Cobham, Zappa story-telling, Santana (without the Latin). The energy is always excitingly high and the delivery is non-serious and oftentimes frenetic, suggesting that they have a need to keep themselves entertained as much as to be entertaining. Above all, it’s bracing, sassy and very endearing.” - UKVibe

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The below are unsolicited emails from folks who bought the box set and were apparently moved / touched to write to me! They are 100% *exactly* as I received them and I thank all of them for taking the time to really make my day!


"Hey Steve, Just want to say thank you for putting together The Muffins box. I've completely immersed myself in this over the past few days. It's been incredible. I wish I had discovered this group much sooner. It feels like 12 discs went by in the blink of an eye! It's obvious that a lot of thought and care went into this set. So again, thank you very much. That is all."

“I've been a fan of Cuneiform for many years now and I'm grateful for all the music you've made available. The Muffins box may be your best yet. I've listened through it twice, with and without the book (not just a booklet!), and I feel like I've only scratched the surface. Really special music, perfectly presented and curated. I didn't expect those few albums to be just the tip of a massive iceberg. I look forward to spending a lot time more exploring this world. Thanks.”

"Hello Steve, A quick note to say thank you for the work you and others have done on the Muffins box set. It arrived in the mail yesterday, and I have been wallowing in, and enjoying the heck out of this incredible set. An obvious labour of love. When I first heard about this, I knew I'd want it, but wouldn't be able to afford it. I'm glad I came to my senses. Listening to this, I feel like I've re-united with old friends."

"'Treasure trove' is an understatement. What an exciting surprise 12 CDs (and a DVD) of unreleased Muffins music is. I've been a fan for years (thanks to Steve and Cuneiform) and this box set is more music than I could have imagined was just sitting around without having previously appeared."

“Kudos to both the band members and to Cuneiform Records for assembling this so-far (I’m just four discs in) remarkable compendium of Rock In Opposition, Made In USA. It’s no more or less improbable that music this playful, knotty and forward-thinking should emerge from Silver Springs, Maryland than anywhere else in this confounding land of ours. What’s really worth celebrating is that a group that always put creative action ahead of anything else managed to…well, get to a point where an apparently fat-free 13-disc set of sundry live recordings was possible. This is all moving and pleasurable stuff, and for the most part it’s all them. Comrade Fred Frith guests on one cut total I think. Sounds like? Sometimes Henry Cow, sometimes Tin Huey, sometimes National Health, sometimes Weather Report, but mostly like itself. A fantastic voyage.”

"I'm usually a pretty vanilla guy when it comes to the music I enjoy, but the exotic flavors of the Muffins really grab me. Thanks for opening my ears with this band and lots of other Cuneiform bands..."

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The Muffins were a Washington, D.C. area band who existed from 1974-81and then again with their best-known line-up still intact from 1993-2015.

They were called, "...the finest progressive band that America produced...even at it's most complicated, (they) sounded effortless & convincing” by Fred Frith. They also acted as Fred’s backing band on his first post-Henry Cow solo album, Gravity.

It is an all-too-rare occurrence for a band, throughout its career, to create music that continually pushes the envelope and transforms the landscape. It is an even rarer occurrence for such a band to reunite after a long separation, and embark on a second musical career that continues to be as innovative as the first.

The Muffins, a group equally influenced by the then-current British progressive rock sounds of bands such as Henry Cow, National Health and Soft Machine as they were by contemporary American jazz and improvisational artists like Anthony Braxton, The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Sun Ra and Miles Davis, were formed in Washington, DC in the early 1970s and recorded three albums before disbanding in 1981. In 1998 the group reformed and recorded a further six albums. AllMusic describes their music as a 'unique blend of Canterbury progressive, fusion, improvisation and much more.'

During their two lifetimes, the band performed at now legendary festival events, including the ZU Festival (NYC), the Rock In Opposition Festival (France), the Villa Celimontana Jazz Festival (Rome), Sonic Circuits (D.C.) and NEARFest (Bethlehem, PA), among many others.

The band were a hugely creative force during both lifetimes, combing intense, rehearsal intensive compositions with spirited free play, and moving effortlessly between musical boundaries and genres. They were one of the great American contemporary music ensembles of our time.

Baker’s Dozen is a 13 disc box set of nearly all previously unreleased live and studio recordings from 1975 - 2010! It includes 12 CDs, a DVD, and a huge, informative booklet. The entire box is a treasure trove of never seen and never heard material.

Cuneiform Records is a record label releasing adventurous, boundary-bursting music by artists from around the world. They have always championed an eclectic mixture of musical styles and artists and have consistently danced at the dangerous intersection where genres meet. In doing so, they have become one of the most prominent labels of New Music.

Founded in 1984.
Based in Washington D.C.

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