Among the options

No, that's not really bad production: For Wolfgang Muthspiel, Larry Grenadier and Brian Blade are easy to good musicians which like you can hear well in every context. Still, I would have given the Austrian exceptional guitarist for his ECM debut as desired Leader luckier: What the man is capable of, you should listen again to its 1993-rehearsed production "Black and Blue". A Masterpiece! This sounds as if Muthspiel production "for" Manfred Eicher made (rather than just for themselves) so as he imagines well that Eicher liked it likes. But who apparently had a bad day at least, when he released the too quiet, not transparent enough, actually ECM unworthy poorly blended production. (The same time released CD of Jacob Young sounds much better and louder ...) Also Muthspiel as playwright had better days: What the Soundgefrickel dedicated to his deceased fellow countryman Joe Zawinul has to do as an input piece with precisely this "Joseph" is probably his secret stay. Zawinul was above all a man of driving grooves (and the ballads) he would have to go through here at best as a prelude to the "real play". Other Muthspiel succeed much better, and all three musicians on their instruments (Grenadier convinces also with his bow game) course superb. But overall, then it turns unfortunately but the impression one that this project remained below its potential. And surely that is a pity.