The Muffins were almost entirely instrumental. Their music was a unique mix of Canterbury progressive, jazz, fusion, and improvisation. The Muffins were formed in Washington, DC in the early 1970s by Dave Newhouse (keyboards), Billy Swan, Tom Scott (vocals, guitar, and bass), Michael Zentner (guitar, and violin). Stuart Abramowitz was a drummer from August 1975 to July 1976. The group recorded the studio and home demo recordings that can be heard on the Chronometers album. Zentner and Abramowitz departed in July 1976. Paul Sears, the drummer, joined the group in the following month. This was the beginning of the band’s most successful period. In 1978, Manna/Mirage was released. Soon after, Air Fiction, a limited-edition live LP, was released. Fred Frith also collaborated with the band on Gravity, his solo album. In late 1980, Frith produced the band’s next album, 185. Six months later, the Muffins were disbanded. The band performed at a private party in the early 1990s. This resulted in the song “Hobart Got Burned”, which was released on the Unsettled Scores compilation. It wasn’t until July 16, 1998 that the group reunited again, this time to perform in Washington, D.C. The reunion was a success, and The Muffins performed a lot of shows over the years. From allmusic: Tom Scott, Paul Sears and Billy Swan also made it to the studios in 2001.
