Matt performs with Shawn Colvin

July 20, 2003

On July 20th, 2003, Matt had the delightful opportunity to open (solo) for a special musician. If you are expecting the name of a jazz artist, you're wrong. He opened for the one-and-only, Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Shawn Colvin.

Shawn Colvin and Matt might perform different styles of music, but they were both performing for a common goal…raising funds for an organization called "The Music to My Ears Program" that teaches music to autistic children. The organization is running its first summer camp for kids this summer, and expects to expand its reach over the next several years. It is based out of Canton, MA, and I feel its approach to teaching music is a well-conceived one! We will continue to support them as they continue to grow.

Matt performed a half-hour set, including the tunes My Funny Valentine,Nonstop Bebop, Forty-Seven, Firecracker, Misty, and Groovin' on Mount Everest. He played with extra intensity that evening, evoking a great deal of emotion with his rendition of the ballads.

Although he was billed as just the opening act for Shawn, he received a standing ovation, and performed an encore of My Favorite Things.

After being properly introduced to the audience, Shawn Colvin strolled onto the stage, holding just her guitar, a capo, and a pick. She casually sat down on a stool, chatted with the audience, and played one of her MANY hits. Since it was a wonderfully intimate venue and everyone was relaxed and enjoying him or herself, she asked for requests. I think the members of the audience yelled out about twenty different songs. Shawn laughed, saying she could only remember a few at a time, and proceeded to perform three of the requests. In between each song, she would tell a story about the song, how she came about writing it, or some tidbit of information that was funny or interesting. Shawn has a wonderful sense of humor, and is totally at ease in front of an audience. She makes you feel like you are just hanging out with a friend, playing music together and sharing good times. As each group of requests was complete, she would ask for other requests. The names of hit songs kept coming. She laughed and said something like, "You all are here for the long haul, aren't you?" Now, my husband and I have been longtime fans of Shawn's, starting with her very first CD. We have just about every CD she has recorded. But STILL I was amazed that she could sit there for well over an hour, ask for requests, and have every song she performed be a top-of-the-chart hit.

When the audience finally wore her out, she thanked everyone very much and walked off the stage. As the applause got louder and the whistles and standing ovations demanded an encore, she returned to the stage…with Matt! Everyone roared with approval, and the two of them smiled at one another and he sat down at the piano. She pulled her stool next to the piano, they briefly discussed the way they would perform their agreed-upon piece…if Matt would have an intro, how many choruses should they do, things like that. And then they were ready.

Matt and Shawn performed a beautiful rendition of "Over the Rainbow". Now, normally, Matt doesn't choose to perform with vocalists, but he happens to think Shawn has one of the most beautiful voices ever. He chose the song "Over the Rainbow" for them to perform as a duet because he knew she would do a wonderful job with the piece. She did. It was a perfect end to a special evening.

On a side note, it was an extra-special treat for Larry and me to hear Shawn perform. We have been trying for years to attend one of her concerts. Either she was not scheduled to perform at a venue near us or we could not get a babysitter for the evening or we were conserving finances. Something always came up. Suddenly we were not only hearing Shawn perform, but meeting her as well. And Shawn was SO sweet with my children. My 8-year-old daughter was completely enthralled with her and followed her around, asking her questions and wanting to know the date of her next concert. Shawn was gentle and patient and loving towards BOTH of my children.

Shawn was a wonderful role model for ALL of the many children at the concert, not just my own, and I both like and respect her for that.

All in all, it was a memorable evening, and we all felt so honored to have been a part of it. Everyone had come together that evening to support a great cause, but we left feeling blessed and happy and fortunate to have shared that moment in time. It doesn't get much better than that… We would very much like to thank Shawn Colvin, Judy Garlan White, Ron Lilly, Leslie Hines, and everyone else involved with putting together this incredible event. If we have forgotten to mention anyone, PLEASE forgive us.