The Center for the Arts in Natick, Massachusetts

Sept., 20, 2003

Matt doesn’t often get the chance to perform locally, so we were thrilled to have been invited back to The Center for the Arts in Natick, MA on September 20, 2003.  Michael Moran, the director, has done a totally phenomenal job of creating an arts space that balances local community events with topnotch musical acts.  He has brought the Center from a small space nestled among sidewalk stores to a beautiful, acoustically terrific venue in what used to be an old firehouse.  He and the other folks at the Center for the Arts work tirelessly to make the Center a success, and have done so despite seemingly overwhelming obstacles and financial strain.  My hat is off to him and his staff for accomplishing such a feat.

Matt performed with his Trio that evening to a beautifully intimate audience.  They performed two “world premiers” of new tunes written by Matt.  Matt’s performing newly composed music receives mixed responses from people.  On the one hand, the audience is completely blown away by the complexities and musicality of Matt’s new compositions, as the songs Matt writes keep getting better and better.  On the other hand, the audience members hear songs they love and they want to purchase a CD containing those songs.  But because the compositions are new, they are not yet recorded.  So, people get frustrated.  I think that it is good for Matt to continue playing a mix of old and new tunes…whichever songs he feels are “right” for the set.  The next CD he records will contain all of his newest songs, and the Trio will have had lots of time to really perfect the tunes.  I have a feeling that this recording “lag time” will ALWAYS be an issue with Matt, as he is always writing new material and learning by leaps and bounds.  The last six or so songs written by Matt are truly standard material.  He is coming into his own compositionally, although, again, his music will change as he matures.  Well, since his CDs become so quickly obsolete by Matt’s own development, the best we can do is record him and keepsake snapshots in time of his musical journey.  In some ways, that is cool…because we’ll be able to look back on his early CDs years from now and hear how he progressed with each recording.  But in some ways I wish we had the funds to keep recording Matt on a regular basis to try to keep up with him.

Well, back to TCAN.. 

The audience that night was especially appreciative and knowledgeable about jazz.  Matt loves such an audience.  TCAN was the first venue to give Matt a chance at performing for a crowd.  TCAN invited him to open for Dave Samuels and Alain Mallet in February of 2001, and, later that year, for Alon Yavnai.  This was when Matt was performing solo, and before The Trio was performing as a Trio.  TCAN has a special place in our hearts because of this, and we will always support them for their commitment to give young musicians and artists a chance.  The Trio’s performance at the new TCAN venue (the firehouse) meant a great deal to us because they gave Matt his first breaks.  And now Matt is a headline act, traveling all over the place.  I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the members of the audience were people who had seen Matt so many years ago as a young, new pianist.  One thing I DO know is that The Center for the Arts in Natick is a terrific place to hear the best acts… the acoustics are great, and the price is right.  If you live in Massachusetts, go hear an act at TCAN.  You will not be disappointed.  

Thank you, Michael, and thank you TCAN.  We had a completely wonderful evening and hope to return to the place we call home.