Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
This band has no press
Discography
Five Frame Interlude
- Weekends Here is getting Heavy Rotation on Flow 93.5 in Toronto Ontario
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Contemporary rhythm and blues paints musicians into an artistic stalemate, a corner where the desire to squeeze into the mould of proven success can silence the creative muse. Unable to follow that path, Matisse and the Playground wield an eclectic palette of kick back funk and soul sensibilities guaranteed to paint them out of that corner in two broad strokes improvisation and compromise.
Improvisation and compromise in the way that the group has orientated itself around the vocals of front man Matisse, whose affinity for weaving silky smooth r & b ballads leads the band in a bold new direction of musical discovery.
Dabbing the tips of his fingers across the 72 keys of ebony and ivory on a Roland keyboard, Matisses devises the intricate aural finger paintings and vocal harmonies that set the seductive backdrop of what will follow. Backed by the guttural strokes of Dean Andrews wickedly mischievous bass; Ian Theriaults longstanding affair with his sly, yet supple saxophone; and Adam Tunes ability to prop up the groove with a steady dosage of dance-inducing drum beats, Matisse and the Playground are on the verge of capturing the publics imagination with their musical manifesto.
Fashioning their sound from elements of house, live hip-hop, soul, funk, r & b, groove jazz, and dub music, the quartet is garnering critical acclaim and local recognition from Flow 93.5fm (received heavy rotation with the song The Weekends Here) and Barbershop, a local event that showcases up-and-coming urban talent in Toronto.
Despite the vast pool of musical influences from which they draw upon, Matisse and the Playground is more than just a neo-soul or a nostalgic act. As their name implies, the band is collective of artists let loose to explore and hone their skills on a musical playground.
If someone told you that there was only one song in the world and it was about love, how would that make you feel? One song: about losing it, having it, wishing it never left in the first place. The love of a lifetime or the heartbreak of a life not lived. These are the universal themes woven into each, and every song as Matisse and the Playground allows the listener to experience their musical reverie: a sensuous romp in sack that begins with a multitude of influences and ends with the evolution of rhythm and blues.
Links
