Matt Parker
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Matt Parker

New York City, New York, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2013 | INDIE

New York City, New York, United States | INDIE
Established on Jan, 2013
Band Jazz Adult Contemporary

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The best kept secret in music

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Still working on that hot first release.

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Bio

SOMETHING FRESH IS AFOOT ON TENOR SAXOPHONIST MATT PARKER'S IMPRESSIVE DEBUT DOWNBEAT


M
A T T P A R K E R

Tenor and soprano saxophone virtuoso and visionary composer Matt Parker made a vivid impression with his 2013 debut recording, "Worlds Put Together." “Restlessly inventive” (Down Beat), Parker is “a fully formed artist with his own unique voice [who] sounds comfortable promenading down multiple paths” (All About Jazz).

For his new recording "Present Time," Parker pared down the sextet of Worlds to a powerhouse trio comprised of bassist Alan Hampton and drummer Reggie Quinerly, colleagues of his since all three were classmates at the New School nearly 20 years ago. Scheduled for release on February 12, 2016 by Parker’s BYNK label (“Because You Never Know”), the CD consists of seven Parker originals, one old standard, and a previously unrecorded tune by the late, great Charles Mingus. Vocalist Emily Braden is added on three tracks, and Jerome Jennings plays tambourine on another.

A Fort Lauderdale, Florida native, jazz saxophonist Matt Parker connects the stylistic dots between Lester Young and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. At the age of 17, Parker visited New Orleans for the first time where he was offered a job playing 10 hours a day, 6 days a week during the summer of 1997. Al Hirt invited the young musician to sit in with him at his club on Bourbon street and he also had the privilege to meet and speak with Pete Fountain and the great Ellis Marsalis. Most recently, Parker traveled to South Africa where he performed with the Cape Town Youth Choir, appeared in the Blockbuster film John Wick starring Keanu Reeves and has played with The Mingus Big Band at The Jazz Standard in NYC  Parker considers his time playing with the great Maynard Ferguson and his Big Bop Nouveau Band as two of the most formative years in his development. "Learning from one of the masters every night, traveling the world 10 months out of the year you learn a thing or two about the music." Parker can be heard on M.F. Horn VI: Live at Ronnie Scott’s.

Parker moved to New York City in 1999 where he has had the opportunity to study and play alongside musicians such as Junior ManceJane Ira Bloom, Reggie Workman, and Charlie Persip. His love for jazz has not stopped him from expanding his musical horizons. For the last six years he has been an integral part of Danish transatlantic dance band HessIsMore, playing to many of his other strengths including clarinet, flute, and analog synthesizers. Matt Parker can been seen playing in New York and abroad with a range of different ensembles, including comedian, and renowned entertainer MURRAY HILL, New Orleans R&B group Tubby and his own projects The Matt Parker Trio, Matt Parker Quartet and Matt Parker - Worlds Put Together (sextet).