Matt Panayides Group
Jersey City, New Jersey, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
This is the debut recording as a leader for New York based guitarist Matt Panayides. He was born in Cincinnati and raised in Indianapolis. Formal musical education includes a B.A. from Manhattan School of Music and an M.A. in Jazz Performance from William Patterson University. Panayides also studied privately with Gene Bertoncini and Rodney Jones. He has performed with Clark Terry, Mulgrew Miller, Kevin Mahogany and Jane Monheit.
This album is a collection of all original material. The opening track is “Seoul Soul,” an up tempo excursion moving through interesting harmonies. The solos give the impression of free jazz because of the unusual chord progression. “Why Bail Them Out” is a Latin / Funk groove with a nice punchy melody line. Other titles included are “Different Place,” “Amalgamation,” “Sketch” and “Walking Across a Bridge (With No Money).”
Panayides is joined by Rich Perry (Tenor Sax), Steve La Spina (Bass) and Dan Weiss (Drums). This is a very cohesive unit that makes its way together through some unusual time signatures and different musical grooves. Panayides is a solid technical player with a unique voice. His music is influenced by time spent overseas and is very modern in its structure. It is described in the press release as “exploratory.” That may make it a challenge for the listener who is used to more traditional mainstream jazz. It is an interesting project that is well thought out and presented.
- Guitar International
Barely two weeks into the new year and we have a serious contender for best newcomer of 2011. This guy has the goods! If you must compare him to one of the big names,he comes closest to Scofield,but with a rounder,less distorted sound. This shows him in quartet format with sax,bass and drums and everybody gets some nice solo space. I can't wait to hear more from Panayides in the future. - Guitar Omnivore
Barely two weeks into the new year and we have a serious contender for best newcomer of 2011. This guy has the goods! If you must compare him to one of the big names,he comes closest to Scofield,but with a rounder,less distorted sound. This shows him in quartet format with sax,bass and drums and everybody gets some nice solo space. I can't wait to hear more from Panayides in the future. - Guitar Omnivore
Jumping new jazz guitarist that comes from the flashy school of kicking it out. A real high octane cat as both a player and writer, Panayides entertains and impresses in equal measure. A major new talent for new times. Check it out. - Midwest Record
Discography
Tapestries of Song, Pacific Coast Jazz, street date 01/11/2011
Photos
Bio
Matt Panayides is an exploratory jazz guitarist. Born in Cincinnati and raised in Indianapolis, he has been leading his own groups in New York for more than 10 years. He has performed in many famous NYC clubs such as Birdland, Smalls, Cornelia Street Cafe, 55 Bar, and Smoke. His compositions consist of sophisticated harmonies and compound rhythms which meld together into a picture which feels both unforced and fresh. His compelling melodies remain singable and uncomplicated. These songs offer a distinctive foundation upon which musicians can improvise.
Mr. Panayides has performed or recorded with some great musicians including Mulgrew Miller, Jane Monheit, Clark Terry, Salino Clark, Darren Barrett, Kevin Mahogany, Alec Haavik, Dan Weiss, Rich Perry, Steve LaSpina, Nick Kadajski, Travis Sullivan, Joe Abbatantuono, Ferit Odman, Christos Rafalides, Chris Varga, Jongdae Oh, Kenji Omae Matt Vashlishan and Bob Sabin.
Matt has recently recorded an album as a leader with Rich Perry on tenor saxophone, Steve LaSpina on bass and Dan Weiss on drums. The album features his original compositions. The album was released with critical acclaim 2011 on the record label Pacific Coast Jazz.
In 2008 Matt finished his Masters in Jazz Performance at William Paterson University. His master’s thesis entitled: “Towards the Creation of a New Jazz Guitar Pedagogy” details the organizational approaches of three influential jazz guitarists.
Mr. Panayides graduated from Manhattan School of Music in 2000 with a degree in jazz guitar performance. While attending this renowned institution he was mentored by Rodney Jones and studied with Chris Rosenberg and Gary Dial.
Links
