MaD Fusion:
Matt Herskowitz, piano
Mat Fieldes, acoustic and electric basses
David Rozenblatt, drums
Influences
Herbie Hancock, Jacky Terrason, Joshua Redman, Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, Saint-Germain, Amon Tobin, Dhafer Yousef, Keith Jarrett, Yellowjackets, Charles Ives, Bartok, Shostakovich, John Adams, Joe Zawinul, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Michel Petrucciani, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, John Coates, Michel Legrand, Art Tatum, Uri Caine, Daniel Bélanger
Sounds Like
"Herskowitz acheives here a feat of resourcefulness that almost makes us forget the absence of the 50 other musicians." - La Presse, Montréal
Nominated for a Prix Opus!Matt Herskowitz Plays Gershwin Features Rhapsody in Blue and my original arrangements of the Concerto in F and Cuban Overture. It's available in stores throughout Quebec, as well as on CD Baby from anywhere (très économique!). You can listen to complete tracks from all three albums on this page. (Note: click on album covers to see reviews)
[Purchase
Album]
This is the final straw, I'd better retire now." - Dave Brubeck
Forget Me Not (nominated for Félix award, "Best Jazz Album", 2005).
[Purchase
Album]
"Bold. Provocative. Thoughtful. Imaginative. Spiritual. Pianist Matt Herskowitz's captivating solo piano interpretations of holiday classics breathe fresh life into a repertoire of war horses." - Albany Times Union
Gabriel's Message
(nominated for a Félix award, "Best Jazz Album", 2006)
[Purchase
Album]
NEWS!
Here's the video from my performance on M Pour Musique. It was a lot of fun, I hope you enjoy it!
My Christmas CD with Barry Manilow, In The Swing of Christmas, didn't win the grammy, but we were all thrilled that it got noticed:) Maybe the next one...
Just a friendly reminder about my other CDs, Gabriel's Message, Matt Herskowitz Plays Gershwin and Forget Me Not; just click on the album covers on the left to purchase on CD Baby or listen to tracks.
Below is my promotional video compilation of clips from live performances and television appearances. The second two are clips from my Montreal jazz trio's performances at Upstairs Jazz Club, courtesy of sortiejazznights.com:
After a long technical struggle with my server, I've finally managed to update my website, so it is now full of new (and sometimes exciting) information regarding my musical activities, as well as new musical tracks on the Media page. Here's the link:
www.mattherskowitz.com.
Pianist, composer, songwriter and arranger, Matt Herskowitz has distinguished himself in several musical genres. As a pianist, he's released several solo albums, most notably his recent release entitled Matt Herskowitz Plays George Gershwin, nominated for Québec's prestigious Opus award for best album in 2009, which features his own solo piano arrangements of Gershwin's Concerto in F and Cuban Overture, as well as the great Rhapsody in Blue. His other solo albums include his 2005 release Gabriel's Message/L'Ange Gabriel, featuring his own arrangements and compositions based on popular Christmas themes, nominated for Québec's Félix award for best jazz album in 2006. In 1997 Matt won the Orford International Piano Competition, which led to his recording of Glazunov's 2nd Piano Concerto with I Musici de Montreal for Chandos Records in 1998. The recording was hailed by Strad Magazine as “by far the best recording on disc.”
As a jazz pianist, he's performed at major jazz and music festivals with his group MaD Fusion, featuring drummer David Rozenblatt and bassist Mat Fieldes. Their debut recording, Forget Me Not, received wide critical acclaim, and was also nominated for a Félix award for best jazz album in 2005. Dave Brubeck, upon hearing the album, wrote to Matt and commented “Hearing such technique almost ruined my day. This is the final straw, I'd better retire now.” Barry Manilow, after hearing this recording, invited Matt and his trio to join him on his 2007 Christmas release for Hallmark, In The Swing Of Christmas, which went gold in the US earlier this year. Mad Fusion's debut at the Montreal Jazz Festival this past summer with our MaD Gershwin show, featuring guests Coral Egan and Charles Papasoff, was an enormous success, and received rave reviews.
As composer/soloist, Matt recently premiered his piano concerto, Undertow, with Absolute Ensemble at the Bremen International Musikfest in Bremen, Germany. The piece was part of a program called Bach Reinvented, in which 5 composers were asked to write original pieces based on a Bach Invention. Undertow was one of four major pieces composed for the festival. Matt will be premiering his Jerusalem Trilogy in New York City at Victor Borge Hall on April 29, written for his trio plus violin and cello. The work was commissioned by the Lyric Chamber Music Society, and will feature violinist Ittai Shapira and cellist Mike Block. His other works for piano and orchestra include his Chorale and Variations on a Theme of Dave Brubeck, a concerto for jazz trio which he performed with the Ensemble Contemporain de Montreal in 1998, Serial Blues, which he recorded and performed with Absolute Ensemble in 2000-2002, Bang, performed with Absolute Ensemble in 2002-2004, and an expanded arrangement of Forget Me Not for jazz trio and orchestra, performed with Absolute Ensemble in 2004-2006.
As songwriter and arranger, Matt has collaborated with pop diva Lara Fabian on several occasions. Two of their songs were recorded by major French artists; Inévitablement was recorded by Star Academie winner Nolwenn Leroy on her debut album and later became a single. Another of their songs, Avant, was recorded by Franco-Israelien star Daniel Levy on his album Le Coeur Ouvert. Matt is currently working with Lara on her new album, Toute les Femmes en Moi, which will be released in spring 2009. Matt is the lead arranger and musical director of the project. This album is a new and exciting departure for Lara, so leave your expectations at the door! Matt will also be touring with Lara and the band in the fall of 2009.
A graduate of the Juilliard School in New York and Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Matt is originally from Albany, New York, and has made Montréal his adopted home of 9 years.
Abigail Hopkins' new album, THE MEMOIRS OF AN OUTLAW, available from ITUNES: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=281170328&s=143444 and AMAZON: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index%3Dmusic%26field-artist%3DHopkins%2C%20Abigail/202-0502306-1754247
I'll look forward to any + ALLl your new/old music and will continue to enjoy what is already out there:) It's not often I hear someone or something that AMAZING...so I am shouting it Out LOud because it's that GOOD!! You are a rare breed and I am increibly grateful to have Found you !! Your music has won my heart -completely,
I wish Lots & Lots of bliss to you & your bandmembers:)~Joy
I just wanted to let you know, that a new track of mine is waiting for your oppinion. It's called "run the self" and its the first track after a decade of music production, that I sung myself.
If you like it, you can DOWNLOAD IT in high quality FOR FREE. just check out my blog for the link and have fun ;O)
Salut! J'espère que ça va bien!<br />Petit message pour te dire que DAS fait son premier spectacle demain jeudi à 21h à l'Absynthe (1738 st-denis)! Passes-nous voir! :)<br />À bientôt!
Hey Matt, just got your TV performance invite, thanks - I'll try to make it and I'm glad all is well. I knew you could play, but that "Gershwin's Concerto" audio you have here is simply fantastic!
Join us for our African/Hungarian Doublehader at Drom
Jumbie Records presents: Kakande and MetróFolk as they team up for a unique night of West African and Hungarian dance music. MetróFolk captures the fiery, alcohol-drenched, pulsating energy of their live performances. Famoro Dioubate's Kakande brings their up-to-date New York take on an 800-year-old balafon beat. The East Village will never be the same!
Order tickets at http://dromnyc.com/home/index.php?option=com_gigcal&task=details&gigcal_gigs_id=578
Venue: Thu. Jan. 22, New York, NY MetroFolk (8pm) and Kakande (9:30) 85 Avenue A (b/w 5th & 6th)
Matt Herskowitz will be featured at the upcoming Benefit Concert for Christopher Rodriguez which will be held on Saturday, Dec. 27th at 8pm at the beautiful Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland, California. You can visit our page for more info!
The Gershwin Concerto, fragmently inspired by Rachmaninoff is rare and fantastic. :) Thanks Matt for connection and keep up the great music. Kiss Renaissance Dell'Arte
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