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Matthew Jordan - "Disappear" Live at Genghis Cohen
Matt covers the Sam & Dave classic, "Hold On, I'm Comin'"
Matthew Jordan - "Simpler Days" Live at Genghis Cohen
"Charismatically gifted... his voice is remarkably expressive... Jordan's musical ability is often stunning." - Bernard Baur, Music Connection Magazine "He's a pro, he can just do *anything*."- Vanessa Carlton on MTV "Duets" "A welcome addition to the family of piano songsters."- John Ondrasik of Five For Fighting. "Think of Mayer and Mraz with the jaw-dropping piano skills of Ben Folds, and you just might get an idea of this 24 year old wonder."-Steven Stewart, Nokia Music Supervisor, Helsinki, Finland
There was never a time when Matthew Jordan didn’t want to play piano and sing.
“I can remember telling the teacher in kindergarten that I was going to grow up to be like Billy Joel,” he says, with a soft-spoken smile that suggests a quiet self-confidence. “There was a kid I knew back then who used to sing We Didn’t Start the Fire on the playground. I came home and asked my dad about it, and he pulled out this huge stack of Billy’s old albums. That was it. I was totally hooked.”
But even before that, another piano prodigy inspired him. “We actually lived next door to Tori Amos when I was about two or three years old. She used to come over a lot, because my dad was the photographer who did her early pictures. I called her Toe-y.”
So, with Billy and Tori looking figuratively over his shoulders, a five-year-old boy sat transfixed at the keyboard for hours… which became days… and then years… until he finally graduated from USC’s prestigious Thornton School of Music in 2006. “There’s never been anything else I’ve wanted to do. Of course, everybody in high school thought I was weird, ‘cause in high school ya gotta play guitar to be cool. But I just kept playing and writing, and here we are.”
Having recently released his debut full-length CD Horizon (Quiet Thunder Records), Jordan has already established plenty of impressive credentials: Nearly 25,000 fans on MySpace; chosen as a featured artist by NOKIA Corp. with his music included in their official Podcast at MIDEM 2007 and featured in International ads for the Nokia N96; a finalist on MTV “Duets” with Vanessa Carlton; and a starring role in Five For Fighting’s iconic and award-winning video 100 Years in which he plays the wistful 15 year old pianist (“Fifteen – there’s still time for you”).
He recalls the day of the video shoot as the most grueling and exciting day of his young career. “We had to be on the set at 5:30 AM, and we shot for thirteen hours, during which time I had to repeatedly fall out of a giant tree, my own personal Fear Factor,” he laughs. “Then we had to rush back to Hollywood, because I had a huge gig that night at the Hotel Café.”
In fact, Matthew Jordan live performances are really something special. The ability to be passionately into his music while playing, and disarmingly vulnerable and open in between songs is rare, and Jordan has it a hundred times over. Whether performing with his band, as he frequently does at venues all over Southern California, or solo, as he was on his recent National tour, Matthew forges an instant bond with his audience.
Of course, it helps that his songs have lyrics and themes to which everyone can relate. I’m On My Way is an exuberant anthem to finally breaking out on your own, featuring percussive machine gun piano and an insanely catchy chorus. Eventually is a plaintive prayer that a deep love will grow in a heart where none currently exists. That’s a sentiment that nearly everyone has shared at one time or another.
“Most of the time, I bleed my emotions out with the music first,” Matthew says. “I latch on to a feeling and just let it play through my fingers. Then the music tells me what the song is about… Sometimes the meaning of song isn’t totally clear until weeks after it’s written.”
And sometimes those meanings are dark. Both Insomniac and Scared of Love are songs about suicide. Insomniac is about the failed attempt of a high school friend to kill himself over a broken romance. Scared of Love hits even closer to home, written for a beloved uncle who tragically took his own life in 2005.
But mostly, Matthew’s music has a hopeful edge to it. “I try to keep my eye on the big picture,” he muses. “There’s something pretty overwhelming about being an ant on a marble floating in a random corner of an infinite cosmos. That makes it kinda hard for me to take myself too seriously.”
As for the future, plans for 2009 include more extensive touring of the U.S., and the release of a digital EP, Disappear .
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Hey,
This week hasn't been all that great, but for the new music and friends I added. Yours is helpful, like "One Thing Right". It's you and the other top friends that act as my cushion when I get knocked down. How are you? Your cd is always close by because it's YOU. I like knowing you and Kenny are around. I got a message from Barry Harris even. Take care, pal.
Christopher
Matt: Hello from New Jersey!! Hope you had a good weekend. Loved the version of Smooth Criminal - love the vocal range & amazing work on the keyboards as always. Hope this week will be a good one for you. Take care. Your NJ friend, Mary
your cover to smooth criminal was amazing. i dont know what else to say i thank you for being a great artist. that one was for michael, rest his soul. that was excellent!
I think that that thought it's going to be weird for everyone who loved to MJ and for the ones who only knows a little bit from him (weird by the way) for a long long time... And it is!! Nobody thought that one day the King of Pop would be on heaven... but now he's with some other stars, making rock the heaven!
Hey, Can you imagine about Michael? Be safe and enjoy. I wanted to drop you another line. Just because you're awesome and you're just you. Close ones like you and Kenny Woods are hard to find. I'm grateful. Christopher
Awesome, beautiful, great and original tribute song from one of the most awesome man in the world... The Master and King of Pop... I can say he would love this tribute wherever he is now in heaven
Hi pal,
Enjoy your weekend. How are you? If you get a minute, drop me a message. I heard from Kenny this week. He's busy putting a band together. I'm singing a little more than I used to during the week. Westlife's "My Love" two nights ago got a big response. I haven't learned your stuff yet. It could be too high. I will look at your immortal melodies again. Your lyrics really are clever. You use your head.
Always,
Christopher
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