Its mainly a solo thing but I like to play with other people whenever possible and I've met some great players over the last few years, so if I have the opportunity to drag them onstage or record with them I'll take it. Recent live collaborators have included Carly Frey, who features on these recordings, harmonica god Captain Bliss (also known as 'Mr. Wonderful'), and the Dana Wylie Band. I've also played electric guitar for country rock band hey Negrita for a couple of (spiritually rewarding) years.
Influences
Some people I like:
Blind Willie Johnson, Skip James, Nina Simone, The Band, Jimmie Rodgers, Leo Kottke, John Renbourn, Liam O'Flynn, The Stanley Brothers, Jolie Holland, Norman Blake, Roscoe Holcomb, Dock Boggs, Django, Martin Carthy, June Tabor, John Fahey, Maddy Prior, Planxty, Martin Simpson, Tony Rice, David Grier...
Sounds Like
“Stone cold classic genius… ridiculously talented”
Americana UK
"One hell of a guitar player"
KAOS Radio Austin, TX
“Wonderful finger picking technique, a sensational performance.”
Acoustic Sussex
“Matthew Ord is a consistently inventive guitarist”
Penny Black Music
"Matthew Ord's guitar playing is a delight"
www.music-news.com
“One of the U.K’s Finest”
The Saskatoon Star Phoenix
“An amazing guitarist”
Edmonton Stages
“A fantastic guitarist”
The Edmonton Journal
"Brilliant electric guitar playing... like a mixture of all the great country pickers"
www.charleyspace.co.uk
“A great guitar player with a real feel for the blues”
Otis Grand
“Resurrecting the spirit of Robert Johnson with the feel of 60’s pioneers like John Fahey, Matthew Ord is that rare phenomenon – a young guitarist working a compelling mix of traditions with verve, panache and total belief”
Pete Feenstra
"His choice of themes: new love, death, war, elaborate finger-picking progressions, hoardes of hickory-smoked hammer-ons and crackling narratives - which convincingly describe detail-rich events - and his velvety voice – flawless and smooth like Bohemian crystal – all work together to form slice-of-life moments of stunning universality... I honestly can’t say enough wonderful things about Matthew Ord’s lovingly constructed ‘Early in the Spring.’ It’s a historical joust through a body of music that absolutely must be remembered done-up in a breathtakingly genuine way"
Lisa Torem, Penny Black Music.
MATTHEW ORD is a London based singer and guitarist with a fresh take on the traditional music of the British Isles and North America. A dedicated musician with a deep passion for folk music from an early age, his repertoire reflects the length and breadth of these traditions, drawing together the Delta and Piedmont blues, Scots and English Ballads, jigs, reels, slow airs, nursery rhymes and protest songs, all skilfully performed with warmth and conviction.
After graduating from university in 2005, Matthew has pursued a career as a gigging musician, a journey which so far has taken him to Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Norway, the southern US and the far north west of Canada. Along the way he has shared the bill with legendary guitar players Albert Lee, Pierre Bensusan, Martin Carthy and Martin Simpson and respected folk performers such as Seth Lakeman, Tom McRae and Kathryn Williams. He has performed at many of the UK's major festivals including Glastonbury and Cambridge Folk Festival and twice at the SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas.
In 2008 Matthew was featured in Alex Walker's documentary film We Dreamed America, an exploration of London's Americana scene, for which he also provided part of the soundtrack.
RECORDING
Matthew is available for session work on acoustic and electric guitar and vocals and has contributed to the following records.
Hey Negrita, "You Can Kick" (2008)
Dana Wylie Band, "The Unruly Ones" (2008)
Hey Negrita, "Burn the Whole Place Down" (2009)
Andy Sharrocks, "Dirt" (2009)
Scott Cook, "This One's on the House" (2009)
SOLO
Matthew's latest solo recording, Early in the Spring was completed in April of 2009. The album features a selection of traditional songs from Britain and America in fresh arrangements for voice and guitar and will be available on iTunes and for online purchase before the end of the year.
CONTACT
To enquire about bookings email matthew_ord@graffiti.net or matthewdord@googlemail.com
Christmas is coming soon. Are you looking for a Christmas present and would like to help handicapped children? Than please request the list of donations in kind from HelpCharity, www.MySpace.com/HelpCharity , by sending me an e-mail at Ch.Lamitschka@t-online.de . Many donations in kind are autographed.
If you don't have the chance to request the list of donations in kind, please add HelpCharity to your Top Friends!
Thanks for helping me to support handicapped children!
Christian
Founder of HelpCharity Editor & Journalist for Country Music Christian Lamitschka An der Pfingstweide 28 61118 Bad Vilbel Germany Phone: ++49 (0) 6101 544613 Mobil: ++49 (0) 171 6903352 E-Mail: Ch.Lamitschka@t-online.de Internet: www.MySpace.com/HelpCharity Internet: www.MySpace.com/ChristianLamitschka
Matt - sorry it's taken me so long to write...love the album. Been listening to it in the car a lot, very relaxing stuff. Thanks for sending it over. And so pleased to see you're supporting us in Coolham!! Although it's a bit worrying to have such an amazing support...you might show us up! Hope you enjoyed our record - katriona x
A bit of advance notice - MondayMonday proudly presents Rún and Steven Finn and more at The Wilmington Arms, Clerkenwell on Monday 7th December
Rún collect and arrange old folk songs written in the ancient language of Erin. So far, thanks to Nora from Donegal, they have a nice wee collection of well-known ditties and are now adding to their repertoire with some unusual old forgotten songs from the province of Ulster. Rún are five fantastic lassies who perform four-part vocal arrangements of old Gaelic songs like ’An Cailín Rua’ (the red-haired girl), ’Casadh an tSúgain’ (twisting the hayrope) and ’Bo Na Leath Adhairce’ (the one-horned cow). Rún is the Gaelic word for ’secret, wish or love’ (cf. rune). See http://www.myspace.com/runceol ..
Steven Finn’s ears were filled with the music of Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Johnny Cash and old time country music. Aged 15 he began teaching himself the guitar, learning songs like Leadbelly’s ‘Bourgeois Blues’ and Charlie Daniels’ ‘The devil went down to Georgia’. On hearing Bob Dylan songs Finn started to write his own words and in doing so found a lifelong passion for Jazz and Folk Blues, a getaway car he could drive. See http://www.myspace.com/stevenfinn for more details
Just a reminder that Clerkenwell's best Monday Night Folk Night will next be taking place on Monday 2nd November, featuring: Chris Sarjeant and Emma Scarr,plus floor spots and more
Emma Scarr has been active on London’s live scene for approaching two decades. A proficient performer on guitar, fiddle and banjo, in recent years she has concentrated on song craft.
Chris Sarjeant has been recently described as,".a very major addition to the British Folk Scene.." by BBC Folk-musician of the year Tom McConville who added that his guitar work is "...impeccable.."
Today I like to inform you, that you can read and watch interviews with your favorit country stars in Enlgish, German and French at http://www.CountryHome.de/Interviews .
Warm regards
Christian
Editor & Journalist for Country Music Christian Lamitschka An der Pfingstweide 28 61118 Bad Vilbel Germany Phone: ++49 6101 544613 Mobil: ++49 171 6903352 Ch.Lamitschka@t-online.de Info@CountryMusic-Magazin.de www.MySpace.com/ChristianLamitschka
I've uploaded a new track. Originally written and recorded in 1994 on a porta studio this is the 15th anniversary digital mix.
is about a memorable summer. To sum up what it was
really about; sunshine and concerts, a carefree lifestyle and far too
many illicit chemicals. The biggest selling album at the time was Dark
Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd and this song is a kind of pastiche of
that.
The Kittiwakes - CD Launch - Clerkenwell 22nd June
Leigh-on-Sea 3-piece, The Kittiwakes, celebrate the release of their Midwich Records debut, ‘Lofoten Calling’, a collection of original folk songs written about the people, landscape, folklore and history of the Lofoten Islands above the Arctic Circle and influenced by the traditional music of Norway and the British Isles.
'The Kittiwakes craft timeless and magical acoustically dappled folk treats - gentle and alluring ostensibly Gaelic in sound texture and gorgeously flighty braided as they are by corteges of mandolins, accordions and violins.' [LOSING TODAY]
'The Kittiwakes (rissa tridactyla): delicious, intriguing and evocative music, beautifully played and sung by this talented trio. Recommended to twitchers and lovers of folk music alike' [LEIGH FOLK FESTIVAL]
Online Now!
