Take Five With Matt Slocum

AAJ Staff

Contributor since 1995

Various staff members.

Recent articles (1,149 total)

Published: April 14, 2010

Photo courtesy of Matt Slocum Meet Matt Slocum:
"Matt Slocum's multicolored traps—at times forceful or delicate, creatively painting varied tempos with the essence of swing—define the drummer's debut, Portraits. Hailing from St. Paul, Minnesota, Slocum's introduction carries forward the torch of patriarchs Max Roach Max Roach
1925 - 2007
drums and Elvin Jones Elvin Jones
1927 - 2004
drums amongst others, but he also carves out his own rhythmic patterns with young contemporaries such as Eric Harland Eric Harland

drums and Johnathan Blake Johnathan Blake

drums . Present day jazz is clearly not stagnate in the very good hands (and sticks) of Matt Slocum, a young drummer who plays with empathy and verve." Mark F. Turner, All About Jazz

Instrument(s):
Drums and cymbals.

Teachers and/or influences?
Teachers: Peter Erskine Peter Erskine
b.1954
drums , Phil Hey, Joe La Barbera Joe La Barbera
b.1948
drums , John Clayton John Clayton
b.1952
bass, acoustic , Alan Pasqua Alan Pasqua

piano , Shelly Berg Shelly Berg

piano .

Your sound and approach to music:
My favorite painter is Kandinsky. He understood and dealt with the balance, shades, and harmonic relationships of colors in a way that can inspire our musical approach as improvisers and composers. He was quoted as saying something along the lines of, "There is no must in art because art is free." As obvious as this seems, it is far too rarely the case. This is why hearing an artist Paul Motian Paul Motian
1931 - 2011
drums is so refreshing. We don't know what's going to happen! But this approach doesn't even require an exceptionally "open" musical framework like those with which Mr. Motian is often associated. Even within a given stylistic context- for instance hearing Lewis Nash Lewis Nash
b.1958
drums or Matt Wilson Matt Wilson
b.1964
drums play a "straight-ahead" gig- the art can still be free, music of the moment, within that medium. I think that, as simple as this seems, it is something inspiring to work towards.

Your dream band:
Dream band, well... perhaps:
1. Keith Jarrett Keith Jarrett
b.1945
piano , Dave Holland Dave Holland
b.1946
bass , Bill Stewart Bill Stewart
b.1966
drums .
2. Joe Lovano Joe Lovano
b.1952
saxophone , Dave Holland Dave Holland
b.1946
bass , Roy Haynes Roy Haynes
b.1926
drums .
3. Hank Jones Hank Jones
1918 - 2010
piano , Peter Washington Peter Washington

bass , Lewis Nash Lewis Nash
b.1958
drums .

Some artists that I really enjoy playing with
The gentlemen on the new record Portraits, (Chandra),- Massimo Biolcati Massimo Biolcati
b.1972
bass , Gerald Clayton Gerald Clayton

piano , Jaleel Shaw Jaleel Shaw
b.1978
sax, alto , Walter Smith III Walter Smith III
b.1980
sax, tenor , Dayna Stephens Dayna Stephens

sax, tenor .

Some artists who have inspired me and I would like to work with:
Brad Mehldau Brad Mehldau
b.1970
piano , Peter Bernstein Peter Bernstein
b.1967
guitar , Joe Lovano Joe Lovano
b.1952
saxophone , Dave Holland Dave Holland
b.1946
bass , Joe Locke Joe Locke
b.1959
vibraphone , Lage Lund Lage Lund

guitar , Kenny Barron Kenny Barron
b.1943
piano , Fred Hersch Fred Hersch
b.1955
piano , Mike Moreno Mike Moreno

guitar , Bill Charlap Bill Charlap
b.1966
piano , Cedar Walton Cedar Walton
b.1934
piano , Larry Goldings Larry Goldings
b.1968
keyboard , Kurt Rosenwinkel Kurt Rosenwinkel
b.1970
guitar , Tom Harrell Tom Harrell
b.1946
trumpet , Bruce Barth Bruce Barth
b.1958
piano .

The first Jazz album I bought was:
There were three:
Miles Davis Miles Davis
1926 - 1991
trumpet , Cookin with the Miles Davis Quintet;
Clifford Brown Clifford Brown
1930 - 1956
trumpet , Study in Brown;
and of course Buddy Rich Buddy Rich
1917 - 1987
drums , Rich Versus Roach

Did you know...
My favorite trail race is the Mt. Wilson Trail Race in Sierra Madre, CA

CDs you are listening to now:
Danny Grissett Danny Grissett

piano , Encounters (Criss-Cross);
Kendrick Scott Kendrick Scott
b.1980
drums , Reverence (Criss-Cross);
Maurice Ravel, Ma mere l'oye;
Walter Smith III Walter Smith III
b.1980
sax, tenor , Live in Paris (Space Time Records);
Inga Swearingen Inga Swearingen

vocal , First Rain (Rhythome).

Desert Island picks:
This is way too hard. I mean, we have 160GB iPods now, right? I can't make it a closed list, but it would definitely have to include:
Chick Corea Chick Corea
b.1941
piano , Now He Sings, Now He Sobs;
Bill Evans Bill Evans
1929 - 1980
piano , Sunday at the Village Vanguard;
Roy Haynes Roy Haynes
b.1926
drums , Out of the Afternoon;
... and many more.

How would you describe the state of jazz today?
Full of possibilities. Like any serious art form in the US, however, it is a challenge to sustain a large audience outside of major metropolitan areas.

What is in the near future?
Just wrapped up the CD release tour dates for the new record Portraits featuring Massimo Biolcati Massimo Biolcati
b.1972
bass , Gerald Clayton Gerald Clayton

piano and special guests Jaleel Shaw Jaleel Shaw
b.1978
sax, alto , Walter Smith III Walter Smith III
b.1980
sax, tenor and Dayna Stephens Dayna Stephens

sax, tenor . Then, back into sideman mode in and out of NY for the next few months. A lot of practicing and writing. Later this year, there may be a live record focusing mostly on standards released under my name. In 2011, there will be a new studio recording documenting more of my original compositions.