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Matt Garrison
musician, composer, arranger, and instigator...
About Me
With confidence, lyricism, and a tonality that is suffused in warmth, saxophonist Matt
Garrison fervently pursues the art-form of jazz as reflected in his own words, I like to
think that I am a translator of sorts. A jazz musician, in my opinion, is supposed to
interpret the world around them and convert those situations and feelings into music.
This is the essence of Garrison's voice and music.
Born on May 20th, 1979 in Poughkeepsie, New York, Matthew Gordon Garrison grew up in
a household that was absent of the sounds of Miles, Coltrane, and other jazz musicians;
instead the music of Doo Wop, 1960s rock and roll, and 1980s contemporary tunes found
precedence.
Though Garrison's parents weren't musicians, he attributes his creativity and imagination
to his mother (a superb quilter and crafts maker) and his technical and mathematical gifts
to his father (a skilled draftsman and CADAM designer) as the core ingredients in his
acumen as a jazz artist.
After taking an early interest in the saxophone in school, the spark was ignited, as well as
some minor obstacles, as Garrison remembers humorously, I started to get into trouble
with some of my teachers for changing some of the music in the concert band while
playing. I wanted to add my own ideas to the charts and that's when I started to get into
the idea of improvisation.
Through hard work and determination, he excelled and went on to earn, both Bachelors
and Masters degrees (including the Anthony Newman Award, given to one exceptional jazz
major) at Purchase Conservatory of Music in Westchester New York where he studied with
Javon Jackson, Ralph Lalama, Hal Galper, Todd Coolman, and Jon Faddis.
An aspiring musician who is coming into his own, Garrison has gigged or recorded with
various players of note--the late Dennis Irwin, Pete Malinverni, Adam Nussbaum, Gene
Jackson, Sam Yahel, Jeff Hirshfield, Jon Cowherd, Andy Laverne--and was once in a band
with trumpeter great, Ray Vega. Garrison continues to establish himself and thrive in a
variety of settings and states, I am never satisfied with stopping the search for a better
way to express myself.
His pursuit has been witnessed in freelance performances at area venues in Albany at
Justins, Philadelphia at Chris's Jazz Cafe, and the Jazz Standard and Smoke in New York
City. His own music came into fruition with an album of original compositions entitled
Familiar Places, featuring an illustrious band of seasoned and newer names with Michael
Dease (trombone), Bruce Harris (trumpet), Zaccai Curtis (piano), Luques Curtis (bass),
Rodney Green (drums), Claudio Roditi (trumpet / flugelhorn), and Mark Whitfield (guitar).
He released a second album in May 2012, which featured six of his original songs and one
arranged standard. The album entitled Blood Songs featured Greg Gisbert on trumpet
and Michael Dease on trombone, who also contributed one composition each. A special
guest spot by master tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander is supported by the rhythm section
of Roy Assaf, Dezron Douglas, and Ulysses Owens Jr, piano, bass, drums, respectively.
Garrison is scheduled to release his third album in March 2014 titled Patchwork This
album features the exceptionally talented vocalist Melissa Morgan covering songs by Beck,
Don McLean, Lee Morgan, and Matt Garrison originals.