Results for "Matt Otto"

Matt Otto

Born: January 16, 1967

Matt Otto is currently the Associate Professor of Jazz Studies at Kansas University (KU)  teaching Jazz Theory and Performance, Jazz Combo 1 and private lessons. Matt was also an Adjunct Professor at the Rutgers New Brunswick teaching online courses in jazz improvisation, theory and performance.

Matt Otto pursued his education in music performance and composition at Indiana University, Berklee School of Music, New School Jazz (BFA) and California Institute of the Arts (MFA) during which time he studied under Lee Konitz, George Garzone, Billy Pierce, Charlie Haden, Don Hawkins and many others.  Having lived in Japan for 6 years, New York City for 7 years and Los Angels for 6 years, he has performed with a variety of artists including Anthony Wilson, Larry Koonse, Rashid Bakr, Ben Monder, Willie Jones III, Alan Ferber, Mark Ferber, Albert “Tootie” Heath, Gregory Hutchinson, Jonathan Kreisberg, Joe La Barbera, Leroy Vinegar, Bob Bowman, Jimmy Smith (drums), Paul Jackson, Ari Honig, Ben Street, Mike Moreno, Sara Gazarek, Josh Nelson, Peter Schlamb, Danny Weiss, Roger Wilder, William Parker, Matt Wilson, Steve Cardenas, Bobby Watson, Bob Weir, Deborah Brown,  Larry Goldings, Eric Harland, Sheryl Bailey, Darek Oles, Erik McPherson, John Stowell, Danny Embrey, Alan Pasqua, and many others.

We Need The Wind

By Brian Scarborough

Label: Outside in Music
Released: 2024
Track listing: Broken; 3E; We Need The Wind; The Long Road Back; Strange Bird; One Of Time; Central Standard Time; Sevens; The Way It's Supposed To Be

Matt Otto: Umbra

by Gary Fukushima
January 14, 2024

In his 30-plus years in music, Matt Otto has, in addition to mastering improvising and training his ear to near perfection, learned to write incredibly complex compositions, challenging in every musical aspect: melodic, harmonic, rhythmic. Yet even now, his composing continues to evolve. “I feel like it's maybe less evolution than like going back ...

Life Is Like A Song

By Vanessa Thomas

Label: Lied Center of Kansas
Released: 2023
Track listing: 1. Cheek To Cheek (Irving Berlin) 2. At Last (Mack Gordon/Harry Warren) 3. Every Day I Have The Blues (Memphis Slim) 4. Smile(CharlieChaplin/GeoffreyParsons/JohnTurner) 5. Summertime(GeorgeGershwin/IraGershwin/DuBoseHeyward) 6. Creole Love Call (Duke Ellington) 7. I’m Beginning To See The Light (Duke Ellington/Don George/Johnny Hodges/Harry James) 8. Come Sunday (Duke Ellington) 9. Orange Colored Sky (Milton Delugg/William Stein) 10. Tenderly (Walter Gross/Jack Lawrence) 11. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart (Duke Ellington/Irving Mills/Henry Nemo/John Redmond) 12. Stardust (Hoagy Carmichael/Mitchell Parish) 13. Can’t Take My Eyes Off You (Bob Crewe/Bob Gaudio) All arrangements by Roger Wilde

Umbra

By Matt Otto

Label: Origin Records
Released: 2023
Track listing: Little Things; Hawk; Mousai; Prez; Paw Paw; Umbra; Wanjiku; Esthesis; Melisma.

Trombonist-composer Brian Scarborough Releases 'We Need The Wind,' An Autobiographical Reflection On Rebuilding And Healing As An Artist

December 4, 2023

Brian Scarborough is a standout trombonist who has made a mark for himself both as a performer and composer. With music described as “... simultaneously stimulating and accessible, refreshingly modern and rooted in tradition,” (Chicago Jazz Magazine), Scarborough continues his trend of blending tradition with innovation as he presents his second album as a bandleader, We ...

Roberto Magris & The JM Horns: High Quote

by Jack Bowers
October 9, 2023

Italian-born pianist/composer Roberto Magris, a paradigm of kinetic energy, records so many albums they can't seem to release 'em fast enough. Although High Quote, on which Magris leads the JM Horns (for JMood Records), was recorded more than a decade ago--in November 2012--its release date was for purposes unknown delayed until 2023. Whatever ...

Horace Silver, Javier Nero & David Whitman

by Joe Dimino
September 10, 2023

We begin the 819th Episode of Neon Jazz with accomplished drummer David Whitman and music off his 2023 album Ode to Joe. The project was in honor of his mentor Joe Morello and we hear with the legendary Dave Brubeck Quartet. We also hear from a number of up and coming jazz musicians like Javier Nero, ...

Little Things

August 24, 2023

Album: Umbra
By Matt Otto
Label: Origin Records
Released: 2023
Duration: 08:01

Matt Otto: Umbra

by Dan McClenaghan
August 9, 2023

This music--nine Matt Otto originals--has the feeling of shadowy sounds. Shapes without defined borders emerge. On the opener, “Little Things," the core trio--the leader plus bassist Jeff Harshbarger and drummer John Kizilarmut--are joined by Fender Rhodes player Matt Villinger and guitarist Alex Frank. The electronic resonance gives the sound an alluring and shadowy blur, as does ...