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Take Five With Matt Otto

By AAJ Staff
April 16, 2009
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Meet Matt Otto:

Born in 1967, Matt Otto was exposed to music at an early age, his mother, a music major in college, played classical viola and his father sang and played bluegrass banjo. He began playing piano at three and saxophone at nine.

By 15 he was playing his first local jazz gigs. After High School, Matt attended Indiana University, Berklee College of Music, received his B.A. From The New School for Social Research and his M.F.A. From California Institute of the Arts.

Matt has performed all over the world, including France, Switzerland (Montreaux Jazz Festival, Ozone Jazz Festival), Holland (North Sea Jazz Festival), Germany, Japan (Jyugiouka Jazz Festival), Thailand, New York (Jump Festival, JVC Festival, Jackie Robinson Festival), Seattle, Portland, San Fransisco (Monterey Jazz Festival, Stanford Jazz Workshop) and in Los Angeles. He has recorded five CDs as a leader and appeared on over 20 CDs as a side man. Matt has played with Anthony Wilson, Gregory Hutchinson, Jimmy Smith, Larry Goldings, Tom Harrell, Harry Connick, Jr., and many others. Now Matt works as a sideman in Los Angeles, teaches privately and records and gigs with his original quartet.

Instrument(s):

Tenor and soprano saxophone.

Teachers and/or influences? Paul Carman, Don Hawkins, Bill Pierce, Andy McGhee and George Garzone.

Your teaching approach: Ear Training.

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About Matt Otto

Instrument: Saxophone, tenor

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