“More and more it is obvious that the drummer is one of the era’s most imaginative jazz figures.”---Village Voice 

Matt Wilson©Andrea Canter

Matt Wilson has been collecting more than percussion instruments: His accolades include four consecutive titles as DownBeat critics’ “rising star” drummer”;  “Best New Artist” by the New York Jazz Critics Circle; winner of the 2004 Modern Drummers reader’s poll; nomination as 2004 and 2006 Jazz Drummer of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association. Similar accolades have been heaped upon his ensembles, the Matt Wilson Quartet and his other foursome, Arts and Crafts. Matt Wilson’s Arts and Crafts will be in the neighborhood next weekend, performing at the Head of the Lakes Jazz Festival at UMD in Duluth (March 5) and then heading to the Artists Quarter in St. Paul on March 6th. 

A midwesterner himself, Matt Wilson was born in Knoxville, IL, where his parents encouraged him to explore art and music. After seeing an episode of I Love Lucy with Buddy Rich as guest star, third grader Matt was inspired to take up the drums. He bought a pair of drum sticks and “began exploring a wide range of suitable cookware and five gallon buckets as sound sources.” After receiving a used set of snare and cymbals, Wilson joined his brother (on tenor sax) and found audiences with the local PTA and 4H Club. Notes Wilson, “It was quite a duo…We had a book that explored all of the hits of the 60’s and 70’s. We were serious Herb Alpert aficionados.” Wilson went on to play in school ensembles, learned to read music, and in 8th grade was hired by his high school band director to play drums in his weekend dance band. He soon had other gigs--a big band (Common Denominator), country bands, Dixieland bands, “anything I could play.”

Matt Wilson and Terell Stafford©Andrea Canter

Wilson has made dozens of recordings as sideman, and has played on numerous national jingles and soundtracks. His resume includes work with a wide array of artists, including Dewey Redman, Ray Anderson, Bill Mays, Janis Siegal, Cecil McBee, Leni Stern, Fred Hersch, Michael Brecker, Dave Liebman, Ravi Coltrane, Mark Taylor, Sheila Jordan, Lee Konitz, Rufus Reid, Ted Rosenthal, Mario Pavone, Joanne Brackeen, and many others. Recently he has toured with the Denny Zeitlin Trio, Trio M (Myra Melford and Mark Dresser), Ted Nash, Frank Kimbrough, Deana DeRose and Charlie Haden’s Liberation Orchestra, in addition to his quartets. The Matt Wilson Quartet was initiated in 1996; in 2002 he founded his other touring band, Arts and Crafts. “Both groups swing and have these interesting personalities,” explains Wilson, “just with different instrumentation.” Wilson also continues to lead his Carl Sandburg Project and is at work on a solo recording, a trio with two saxophones, and a holiday recording with his “Christmas Tree-O” (with Jeff Lederer and young bassist Paul Sikivie).

As a popular instructor, Wilson has conducted workshops throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan, and South America, covering drumset performance, rhythm section performance, music business, and creativity and expression for all instruments. He is also a member of New York's Jazz Composer's Collective.

Arts and Crafts

Of his Arts and Crafts ensemble, Wilson notes that “I wanted to do something with a different instrumentation than the Matt Wilson Quartet. I also wanted to have the opportunity to records tunes I had stored in my ‘want to record someday’ file…to compose pieces that stretched the ‘classic’ jazz quartet instrumentation.” Noted Michael Renner (St. Louis Post Dispatch), the results were “innovative, original compositions, beautifully executed standards and arresting musicianship…Wilson, a polyglot on the drums, spoke the languages of bop, Latin, avant-garde and straight-ahead jazz rhythm with equal command. His ballad work erased any distinction between traditional and avant-garde or modern.”  

Terell Stafford©Andrea Canter

Arts and Crafts has released three recordings to date, their self-named debut (2001), award-winning Wake Up (To What's Happening) (2004), and the highly regarded Scenic Route (2007), all on Palmetto Records.  And Wilson hopes to record again in the fall, noting that “I would love to record live, especially at the Village Vanguard of the Green Mill in Chicago.” The band was a featured act at the 2008 Detroit Jazz Festival.

Master trumpeter Terell Stafford was an anchor of Bobby Watson’s Horizon before breaking out as leader of his own quartet and quintet. Over time he has also played with McCoy Tyner’s Latin All-Stars, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, the Village Vanguard Orchestra, and Mingus Big Band. Mentor Tyner noted, "Terell is one of the great players of our time, a fabulous trumpet player. He has his own voice on his instrument—a very personal sound.” Stafford has released several recordings with his quintet on MaxJazz. 

James Weidman is gaining a reputation as one of the top pianists in New York and beyond, currently appearing with Joe Lovano's acclaimed Us Five ensemble and his own Three Worlds band in addition to this spring tour with Arts and Crafts. Over his 20-year career, he has performed with the likes of Abby Lincoln, Steve Coleman and Kevin Mahogany, Cecil Payne and Bobby Watson. 

Martin Wind©Andrea Canter

At the Artists’ Quarter

Impressed with my introduction to Matt Wilson when he appeared with Denny Zeitlin at the Dakota about five years ago,  I noted that, “With even more body language than most drummers, Wilson has a wide ranging human and technical arsenal at his disposal, and he uses it all, from wood to metal sticks, from wire brushes and strings of wood ‘shells’ to the air currents passing through his fluttering hands, literally all the ‘bells and whistles’ that can be whacked, thunked, jingled, even dropped on the floor. He seems to merely give a cymbal a certain look to coax just the right sound” (Jazz Police).  

And regarding the music coming our way Saturday night, Matt notes that “It will swing, breath, align, collide, shout, whisper and will make you laugh, cry and happy that you made it out to share the moment with us!” 
 

Matt Wilson's Arts and Crafts performs at the Head of the Lakes Festival in Duluth on March 5, 7:30 pm; they perform in St Paul at the Artists Quarter for one night only on March 6th at 9 pm; www.artistsquarter.com. See www.mattwilsonjazz.com for more information about Arts and Crafts.   
 

Order tickets online at www.artistsquarter.com/component/option,com_wrapper/Itemid,69/

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