Guitarist Matt Marshak Comes Back with “Urban Folktales” on April 1st, 2011
There’s no denying Matt Marshak’s mastery of the contemporary jazz
format, as he lays down original, stylish guitar licks with shades of
the blues, rock, pop, soul and—of course—jazz. On April 1, 2011,
Marshak returns with his freshest and cohesive work to date with Urban Folktales (Nuance Music Group). It’s his sixth major release and bound to be on Top 10 lists.
“It’s my first theme record, one that sticks to the same vibe from top
to bottom,” says Marshak. “I really wanted to capture the essence of
the late-night city sound, an intangible vibe I’ve always been drawn
to.”
Marshak is known for his lively, fun and energetic live shows, and it’s on stage where he drew the inspiration for
Urban Folktales. He’d recently noticed that fans enthusiastically responded to the tune “Seduction” from his 2009 CD Family Funktion
(Nuance Music Group). “It has a combination of neo- soul, R&B,
jazz and funk,” he says. “People always ask about ‘Seduction’ after we
play it. They told me they really like the open-ended, airy sound
that’s at its essence.”
With the positive feedback fresh in his mind, Marshak decided to craft
an unforgettable CD of the style of music he knew his fans would
love—as well as new listeners. The 13 original songs on
Urban Folktales,
from “Next to You,” “A Silent Knowing,” “Harlem River” and others,
certainly capture the “Seduction” vibe, making for a stunning work and
cohesive whole, a welcome change from today’s single-song-download
mentality. Of course, Marshak’s guitar work—sometimes refined,
sometimes gritty, always compelling and listenable—is what Marshak’s
sound has always been about. But on Urban Folktales,
his guitar often yields to the overall sonic palette. In fact, on
several excursions, Marshak dials down his chord changes, allowing the
emphasis of dynamics and emotions to carry the listening experience
instead of overwhelming it with musical information.
Being one of the finest guitarists in the contemporary jazz genre means
that Marshak also digs experimenting with his guitar sounds. “The
straight hollow- body jazz guitar sound to me is everywhere today,” he
says, “so I really wanted to experiment and have the guitar leads to be
a bit different and fresh.” Specifically? Well, you’ve no doubt heard
plenty of contemporary jazz songs that use the cool wah-wah guitar
pedal sound as a rhythm accompaniment. Marshak decided to turn that on
its head. “I had never heard anybody using it on the lead in
contemporary jazz,” he says. On the tracks “Teddy P” and “Glen Burnie,”
he does just that. “The funkiness and expressive sound it allowed me
was refreshing. Not only do you have hands at work, but the foot pedal
adds another level of expression to the lead sound.” It a sound that
sound more “vocal.”
Whether his music sounds vocal or instrumental, Marshak has been one of
most appealing new faces in contemporary jazz. That’s even before the
late, great and influential CD 101.9 smooth-jazz radio station in New
York named him one of the best new smooth-jazz artists. Later would
come worldwide recognition from JazzTimes magazine, which showered
praise on his music and unique style.
Marshak, a native of Long Island, New York, grew up on rock ‘n’ roll
music in a home full of musicians. Passing guitarists inspired his
playing, and in high school he honed his chops with three
well-respected teachers: Joseph “Joey” Casciano, Mike Orioles and
Richard Rabatin. They all inspired in him a lifelong commitment to his
craft, while Rabatin in particular turned him on to the contemporary
jazz and blues guitar sounds of Larry Carlton, George Benson and Robben
Ford. While attending college at SUNY Geneseo, Matt had the
opportunity to play with a blues and R&B group, as well as
connecting and improvising with straight-ahead jazz saxophonist Joseph
Yoon. Once out of college, Marshak performed a variety of musical
styles with New York’s top original bands and artists, even drawing
praise from Deep Purple’s legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore.
In 2001, Marshak released his debut CD
Preservation
and began to get even more notice in New York, which led to CD 101.9’s
endorsement in 2003. He opened for the popular Guitars & Saxes
tour and in 2004 offered This Time Around, followed by Groovosphere in 2006 and On the Rocks in 2008, the latter earning praise from JazzTimes as “one of the best smooth jazz CDs of the year, for sure.” On the Rocks
also delivered a Top 30 nationwide smooth jazz hit with the cover
song, which was also played extensively on Sirius Jazz Café radio
station.
While excited about the release of
Urban Folktales,
Marshak—never one to settle down musically—has also been working on an
all-acoustic guitar, new age and winter-themed music, as well as what
promises to be a beefy juicy modern blues record. “It’s very exciting
to be working on so many sounds that have been dancing in my head for
years,” he says.
While 2010 was a great year from Marshak (he and his wife Dionne had
their first child, daughter Madison), 2011 looks to be an ever bigger,
action-packed year for Marshak, who will also be doing some recording
with acclaimed Canadian contemporary jazz band Four80East.
Although Marshak is busy with live shows and the recording studio, he
also finds time to write TV jingles (his guitar was featured on the New
York Mets’
Mets Zone on Fox Sports) and conduct guitar
clinics. But Marshak also enjoys giving back. He is a supporter of
multiple sclerosis and autism awareness, and visits countless schools to
help spread the joy of music to kids of all ages.
Marshak is also proud to be a part of the new music scene growing on
eastern Long Island. To check out upcoming shows, check out the Tour
page on the main page of his website, mattmarshak.com.