About Jim Matus
Composer, band leader, arranger, guitarist, vocalist, teacher and studio engineer, specializing in progressive world fusion, jazz, rock and improvisatory music. Inventor of the LAOUTAR, a unique mandocello/Greek lute hybrid, for which he has composed and performed a growing repertoire of solo and duo pieces. EXPERIENCE: Work with musicians Don Cherry, Hassan Hakmoun, Anthony Jackson, Dave Weckl, Percy Jones, Veiux Farka Toure, Alicia Svigals, James Montgomery, Grace Kelly, Soft machine’s Hugh Hopper, and Shane Shanahan of the Silk Road Project, among others. EDUCATION: Guitar and Composition studies at Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA); guitar studies with Pat Metheny and John Scofield |
Band leader and/or co-leader of the following bands:
Quality Trio (1979); Noise R Us (1980); Your Real Parents (1984); Paranoise (1987); Mr. Right (1989); Paranoise (1998); Mawwal (2004); Velocifer (2005); Impulse Ensemble (2010); TalaMana (2011) Signals (2015) Nested Drift (2015); Matus Salins Marching Band (2021) |
SELECTED PERFORMANCES: CBGB's, Mudd Club, Max's Kansas City, Knitting Factory, Satalla, John Zorn's The Stone (NY), Iron Horse in Northampton, MA, Deerfield Academy (MA), Mehden Recital Hall/Univ. of Conn, Charter Oak Cultural Center (Hartford, CT), Johnny D's and The Lizard Lounge (Boston), Hilltown Folk Series (Shelburne Falls MA), The Loft (Brattleboro, VT), Full Moon Coffeehouse (Wendell, MA), The Latchis Theater (Brattleboro, VT) Smith College (Northampton, MA) Bridge Street Cafe, (Collinsville CT) Academy of Music (Northampton, MA) Cornelia Street Cafe (NYC), Amber Road Project (Riga, Latvia) Solarfest (VT), The Garlic and Arts Festival (Orange, MA), The Better World Festival (Northampton MA), The Festival of Arts and Ideas (New Haven, CT), The Project Troubadour Festival (Lakeville, CT), Summer Wind’s “Hartford’s Rising Stars” (CT) , Mawwal live on WAMC's Performance Place (National Public Radio);Impulse Ensemble performing as part of the Fusion Nomads Program with Hassan Hakmoun at Smith College, Northampton, MA; Impulse Ensemble performing as soloists with the Windham Orchestra at the Latchis Theater (Brattleboro, VT)
SELECTED REVIEWS:
2001 release ISHQ (Paranoise) up for a Grammy in the World Music category.
RECORD LABEL/RECORDING STUDIO:
Ancient Records / Chesterfield Gorge Studio in Chesterfield, MA
TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
Private lessons 1980 to present
Deerfield Academy, Deerfield, MA, 2007 – to present
SELECTED REVIEWS:
- "My largest musical discovery of 2012 was songwriter/ band leader Jim Matus" - POPROCK NATION
- "For music that's both creative and highly listenable, High Hills In The Creaving Road will be a tough one to top. Another four star effort from Mawwal" - SEA OF TRANQUILITY
- "A new genre" - PROGRESSION MAGAZINE
- "Matus and company are on a roll. This is one of those rare second albums that actually improves upon the debut" - EXPOSE
- "High Hills In The Creaving Road is another remarkable release by the East Coast master of world fusion" - WORLD MUSIC CENTRAL
2001 release ISHQ (Paranoise) up for a Grammy in the World Music category.
RECORD LABEL/RECORDING STUDIO:
Ancient Records / Chesterfield Gorge Studio in Chesterfield, MA
TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
Private lessons 1980 to present
Deerfield Academy, Deerfield, MA, 2007 – to present