Bio
Guitarist Matt Richards grew up in the culturally fertile cross-currents of the late 1960s. His musical pathway opened in the mix of folk, rock and psychedelic music that defined that decade. Matt eventually finds his way into the hyperactive jazz-fusion of the 1970s and began earnestly developing the technically advanced musical abilities necessary to be part of that highly-energized genre. As his musicianship developed, he explored straight-ahead jazz and classical music and began incorporating the acoustic guitar in various projects.
Matt has been featured at the Montreal Jazz Festival, the Historic Lewiston Jazz Festival, NAMM Winter and Summer Shows, the Montreal Guitar Show, One Month Festival of South Korea, Twilight at the Barnes, Daniel Pearl Music Days and Welcome America celebrations. Matt established and performed for the Solo Guitar On A Saturday Morning live series. He has been featured on a variety of televised programs, including Cafe Improv, Miles of Music and Puerto Rican Panorama, and in the independent film Smoke And Mirrors.
In June of this year Matt will release Power Trio Project, featuring his electric jazz group with bass guitarist Tony Donato and drummer Paul Albrecht. It marks Matt's first album release with his group in ten years. His previous album release Balance was a solo guitar project which featured Matt on acoustic classical-style guitar.
While Matt has worked with a broad range of musical artists, including Larry Coryell, Joey DeFrancesco, Mike Clark, Kenwood Dennard, Essra Mohawk, Herbie Nix, Adrian Valosin, Elio Villafranca, Bobby Zankel and Bill Zola, he's also worked as a mostly-anonymous session musician on innumerable recording projects.
A current faculty member at the Ambler Music Academy and Cheltenham Music & Art, Matt served as Head of Faculty at FrankfordStyle School for Creative Arts and as Music Program Director for Zanaras Music Stores. He conducts workshops and masterclasses and has co-led a workshop on improvisation with Kenwood Dennard at Berklee College.
Matt received the Best of Lafayette Hill Bands & Musicians business award for 2016 and 2017.
