When explaining Matt Richards’ solo guitar style, the most often-mentioned word jazz will be combined with classical, Spanish, modern acoustic – in fact, each term describes a different aspect of Matt’s musical identity.

Growing up in the culturally fertile cross-currents of the 1960s, Matt’s musical pathway begins with the mix of folk, rock and psychedelic music that defined that decade. Eventually drawn into the electronic-laden jazz-rock of the 1970s, Matt began developing the technically advanced skill and musical abilities demanded by those styles. As his talent grew, Matt was drawn into straight-ahead jazz, classical and world music, playing acoustic guitars and a fretless guitar more frequently.

As a soloist, Matt has been featured on the television series Miles of Music with Bob Miles, on the Philadelphia-produced television series Puerto Rican Panorama and in the film Smoke And Mirrors. He has performed at the CoreStates and Mellon Jazz Festivals, the Naturist Society’s Eastern and Midwestern Gatherings, National AIDS Awareness Day, Daniel Pearl Day, SUNOCO’s Welcome America celebrations and numerous clubs and venues. Matt has performed duets with guitarists Larry Coryell, Emiliano Pardo-Tristan and Sam Gorelik, violinist Joyell Washington and bassist Bill Zola, among others. He is also a founding member of the all-acoustic Language of 3 and Guitar Trio East.

As a sideman, Matt is featured on gospel vocalist Paul Middleton’s CD Keep The Faith (1995) and rock/alternative artist Nate Hawk’s Nathaniel Hawk (1994). Matt has worked in live performances with a broad range of artists, including vocalists Essra Mohawk and Julie Holtzman, bassist Starr Cullars, Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble, saxophonists Bobby Zankel and Steve Oliver, pianists Elio Villafranca and John Conahan, organists Joey DeFrancesco and Herbie Nix, drummers Mike Clark, Kenwood Dennard, Marlon Simon and Adrian Velosin and percussionists Cafe and Pablo Batista.

A Freedom Foundation 2003 Fellowship nominee, Matt is an instructor at Cheltenham Art & Music Center and served as Head of Faculty at the FrankfordStyle School for Creative Arts for eight years. In conjunction with his performances, Matt frequently conducts workshops and master classes.

Currently, Matt has artist endorsements with Godin Guitars, EMG Pickups, John Pearse Strings, Strapture accessories and Zanaras Music cables and connectors.

In the Summer of 2000, Matt released his first solo CD In This Single Moment on his own FingerMusic label and followed with Dayside in February of 2004. Matt will be featured on the upcoming Language of 3 Live and will be recording his third solo release in the Summer of 2006.

	For Chance One of the very few solo pieces I perform in an altered tuning (EGDGAE) and on electric guitar.		Acoustic fingerstyle
	Proper Name Spontaneous live improvisation from the upcoming CD release 'Balance'.		Acoustic fingerstyle

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