Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 2:59 am Post subject: Jazz Cafe, London
Fans who have seen Robben at the Jazz Cafe in Camden, might want to get down there on Wed. 20th April for the Matt Schofield Trio, a stunning outfit led by this 26 y.o. guitarist, who is one of the best you will hear (outside of Robben!!). Tone, technique, touch, it's all there, and great grooves: swinging Blues, edgy funk, and some mightily soulful guitar playing.
Joined: 18 Jul 2003 Posts: 122 Location: Cherry Hill, NJ
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 10:12 am Post subject: Re: Jazz Cafe, London
Chesterman wrote:
Fans who have seen Robben at the Jazz Cafe in Camden, might want to get down there on Wed. 20th April for the Matt Schofield Trio, a stunning outfit led by this 26 y.o. guitarist, who is one of the best you will hear (outside of Robben!!). Tone, technique, touch, it's all there, and great grooves: swinging Blues, edgy funk, and some mightily soulful guitar playing.
Hi Matt (or Matt's publicist)! Welcome to the RF forum.
Nice playing but I think your style and Robbens are not very similar. I do not hear any jazz influence, harmonic or timing, in your playing. Great bluesy swing but not comparable. Only pointing that out since your description says one of the best I will ever hear.
Best of luck and if I were in England I would come see you for sure.
You're right, there's no direct comparison. But then there's not much point in trying to be a clone of Robben Ford, or SRV, or anyone else. Every guitarist should bring his own thing to the party and Matt tends to appeal to audiences - and guitarists - who listen with their heart, rather than their head.
Ironically, in the UK, audiences very often describe Matt as "jazzy" - perhaps that's because while being Blues-inspired he steps outside the box and as an organ-based trio (no bass guitarist) the band has a "different" sound and groove to most guitar led outfits.
Incidentally, both myself and Matt are great admirers of Robben, often seen at the Jazz Cafe in London and most recently in New York with Greg Alllman, and Matt has had the pleasure of playing on the same bill as Robben.
Matt is definitely a lovely soulful musician and very good contemporary blues guitarist. Good singer as well. Has a nice tone. So I’m definitely going to Jazz Café.
I understand “Chesterman”’s (are you really?) responsibility as a manager to promote a talented young man, but on this board where we have some very good players - “best you will hear (outside of Robben!!)” sounds bit overrated . Even in UK I have seen and heard much advanced young guitarists such as: Guthrie Govan, David Kilminster, Paul Bielatovicz, Shawn Baxter, Pete Wood, etc.
But I’m still going to Jazz Café to see the TRIO.
Don’t like shameless manager though!
Last edited by bluesman on Sat Apr 02, 2005 8:05 am; edited 1 time in total
Well, looks like it’s probably a good time for me to say Hi, introduce myself and make a post! I’ve enjoyed checking in and lurking here from time to time for quite a while now, whenever I get a chance. Quite honestly, I wasn’t expecting to find this thread, and although somewhat embarrassing for me to be hyped in Robben’s “house”, as he’s one of my favourite musicians ever, I’m sure you understand that my management was just trying to spread the word to like-minded souls and lovers of music. Suffice to say, it’s tough out there trying to make a living playing any kind of “real” music these days, especially in the UK, and especially blues. It’s that sense of community between musicians and fans alike, much like this forum has, that helps keep the music we all love alive.
I certainly wouldn’t consider myself a jazz guitarist in anyway, and nor do I aspire to be, although I love many great jazz musicians, along with the blues, soul and funk and anything else that feels good. I’m a music lover and fan first and foremost. I’m just trying to play what I feel, and what sounds good to me. Hopefully others will enjoy music the way I hear it too.
I should take this opportunity to thank Robben for his continued inspiration, not so much in copping his style or “licks”, although I’m sure I owe him for a few, but more for the qualities to be learnt from his playing - his wonderfully open approach, taste, touch, dynamics, unparalleled musicality, and passion for the instrument and music in general. That’s what I try and draw from his music. Of course I can’t speak for Robben, but to these ears he sounds, or perhaps I should say feels, like a blues guitarist. He just happens to have developed his musical vocabulary beyond that of, in my opinion, any other blues player out there in order to express himself how he needs to. It’s his unique and refined vision of his own music that makes him for me one of the greatest ever.
Hopefully I won’t sound much like Robben at all at the end of the day, otherwise I think that would be missing the point of one of the truly great aspects of his playing and influence. I do however hope that one day, maybe in another 26 years, I’ll have just a little bit of that indescribable quality that we all hear and love in Robben’s playing, which let all his notes speak with such depth, that only comes from a lifetime of understanding and dedication to the instrument.
Yeah, I hate the “who’s best” thing too, and I also dislike the “they’re soulful” thing when it’s used as an excuse for lack of ability. My favourite players all developed the required technique on their instrument, however much that may be, to express themselves fully musically, in a soulful way, and most importantly with a unique voice. Who’s better? Albert Collins or Steve Vai? To my ears both are incredible “guitarists”, but I know whose “music” I personally enjoy listening to more. But that’s just me.
Anyway, I’m sure this looks like even more of a promotional set-up now, but I just wanted to say Hi and thanks. Cheers…………..Matt Schofield
Well Matt, congratulation, what you wrote shows a mature person and what you play also, you got a real good sound and your playing is tasty. Tell you a story: some days ago I sat in my room with my guitar and listened to you record, in comes my son No1 (he's your vintage) listened and said: hi dad, another one of your rehearsal recordings? As I always say you're a good player but a fucking singer.
Now I feel ennobled, you must know this boy also doesn't like Robben's singing ..... and can not understand I'm such a RF afficionado...
Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 12:13 pm Post subject: Hi
Welcome Matt & a great thank you for having described the way i feel toward Robben's Music, licks, tone, soulful approach, so well . (i was trying to express that for months).
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Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 1:25 pm Post subject: Re: Hi
Bluelobster wrote:
Welcome Matt & a great thank you for having described the way i feel toward Robben's Music, licks, tone, soulful approach, so well . (i was trying to express that for months).
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responsibility as a manager to promote a talented young man, but on this board where we have some very good players - 
close this forum -- we got it..... 