BEN MATTHEWS

Biography

After nearly a decade performing as both a sideman and bandleader with some of Australia’s most illustrious musicians, jazz pianist and contemporary keyboardist Ben Matthews turned his focus to composition in late 2015. In 2016, he wrote and recorded the following projects: an original soundtrack to THQ Nordic’s game ‘This Is The Police’; an original jazz/instrumental neo-soul double-CD release, ‘LiveWyre’; a collaborative E.P. of contemporary ballads with vocalist Edwina Masson entitled ‘An Open Letter of Imperfections’; a seven track, entirely improvised solo piano album, ‘My Story’; music for the short film ‘Lightbulb’; and two improvised solo piano singles, ‘Indulge in a Daydream’ and ‘Uncertain Times’. Over the years, three of Ben’s compositions have been nominated for Western Australian Music (WAM) Song of the Year awards (2011, 2015, 2016).

Current Direction

My current aspiration is to create honest and emotional music that balances creativity and accessibility.  With this in mind, I am aiming to:

-Strive for mastery as a pianist and composer through personal exploration and formal tuition from local and touring mentors.

-Develop and share my work as a solo improviser, drawing influence from modern jazz greats (such as Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Hiromi Uehara and Keith Jarrett), and filmcomposers (such as John Williams, Joe Hisaishi, Ryuichi Sakamoto).

-Build a portfolio of compositions and arrangements for performance and publishing by blending stylistic qualities from the jazz, latin, r’n’b, film score, ambient and fusion genres in the hopes to produce an original, refined and unique style of music.

Treat your guests to some live jazz with a band tailored to suit any occasion. Ben Matthews Ensembles combines the talent of Australia’s in-demand jazz musicians to provide an atmosphere of warmth and class at private functions, weddings and corporate events. Below are some examples of some of our acts, accompanied by live recordings of each. To discuss your function needs, please get in touch with me at [email protected].

Providing ambience of a relaxing and intimate nature, Ben’s solo piano sound is a contemplative blend of jazz (Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Hiromi Uehara), classical (Ravel, Chopin, Ryuichi Sakamoto) and contemporary soundtrack music (Hans Zimmer, Nobuo Uematsu, Joe Hisaishi).

The instrumental jazz duo or trio provides something a little louder and a little livelier, and is reminiscent of more traditional instrumental jazz music, utilising repertoire from the Great American Songbook.  Inviting a horn player (saxophone or trumpet) or a bassist to join the piano allows for music best suited to medium sized venues.

For the duo dynamic, adding the upright bass provides a deeper and warmer sound. Adding a horn is ideal for cutting through louder venues, ensuring the music is comfortably audible amongst background noise and chatter.

Drawing influence from the likes of Oscar Peterson, Brad Mehldau and Bill Evans’ iconic jazz ensembles, this is most popular ensemble experience. The jazz trio format offers a versatile and dynamic sound and is suitable for any occasion or setting.

Creative, energetic and modern – the instrumental quartet features the engine room of the jazz trio with some extra punch from the sax’.

Biography

After nearly a decade performing as both a sideman and bandleader with some of Australia’s most illustrious musicians, jazz pianist and contemporary keyboardist Ben Matthews turned his focus to composition in late 2015. In 2016, he wrote and recorded the following projects: an original soundtrack to THQ Nordic’s game ‘This Is The Police’; an original jazz/instrumental neo-soul double-CD release, ‘LiveWyre’; a collaborative E.P. of contemporary ballads with vocalist Edwina Masson entitled ‘An Open Letter of Imperfections’; a seven track, entirely improvised solo piano album, ‘My Story’; music for the short film ‘Lightbulb’; and two improvised solo piano singles, ‘Indulge in a Daydream’ and ‘Uncertain Times’. Over the years, three of Ben’s compositions have been nominated for Western Australian Music (WAM) Song of the Year awards (2011, 2015, 2016). Ben’s current aspiration is to to create honest and emotional music that balances creativity and accessibility, and to extend his portfolio of compositions and arrangements by blending stylistic qualities of jazz, Latin, R&B, ambient, fusion and film music genres.