BEN MATTHEWS

Pianist. Composer. Bandleader.

LiveWyre (2017)

Posted on 30 Mar 2017 Comments Off on LiveWyre (2017)

Welcome to the liner notes of the 2017 double-CD release of LiveWyre! LiveWyre is an original project that was started in 2014 by pianist and composer Ben Matthews.  The goal of this project is to break away from more straight-ahead forms of jazz by incorporating elements from other genres – r’n’b, funk, ambient, fusion, groove and cinematic music.  Much of the music draws influence of musicians who blend genres in their own writing style;  the compositional sounds of jazz masters like Pat Metheny, Hiromi Uehara, Robert Glasper (etc) are alluded to throughout the music of the LiveWyre project.  This project was brought to life by 138 incredible crowdfunders in 2016 who raised over $6,900.  This project was also partially sponsored by The Perth Jazz Society.  The success of the crowdfunding campaign resulted in not only this double-CD album but also, from overshooting our initial crowdfunding target of $6,000, a digital release of my solo piano album ‘My Story’.  To everybody who helped to make this dream a possibility, thank you from the bottom of my heart!


About the Musicians


Ben Matthews

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.

Joe Southwell

Joe Southwell is an exciting and versatile bassist arising from the western coast of Australia, where he can be heard shaping the low-end frequencies in various bands and sessions. Joe pursued music throughout school and developed his craft playing on the church scene. Having completed a bachelor degree (majoring in jazz performance) and studies in contemporary music at WAAPA, Joe now performs regularly on the local circuit in numerous genres – including rock, pop, jazz and R&B, amongst others.

Bronton Ainsworth

Bronton Ainsworth loves playing the drums and has enjoyed working with many great musicians from around Perth and abroad. He has received an honours degree in jazz performance from the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts where he met fellow band mates. He likes listening to and playing different styles like latin, jazz, funk, pop and rock, and particularly enjoyed the challenge of this project as it encompasses all of these styles and more. He is looking forward to seeing how this project unfolds and hopes you enjoy listening.

Sean Little

Sean has performed throughout Australia and the U.S.A. since 2006, earning a reputation for his melodic, harmonically dense, and emotion-driven approach to improvisation. Sean is now permanently based in Perth where he continues to perform as a freelancer, and teaches at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts.

Holli Scott

A Perth based vocalist and composer, Holli’s work focuses on emoting the small flickers of magic and melancholy in everyday life. She writes predominantly for her group the Rush Hour Circus (also including Ben Matthews and Sean Little) and is known for her unique vocal tone and capturing presence on stage.


About the music

Joushikihazure No Kami
Hiromi Uehara, a Japanese pianist and composer, is the reason that I sought to learn to play jazz piano. Watching some of her earlier recordings online, I was instantly inspired by such a weird and powerful mix of emotional connection and technical ferocity… The feeling that I got from watching her perform, and listening her music was exactly the service that I one day hoped to provide for others. While studying jazz music at uni, I analysed a number of her compositions to find that she is a master of recycling material – that is, coming up with a musical phrase (a motif), and embellishing it and reinventing it in so many different ways. She composes entire 15 minute pieces out of a single idea, in a way that never feels repetitive or monotonous. In an attempt to encompass some of the compositional ideas of her music into my own writing – her use of motivic development, her technical command, and the way that she seamlessly guides listeners through contrasting moods – I created this piece, Joushikihazure No Kami.

Affliction
This piece is an expression of frustration, helplessness and contemplation. It represents a part of the cyclic emotional landscape that comes with debilitating chronic illness. Moments of defiance – a refusal to be bested by the beast; Moments of steadiness of health, steadiness of life; Moments of utter helplessness as all sense of control over the circumstance is, piece by piece, taken from you; Moments of acceptance and contemplation. We cannot become lost, focused too much on what we cannot do. It does not serve us to wish things were different when they are not. Instead, regardless of our situation, we must learn to focus on what we CAN do.

It’s Mother Flippin’ Smoothie Time
You wake up and start to go about your day, but you feel that something is missing from your life.  It’s a smoothie.  Thinking about it, you love smoothies and it’s been a while.  A sense of excitement wells up inside as you begin to consider the ingredients, and the possibility of impending deliciousness. Frozen banana, check.  Half a teaspoon of vanilla essence, check.  It’s looking good.  1 heaped dessertspoon of raw cacao powder and natural honey? Check and check! You’re getting really excited now, but then it hits you, and your heart stops as you’re sucked away from your fantasies.  What about the avocado? Didn’t you eat that on Tuesday?  Excitement turns quickly to uncertainty. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. The path of the dark side.  BUT THEN YOU SEE IT! It was hiding under the lettuce in the crisper!! You hurl a third of the suddenly-peeled avocado and 500ml of coconut water, along with the other named ingredients into a blender. T-Minus 30 seconds, the smoothie is imminent. It’s ready now and you take a sip. Yes. YES. OH GOD YES, THIS IS THE BEST DAMN SMOOTHIE OF YOUR LIFE!  It’s cold, sweet, creamy, healthy, filling and delicious!  Aren’t you just a bundle of cheeriness and delight?  However, the smoothie is a finite resource, and you know it’s only a matter of time before it’s over.  It’s time to get back to work, to the dull afterlife of an amazing smoothie…

The Captain
This composition is an amalgamation of individually conceived musical passages.  The title is a reference to popular 90’s kids cartoon, Captain Planet – “With these pieces combined, I am… Captain Planet?”

May He Rest Eternal
In April 2016 my father, Peter Matthews, passed away. This piece is a dedication to him, and the calming love that he offered to his family.

Esperanzish
There is an incredible American bassist, singer, composer and arranger named Esperanza Spalding who writes the most incredible music! This piece was inspired by some of the tracks from her albums Esperanza and Radio Music Society.

Wonderwall (ft. Holli Scott)
The original version of Wonderwall is a British pop song written by Noel Gallagher from Oasis. I’ve always felt that the melody is incredibly versatile, and I really enjoyed exploring the many ways to express the melody differently through arranging it for this project. This is the only piece on the album that features a vocalist – the inimitable Holli Scott.

The Process
This piece describes a creative process. It begins in a quiet and calm manner – perfect for contemplation. The piece builds with an influx of ideas and with them, a curiosity and wonder to explore new ideas further. An energetic rhythm falls into place as ideas begin to connect and develop and as creation happens. After a time, concentration begins to wane, ideas are no longer coherent, and there is no use in forcing progress. The music comes to an abrupt halt, silencing irrational, would-be thoughts, allowing for the quiet and calm ambience to foster once more, and the cycle repeats.

A Vehemence Unseen
The title of the piece suggests forceful or intense emotions that are not outwardly expressed. The piece represents an outer serenity, contrasted by an unrestrained inner landscape.

34 GrooveChoon
This piece was originally written in a three-four time signature. And, it is groovey. And so we have 34 GrooveChoon. But hey, don’t let the shallowness of the title dissuade you from exploring the soul-changing depths and unspoken truths hidden amid the groove…


Thank You

If you’d like to follow my other projects, please don’t hesitate to keep in touch via my mailing list, and my Facebook page. If you’d like to check out some of my other projects, you can do so on my Bandcamp page.

Thank you for buying this CD, for listening, watching, and reading these liner notes! :)