Matt Brewer is one of the world’s leading bass players. He was born in Oklahoma City on April 20, 1983, but spent most of his teenage years in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Matt was born into a musical family and was surrounded by music from an early age. His father and grandfather were both jazz musicians, and his mother was an avid music lover and radio DJ (she played him classic jazz albums before Matt was born). ). He started playing drums at the age of three, learning the basics in a small practice room, but didn’t take music seriously until he was ten, when he discovered bass during a summer program at the Interloken Arts Centre.
There he began classical bass lessons with two world-renowned bass teachers, Winston Budrow and Lawrence Hurst, while learning jazz from his father. Matt began performing professionally in the Albuquerque area at the age of twelve and was soon winning awards at top collegiate jazz festivals, including two festival top prizes, never before presented to a middle school student. He went on to study classical bass with the distinguished New Mexico Symphony Principal Bassist Jean-Luc Marton, but soon realized the need to work in an overall more creative and artistically conscious environment. This led to my decision to attend high school at the Interloken Academy of Arts. Matt went on to study classical bass and take jazz performance classes. During his junior and senior years, Matt was selected for the Grammy Band from applicants across the country. He then appeared at the 2000 Grammy Awards as a group that became the first group ever to appear on the show without being nominated for a Grammy. After graduating from the Interlochen School of the Arts, Matt attended the inaugural class of the Juilliard School’s Jazz Program, where he studied with bassists Rodney Whitaker and Ben Wolfe.
After spending two years at Juilliard, he decided to drop out to make time for his busy touring schedule. Since then, he has collaborated with artists such as Greg Osby, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Lee Konitz, David Sanchez, Terence Blanchard, Aaron Parks, Jeff “Tain” Watts, and many others. His voice appears on dozens of recordings, including two on Blue Note Records. Greg Osby’s Channel 3 and Gonzalo Rubalcaba’s Avatar. Matt has also led bands in New York at venues such as The Jazz Gallery, Fat Cat, and the Tribeca Center for the Performing Arts. His band also performed at the New Mexico International Jazz Festival. He is an associate faculty member at The New School, has been a visiting artist/teacher at the Banff Center, and has taught and given masterclasses around the world.