Matt has a brand-new instruction fiddle album which you can get from CDBaby . It has twelve tunes in three different tunings, and is a great way to delve deeper into fiddle technique and repertoire.
You can buy Matt Brown's CD "Lone Prairie" the following ways:
CD Baby
County Sales
Elderly Instruments
Amazon.com
iTunes
"Matt's fiddling is expressive, heartfelt and spirited. This collection of old time tunes is full of musical jewels." - David Holt
"Matt Brown can take his place among the finest fiddlers of his generation" - Sing Out!, Fall 2006
"Matt Brown is an old-time fiddler who has amassed quite an impressive musical resume. For his latest project, he has gathered some of his favorite Appalachian fiddle tunes...The extensive liner notes documenting the songs adds further luster to this first-class production. Anyone who appreciates authentic old-time fiddling would be well-advised to add "Lone Prairie" to their library" - Bluegrass Unlimited, August 2006
"This is a very tasty CD from the fine young old-time fiddler, Matt Brown...both Paul Brown and Beverly Smith provide perfect instrumental accompaniment for the central voice on this CD, Matt's fiddle...I don't see how these three fine musicians could have done a better job of this."
- The Old-Time Herald, August-September 2006
Matt Brown performs traditional Appalachian music with a command that belies his age. Matt is entertaining and informative, presenting an eclectic mix of traditional music. He plays sprightly square dance tunes, haunting banjo pieces, and sings wry blues and mournful homicide homilies. He is an innovative fiddler, an intricate banjo player, a propulsive guitar player, and moving singer. Many of his influences come from commercial recordings of the 1920's and 1930's. The rest come from field recordings made by collectors such as Alan Lomax, John Cohen and Mike Seeger.
Matt has established himself as highly respected fiddler, both authentic and creative. He has studied with fiddle greats Brad Leftwich, Rafe Stefanini, Bruce Molsky, Dirk Powell, and Bruce Greene. As a banjo player, he cites the early influence of his father. More recently, he has also had the privilege of learning from Paul Brown (no relation). Ginny Hawker, Tracy Schwarz, and Dick Swain have all helped shape his relaxed, resonant singing style.
Matt's album Lone Prairie, is a collection of 18 traditional Appalachian tunes and songs. On it, he presents a range of material spanning from the common (Arkansas Traveler, Old Joe Clark) to the unusual (Cookhouse Joe, Stuarts Long Bow). Brown's fiddling is clean and powerful, well grounded in tradition, but also innovative and playful. He is joined by two veterans of traditional music, Paul Brown and Beverly Smith. Paul, who is no relation to Matt, plays a variety of old-time banjo styles masterfully. Beverly plays rhythm guitar and sings in a beautiful, unadorned voice. You can listen to and buy Lone Prairie online .
Matt performs as a soloist, in a duo with Paul Brown, with Beverly Smith, and with the percussive dance ensemble, Rhythm in Shoes . Matt Brown has appeared as a guest artist with Uncle Earl, Crooked Still, and The Wilders. He has performed at a variety of venues and festivals, including the Annenberg Center, the Philadelphia Folk Festival, The Wheatland Music Festival, The Appalachian String Band Music Festival ("Clifftop"), The New England Folk Festival, The Dance Flurry, and on Jay Ungar & Molly Mason's radio program, Dancing on the Air.
In addition to performing, Matt has taught fiddle workshops in the United States and England. He has recently released an instructional fiddle cd, "Old-Time Fiddle Lesson Vol. 1," and is working on the companion book. He is an active studio musician and producer. A majority of his recorded work, including Lone Prairie, is on the 5-String Productions label . He is currently in the process of making a new album, due out in 2008, that will feature him playing fiddle, banjo, guitar, and singing.
