I have been playing music my whole life. It has afforded me the opportunity to meet and work with a lot of really great people, and go places I may not have otherwise gone.
If I had to do this as shout outs, then I guess I'd have to start with my parents. My dad, being a drummer, endowed me with a sense of rhythm. My mom, being a piano player, gave me a sense of melody and chordal structure. My musical father, Lee Matalon, took a 10 year old kid and polished him into a reasonably good musician in 8 short years.
Further credits go to all the great musicians I listened to growing up. They were the inspiration for a lot of what I am able to play now. Musicians such as Mike Brecker, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Cal Tjader, Sting, James Horner, John Williams and Mozart (the list goes on and on) have all given me inspiration and ideas from which to draw on.
I continue to grow and learn and will always admire great talent when I hear it. Whether it comes from a renowned artist, or someone just doing their thing in their own project studio. I just love music and love to hear others who have as much passion for it as I do.
