Matt Harvey - ProfilesArchive

About Me

I am primarily a lead guitar player, but can also play other instruments including bass, drums, harmonica, and keyboards. The majority of my recordings include me playing every instrumental track and performing every vocal track. I have been playing music since the age of seven and have played guitar professionally for eleven years. I played lead guitar in the Gadsden State Show Band from 1997-1999. Since my college days, I have played in such bands as "Refusal", "Road Rage", "Shotgun", "Smokey Road", "Jakleg," and now, Marshall Law. I am currently the bass player of "Marshall Law," but I play one to two sets on lead guitar for every performance. I play a wide variety of genres, including blues, rock, alternative, jazz/funk, r&b/soul, country, and a touch of classical. On lead guitar, I am primarily a blues player but my originals span over seven decades of different musical styles. As far as covers, I have been known to play anything from Mozart to Stevie Ray Vaughn. My dream has never been to achieve riches and fame from playing music, but to earn my living in music. Now I am doing the band thing in conjunction with a solo project, in which I play strictly blues. I have thoroughly enjoyed playing in Clarksdale, Mississippi as of late. There is a magic in the air in this town that you can't fathom unless you actually experience it. I've also started playing around Oxford, MS. It's been a blast so far. The blues thing goes over a lot better over there than in north AL. If the promoters want mostly classic rock, Marshall Law is the ticket. If they want a blues show, we book it as the Matt Harvey Blues Band. The solo thing is new to me, but it's also a lot of fun.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 3/27/2007
Band Members: Marshall Law is composed of the original lead singer and drummer of the "Marshall Law" band: Dave Davis and Todd Hale, as well as Matt Harvey, formerly of "Smokey Road".
Influences: I am most heavily influenced by "The Allman Brother's Band". I was raised mostly on southern rock, british rock, and blues. I was also introduced to such composers as Mozart, Chopin, Beethoven, and Vivaldi. I also always enjoyed such acts as Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Ray Charles, Buddy Guy, of course the Beatles, Bob Dylan, all of Motown, Brother Cane...the list goes on and on. A big part of my signature sound is playing phrases similar to horn and reed men's stylings (Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane). This is a major thing that I learned from the late great Duane Allman (my primary guitar influence). The Gibson Les Paul also helps. If I play a cover live, I usually make it my own, and am not concerned with the integrity of every note as compared to the original recording and/or artist. However, if I play something like Floyd or certain ABB songs, I want to play the leads and such dead on, because of the nature of the material. I mean, after David Gilmoure spends time in the studio piecing together maybe a dozen different tracks to compose the perfect solo to "Comfortably Numb," I just don't see me or anyone else changing that into something better. Or say I play "Blue Sky" (ABB) and just wail out into my own direction on the lead ride. If someone does that, a lot of times people will just assume that they can't play it, but they are doing their best to honor the song. That's okay, but if you know it, play it.
Sounds Like: I have a wide variety of sound. However, I have been accused of favoring The Allman Brothers, Pearl Jam, Three Doors Down, Brother Cane, The Doors, Widespread Panic, Jeff Healey, Candlebox, the Black Crowes, and many other soulful rock bands.
Record Label: unsigned
Type of Label: None