Matt Schofield

Matt Schofield (born 21 August 1977, Manchester, England)[1][2] is an English blues guitarist and singer. His band, the Matt Schofield Trio, play their own material, a blend of blues, funk and jazz, as well as covers of blues classics such as Albert Collins' "Lights Are On, But Nobody's Home".

Matt Schofield
Matt Schofield in 2009.
Background information
Birth nameMatthew Schofield
Born (1977-08-21) 21 August 1977
OriginManchester, England
GenresBritish blues, electric blues, blues rock, jam band
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter, record producer
InstrumentsGuitar, vocals
Years active2000–present
LabelsNugene Records
Associated actsThe Matt Schofield Trio, the Matt Schofield Band, Dana Gillespie, Ian Siegal
WebsiteMatt Schofield official website
Not to be confused with American guitarist John Scofield.

Schofield is regarded as one of the most distinctive and innovative British blues guitarists, and has been rated in the top ten of British blues guitarists by Guitar & Bass Magazine. Schofield's prowess has taken his band to twelve countries, seen him playing with musicians including Buddy Guy and Robben Ford, and brought a note in the Penguin Book of Blues Recordings as one of only two living British artists to gain the maximum four-star rating. In addition, he has been admitted to the British Blues Awards Hall of Fame.[3]

Influences

Schofield's guitar playing is often likened to that of Robben Ford in its melodic and fluid style, and jazzy lines.[4]

Schofield has been influenced by B.B. King, Freddie King, Albert King, Muddy Waters, Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, Albert Collins, Jimi Hendrix, Billy Gibbons, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmie Vaughan, and Tomo Fujita.[5]

Career

Recordings

Schofield has recorded five studio albums and four live albums. The first of the live discs, The Trio, Live was recorded at the Bishop's Blues club at The Half Moon, Bishop's Stortford in 2004 and, funded and released by Richard Pavitt on his Nugene record label, gave the band their first breakthrough.[2] The first studio album, Siftin' Thru Ashes was released in 2005. This album showcased Schofield as a songwriter, writing or co-writing eight out of eleven of the tracks. AllMusic called Schofield's approach "an enjoyable demonstration of what can happen when blues-rock and blues-jazz are united". The second live album, Live at the Jazz Cafe! was recorded at the London Jazz Cafe in April 2005, and was made available as a web only release. Schofield is one of only two living British artists to be given a four star (excellent) rating in the Penguin Book of Blues Recordings.

The release of The Trio, Live prompted Schofield to be featured in a Guitarist magazine article, listing the nine notable up and coming blues guitarists, Schofield being the only non-American. Of the album they said "britblues meets jazz via N'Orleans – all played with the kind of sizzling guitar that just does not often surface in Fairford, Gloucestershire". In 2007, Guitar & Bass Magazine picked Schofield as one of the "Top 10 British Blues Guitarists of All Time". In August 2009, Schofield released Heads, Tails, & Aces, his third studio effort. The next year (2010) the band collected the Album of the Year award at the British Blues Awards[6] for this album, and released Live from the Archive,[7] recorded in 2007 in the Netherlands. Schofield won the British Blues Guitarist and Jonny Henderson won the British Keyboard Player award, and they both won these awards in 2011, too.[6]

In 2011, the trio released their fourth album Anything but Time, with Kevin Haynes on drums and John Porter as record producer.[8] Guitarinstructor.com, a part of the Hal Leonard organisation, has this album as No 5 in their top 10 albums of 2011, while Mojo magazine picked it as No 1 of Blues albums in 2011.

In 2012, Schofield made available a third live album Ten From The Road, consisting of material performed live in November 2011 by Schofield with Henderson & Hayes.

He released his fifth studio album, called Far As I Can See, in February 2014.[9]

Band

Schofield performs with an organ trio (guitar, organ, and drums).[2] Organ trios are mostly associated with the 1950s and 1960s US soul jazz groups led by organists such as Jimmy Smith. Blues bands more commonly use trios of guitar, bass and drums, quartets (guitar, keyboards, bass, and drums) or quintets (guitar, rhythm guitar, keyboards, bass, and drums). In Schofield's organ trio, organist Jonny Henderson plays a Hammond organ, performing basslines using his left hand, and playing chords and lead lines with his right hand. The trio's drummer is Evan Jenkins. Jeff Walker played bass on the final track of Siftin' Thru' Ashes. In 2009, as of the recording of Heads, Tails & Aces, The Matt Schofield Trio became The Matt Schofield Band, a four-piece, featuring Jeff 'The Funk' Walker on bass, and also replacing Evan Jenkins with Alain Baudry. Jeff Walker was later replaced by Spanish bassist Javier Garcia Vicente. At a concert at the Swindon Arts Centre[10] on 22 October 2009, the band reverted to a trio. In June 2010, Kevin Hayes, replaced Evan Jenkins in the band. The 2012 Europe Tour, the trio was back with its original formation, with Matt Schofield, Evan Jenkins and Jonny Henderson.

Endorsements and gear

Boutique amplifier company Two-Rock developed the Schofield Signature amplifier for Matt. According to Matt, the amplifier is "simply the best amplifier I've ever plugged into, and I'm honoured it carries my name".[11]

Japanese Effects Pedal company Free The Tone also developed the custom MS SOV SPECIAL overdrive pedal for him and released it as a limited edition product in 2013. A full production version, the MS SOV MS-2V, was later released in 2014.[12]

Discography
  • 2004: The Trio, Live (NUG601)
Uncle Junior
Everyday I Have The Blues
Bloody Murder
Treat Me Lowdown
Cissy Strut
Travellin' South
Sittin' On Top of the World
Hippology
  • 2005: Live at the Jazz Café (NUG503)
All You Need
Uncle Junior
Lights Are On, But Nobody's Home
Travellin' South
Cissy Strut
On My Way
It's Your Thing
  • 2005: Siftin' Thru' Ashes (NUG501)
All You Need
Siftin' Thru Ashes
Djam
Lights Are On, But Nobody's Home
The Letter
Back at Square One
People Say
How I Try
On My Way
Middle Ground
Hard Lines
  • 2007: Ear to the Ground
Pack it Up
Troublemaker
Ear to the Ground
Heart Don't Need a Compass
Once in a While
Room at the Back
Someone
Searchin'
Move Along
Cookie Jar
When it all Comes Down
  • 2009: Heads, Tails & Aces
What I Wanna Hear
Live Wire
War We Wage
Betting Man
Lay It Down
Can't Put You Down
Woman Across the River
Nothing Left
I Told Ya
Stranger Blues
Not Raining Now
  • 2010:Live From The Archive
All You Need
Siftin' Thru Ashes
Band Intro
Lights Are on But Nobody's Home
Room at the Back
On My Way
Black Cat Bone
Sitting on Top of the World
The Letter
  • 2011: Anything But Time
Anything But Time
See Me Through
At Times We Do Forget
Shipwrecked
Dreaming of You
Wrapped Up in Love
Where Do I Have to Stand
One Look (and I'm Hooked)
Don't Know What I'd Do
Share Our Smile Again
  • 2012: Ten From The Road
Ear to the Ground
Don't Know What I'd Do
Live Wire
Where Do I Have To Stand
Anything But Time
Dreaming of You
Shipwrecked
See Me Through
Siftin' Thru Ashes
Not Raining Now
  • 2014: Far As I Can See
From Far Away
Clean Break
Getaway
Breaking Up Somebody's Home
The Day You Left
Oakville Shuffle
Hindsight
Everything
Yellow Moon
Tell Me Some Lies
Red Dragon
  • Other albums Matt Schofield has appeared on
    • Back To Blues (1998) – Dana Gillespie
    • Two Timing Lover Boy (1999) – Dino Baptiste
    • Mustique Blues Festival (1999) - various artists
    • My Day Is Just Beginning (2000) – The Lee Sankey Group
    • She's Not Alone (EP) (2000) – The Lee Sankey Group
    • Mustique Blues Festival (2000) - various artists
    • Experienced (2000) – Dana Gillespie
    • Songs of Love (2001) – Dana Gillespie
    • Staying Power (2002) – Dana Gillespie
    • So Lowdown Tour (2002) - The Lester Butler Tribute Band
    • Basil´s Bar Blues (2003) - various artists
    • Driving Savage Groove (2004) – Cool Buzz Harmonica Posse; Schofield appears with The Urban Achievers
    • Mustique Blues Festival (2004) - various artists
    • Meat And Potatoes (2005) – Ian Siegal – co-produced by Schofield
    • A Different Picture (2005) – Earl Green
    • These Blue Nights (2006) - Dana Gillespie
    • New Road Sessions Vol. 1 (2006) - The Backbones
    • At The North Sea Jazz Festival (DVD) (2006) - Ian Siegal
    • Live With The London Blues Band (2007) - Dana Gillespie
    • Swagger (2007) – Ian Siegal – produced by Schofield
    • Broadside (2009) - Ian Siegal – produced by Schofield
    • The Six Sessions (2010) - various artists - Schofield appears with Jan Akkerman
    • Live At Bluesnow! (2016) - Big Pete – liner notes by Schofield
    • On Down the Road (2016) - JL Fulks
    • Walkin' The Blues (2019) - Federico Luiu
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References
  1. "Artists". Nugene Records. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  2. Chris True. "Matt Schofield". Allmusic. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  3. "Hall Of Fame". British Blues Awards. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  4. Archived 2 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  5. "Musician Matt Schofield (Guitar)". Allaboutjazz.com. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  6. "Home Page". British Blues Awards. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  7. "Live From The Archive". Matt Schofield. 12 July 2010. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  8. "banned interdit verboden prohibido vietato proibido". archive.is. 26 August 2014. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  9. "Far as I Can See - Matt Schofield | Releases". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  10. "Arts Centre – Swindon Borough Council". Swindon.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 1 December 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  11. "Retired Models - Two-Rock Amplification". Two-rock.com. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  12. "Free The Tone – English | EFFECTS – SIGNATURE". Freethetone.com. 20 June 2014. Archived from the original on 29 February 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
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