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Matt Adams

Matt Adams is very active in the Central Ohio area as a saxophonist, composer, arranger and bandleader. His first CD, Case in Point, drew comparisons to John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Charles Lloyd, Joe Henderson, and Sonny Rollins.

A 1994 graduate of Capital University, Matt has been on the scene ever since, playing with the likes of Branford Marsalis, Bootsy Collins, The Temptations, Bobby Vinton, Vaughn Weister's Famous Jazz Orchestra, The New Basics Brass Band, Madrugada, Brasillera, and his own Matt Adams Quartet.

"Utilizing the amazing history of the tenor sax is a tall order for anyone, yet Matt has paid his dues and plays enough history to have made it 'in the door'...he has come up with his own direction, followed his own heart, and truly found his own voice. I think the listener will agree that Matt Adams' voice on the saxophone, as evidenced on this recording, is one to behold."

- Dr. Michael Cox, Professor of Saxophone and Jazz Studies, Capital University; Columbus, OH

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Matt Adams Quartet

It’s easy to hear saxophonist Matt Adams’ influences. There’s the edgy, visceral sound of his hero John Coltrane, the adventurousness of Dewey Redman, the phrasing of Joe Henderson, the freewheeling improvisations that recall Joe Lovano and, when he does ballads, the soulful approach of Ben Webster. But Adams, whose quartet will perform Nov. 10 at Dick’s Den, has forged a sound of his own: dark, lyrical and imaginative. “When I got to high school, I joined the jazz band, and that’s where I learned to make things up” says Adams, 33, who grew up in Navarre, Ohio. “But when I later heard Coltrane, that was it. I never heard a musician who touched me the way he does.” “It’s his spirituality, and that’s what I try to put in my playing,” Adams says. At a recent gig at Columbus Music Hall celebrating the release of Adams’ first CD, “Case in Point,” the quartet, which includes keyboardist Erik Augis, bassist Matt Paetsch and drummer Cedric Easton, showed off its strengths. Adams did a version of Coltrane’s “Harmonique,” which is rarely ever played and features a wheezing fifth note. Adams’ original, “Banda Aceh,” written after the tsunami hit Indonesia but dedicated to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, was intimate and haunting. “I really enjoy playing with these guys,” says Adams. “All the musicians in my band are willing to take chances. And if it does not work, at least we tried.” Columbus jazz fans can also hear Adams playing in his other group, the New Basics Brass Band, which mixes jazz with second line funk, offering its own take on the sound of New Orleans groups such as the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

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Primary Instrument

Saxophone

Willing to teach

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Music

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