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Matthew Yeakley

Matthew Yeakley is a native of San Diego, CA. Growing up in a musical family, he began serious studies of the guitar at age 15. At 18 he was teaching music, performing in blues clubs, and working professionally as a guitarist, and on the road by 21. By 24 Matthew decided that it was time to formalize his education, so he took time off from the world of the working musician, to attend the Musician’s Institute in Hollywood. While there he had the chance to study with Rick Zunigar (Freddie Hubbard, Stevie Wonder, Joey DeFrancesco), as well as many other of the top guitarist in the world (Scott Henderson, Dean Brown, Jimmy Wyble, Sid Jacobs). He graduated with honors and rejoined the musical workforce newly invigorated. He is an educator, transcriber, author, and session player, on top of being a busy recording and gigging jazz musician in LA. In a time where so many jazz artists struggle to find their voice, his playing is full of humor, depth, heart, and conviction, the sky is truly the limit for this unique voice in modern jazz.

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Profile

Matthew Yeakley: Keeping the Profession and Art of Jazz Alive in Los Angeles

Read "Matthew Yeakley: Keeping the Profession and Art of Jazz Alive in Los Angeles" reviewed by Jonathan Manning


Matthew Yeakley says “it's an amazing time to be in Los Angeles playing jazz." The guitarist and educator has lived in the city for ten years, honing his instrumental and compositional talents, teaching jazz privately and at a high school, and sharing the stage with local artists including Tony Austin, touring drummer of Kamasi Washington, Jay Jennings, trumpeter of Snarky Puppy, and more. As a city full of studio musicians, floaters, stadium pros and black-box indie acts, Los Angeles gives ...

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Album Review

The Matthew Yeakley Group: Clean Numbers & Dirty Words

Read "Clean Numbers & Dirty Words" reviewed by Paul Naser


The electric guitar has a history of players with fierce energy, and L.A. based guitarist Matthew Yeakley fits right into this tradition. Having studied with jazz guitar legends Scott Henderson and Jimmy Wyble, Yeakley has a refreshing blend of modern influence and tradition; he also cut his teeth performing in blues clubs in his native San Diego, which might explain how he is so adept with both blues licks and bebop vernacular. His formidable debut as a leader, the double ...

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