Born: August 17, 1951 Primary Instrument: Flugelhorn
A professional musician for over forty years, multi-instrumentalist Matt Finley is a native of Lake George, New York. He graduated from Union College, where he led a combined Union/SUNY Albany/RPI Jazz Workshop to a semi-final appearance at the American College Jazz Festival and received honorable mention in the New York Times. Matt earned his master's degree from the College of Saint Rose and is permanently certified to teach music in New York State. He performed for many years with Grammy-winning baritone saxophonist Nick Brignola and was a featured trumpet soloist and arranger with the Albany Jazz Workshop. Matt studied composition with Edgar Curtis, Founding Director of the Albany Symphony Orchestra.
A long-time member of American Federation of Musicians Local 238, Matt is a retired professor of computer information systems and was academic dean at Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, New York. For many years, Matt accomplished his goal of learning to play a new instrument every year to improve his composing and arranging abilities. Not only a multi-instrumentalist, he is in demand as a composer, arranger, sound engineer and recording sideman. Matt recently served as guest clinician for the 2006 Dutchess County All-County High School Jazz Festival, and performed by his original compositions by invitation at the Temecula (California) International Jazz Festival.
Matt currently leads Rio JAZZ, a Brazilian jazz concert sextet formed in 1988 featuring recording artists Peter Tomlinson, Jeff Ciampa, Mark Egan, and more than forty outstanding world-class jazz performers over the past twenty years. Recently, Matt has performed with Peter Einhorn (guitar) and Don Miller (acoustic bass) in smaller settings as Brazilian Jazz & Beyond. Matt is also musical director for his wife, singer/songwriter Denise Jordan Finley for her large-scale projects. They live in New York's Mid-Hudson Valley and in Lake George.
Matt's new CD, “Brazilian Wish” on the Kingsmill Music label features original jazz sambas and bossa novas, played by some of the best musicians in the world!
Matt also performs on “Hauntress”, the new CD by Denise Jordan Finley on Dome Island Records, produced by bassist Daniel Pagdon.
Matt has performed with Nick Brignola, Kenny Blake, Brad Upton, Dave Holland, Glen Moore, Joel Rosenblatt, Mark Egan and many others.
”Remarkable technique on trumpet & flugelhorn” - Schenectady Gazette
”Standout solo trumpet” - Troy Times Record
”Execution is virtually flawless; he smokes on every tune” - Frank Villafane, VINILEMANIA.NET
”Your playing certainly is top-notch - best of luck” - Russ Davis, XM Radio
”Great energy! Warm, bright & relaxed.” - Kate Goldsmith, Taconic Press
”Your CD sounds great!” - Rachell Bivins, ABYSSJazz Magazine
