Matthew Alec

Matthew Alec

Musicians | Instrument: Saxophone, tenor | Location: Cleveland

Matthew Alec is rapidly making a name for himself as an emerging talent in the jazz scene.

—Jazziz Magazine

Updated: February 2, 2024

Born: October 9, 1983

Matthew Alec is a jazz and popular music saxophonist, founder and Executive Producer at Cleveland Time Records, and bandleader for the high-energy jazz fusion group Matthew Alec and The Soul Electric.

Nominated as “Cleveland’s Best Horn Player” by Cleveland Scene Magazine in 2009, Matthew has performed for over 20 years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Kent State University. He has toured nationally and has opened for a number of A-list acts including Earth, Wind, and Fire, Incubus, Robert Randolph and The Family Band, Keane, Average White Band, Lupe Fiasco, OAR, Ozomatli, Bret Michaels, Rusted Root, and others. He has performed with former Saturday Night Live Musical Director, CBS Orchestra member, and Blues Brothers bandsman Tom “Bones” Malone, internationally-acclaimed bassist Victor Wooten and his brother Roy “Futureman” Wooten, Saturday Night Live trombonist Steve Turre, Kenny G bassist Vail Johnson, Grammy-winning Ohio Players alumni Billy Beck, and Parliament-Funkadelic bassist Ben Powers, Jr. He has recorded with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Parliament-Funkadelic and Talking Heads member Bernie Worrell and aforementioned Tom "Bones"Malone.

His debut album as a leader Cleveland Time (which features Malone) was released in 2021 and charted for several weeks on the NACC Jazz Radio Chart, peaking at #13, and received international press from Jazziz Magazine, All About Jazz, JazzMonthly.com, SoulTracks.com, Broadway World, WBSS Media (UK), Glide Magazine, Cleveland.com, and many others. The hard bop blues “Blues for McCoy” (written by Matthew) off the album was a Semi-Finalist in the International Songwriting Competition for 2021 as well as one of All About Jazz’s most “Popular Jazz Songs” of 2021.​

At Kent State, he studied both 20th century classical music and jazz with Grammy-nominated saxophonist Greg Banaszak and longtime Cleveland Jazz Orchestra trombonist and composer Chas Baker. He is also a two-time attendee of the highly exclusive Inside / Outside Retreat for professional saxophonists held at Wooten Woods just south of Nashville, Tennessee. There he studied music, nature, and life in general with the “who’s who” of world-renowned jazz virtuosos, including saxophonists Bob Reynolds, Bob Franceschini, Joshua Redman, Jeff Coffin, Kirk Whalum, and Steve Wilson, pianist Aaron Goldberg, bassist Victor Wooten, and drummer Roy “Futureman” Wooten.

Matthew is also a founding member of “Cleveland’s Best Original Band,” Winslow. The original soul and funk outfit earned the moniker from both Cleveland Scene Magazine and Cleveland’s Fox 8 News. For nearly 10 years until the group parted ways he performed in many cities across the United States and recorded two full length albums as a soloist with the group: Crazy Kind of Love (2008) (which featured Bernie Worrell) and Left of the Right Direction (2013), the latter of which he co-produced. Both drew national critical acclaim, features on AOL.com, MSN.com, and Reverbnation.com, and many radio spins across the U.S.

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Album Review

Matthew Alec: Cleveland Time

Read "Cleveland Time" reviewed by Troy Dostert


Tenor saxophonist Matthew Alec is on a mission--and it's all about furthering the jazz scene in his native Cleveland. This starts with his own music, of course, going back to his first band Winslow, a fixture in the Cleveland scene from 2005-2016, and now continuing with his current ensemble, the Soul Electric. Its first release, Cleveland Time, is a strong dose of funk-based fusion, and an auspicious start for Alec's new label, Cleveland Time Records. The album's opener, ...

559
Take Five With...

Take Five with Matthew Alec

Read "Take Five with Matthew Alec" reviewed by AAJ Staff


Meet Matthew Alec: Saxophonist, Executive Producer at Cleveland Time Records and bandleader for the jazz fusion group Matthew Alec and The Soul Electric. Nominated as 'Cleveland's Best Horn Player' by Cleveland Scene Magazine, Matthew earned his Bachelor's Degree in Music from Kent State University in 2007. While at KSU, he studied both 20th century classical music and jazz with Grammy-nominated saxophonist Greg Banaszak and longtime Cleveland Jazz Orchestra trombonist and composer Chas Baker. He is also a two-time attendee of ...

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Recording

Matthew Alec And The Soul Electric Release Debut Album 'Cleveland Time' Feat. Tom 'bones' Malone

Matthew Alec And The Soul Electric Release Debut Album  'Cleveland Time' Feat. Tom 'bones' Malone

Source: Big Picture Media

Jazz fusion ensemble Matthew Alec and The Soul Electric has released their new album Cleveland Time via Cleveland Time Records. Working alongside Cleveland-based producer Jim Stewart, the album was recorded in two separate sessions because of the ongoing pandemic. Fans can stream Cleveland Time from here. Cleveland Time marks the first album release from the group that features Matthew Alec (tenor saxophone and EWI), Brian Woods (piano, keyboards, organs, plus vocals on “Give What You Take” and “Baby You Got ...

"Matthew Alec is rapidly making a name for himself as an emerging talent in the jazz scene" - Jazziz Magazine

"Cleveland, OH jazz-fusion group Matthew Alec and The Soul Electric have got a rhythmic step in the down and dirty direction with some legit golden era funk that grabs the grooves of Tower of Power and snazzy sensibilities of The Greyboy Allstars" - Glide Magazine "the group has shared their first single "Give What You Take", premiering now with Glide Magazine. The new track mixes traditional jazz elements with pop hooks to create a genre-bending listening experience like no other." - Broadway World

David Sanborn
saxophone
Tom Scott
saxophone, tenor
Michael Brecker
saxophone, tenor
Brecker Brothers
band / ensemble / orchestra
John Coltrane
saxophone
Kenny Garrett
saxophone, alto
John Mayer
guitar
Joshua Redman
saxophone

Concerts

  Sat, May 25
  Sun, Jun 9
New York, NY
Matthew Alec and The Soul Electric at...
Shrine
Sun, Jun 9. 8:00 pm
  Sat, Jul 20
North Ridgeville, OH
Matthew Alec and The Soul Electric at...
South Central Park
Sat, Jul 20. 2:00 pm
  Fri, Aug 2
  Fri, Aug 16

Music

Baby You Got Me

From: Cleveland Time
By Matthew Alec

Blues for McCoy

From: Cleveland Time
By Matthew Alec