Matt Zarb: Media

Capital News July 2010- ENLARGE THIS ARTICLE TO READ

Capital News July 2010- ENLARGE THIS ARTICLE TO READ PDF

 Capital News July Baby Marli

http://www.northerndailyleader.com.au/blogs/country-music-notes-with-anna-rose/new-bub-live-recording-part-of-matt-zarbs-master-plan/1841325.aspx

 

http://focusmag.com.au/mgl/interviews/matt-zarb

He has performed on stages around the world, and now guitar supremo MATT ZARB calls Tamworth home.

Late last month this gifted musician married the love of his life, Lesley Ammann, and they can’t wait to write the next chapter of their love story as Mr and Mrs Zarb, from Country Music Capital.
Matty and Lesley have lots to look forward to – not the least of which is Matty’s exciting new album, Rose Matilda, which is gaining airplay right around the country.
Rose Matilda is a compilation of three different projects and gives the listener a great insight into the vibrancy of Matty’s live shows – as well as a little of who the man is behind the magic Maton.
Jack and Rose Matilda O’Keefe were Matty’s grandparents and the title track tells the story of their love. His 92-year-old grandfather Jack’s voice can be heard on track one, while Vincent Road tells the story of where Matty was born. There’s also the funky What Do You Think About That and the beautiful ballad, Saturday Night In The Hall.
Each of these tracks is being heard across the country, but he feels his newest recorded effort, which is about to be released to radio this month, will be the ultimate music to listeners’ ears.
It’s Matty’s own version of the 1974 ROSS RYAN classic, I Am Pegasus. He was thrilled to have recorded the track at STEVE NEWTON’s Enrec Studio in Tamworth, utilising the talents of some amazing musicians including ANTHONY WALMSLEY, RANDALL WILSON, JEFF DALLAS, JODIE CROSBY and DOREEN CUMMINGS.
“Those guys all went out of their way to put everything into this song,” Matty said. “I couldn’t be happier with the results and I can’t wait to hear the reaction from radio.”
When Matty, Lesley and their two boys, Cale and Flynn, arrived in Tamworth in November 2008, it was apparent that a vibrant musical force had arrived on the scene.
In a very short time Matty has established himself as one of the most sought after solo acts in the North-West and New England, for festivals, special events and corporate functions.
And why wouldn’t he be? With credentials that few others possess, he’s a true force to be reckoned with on any stage.
Although he doesn’t consider himself a master guitarist, his unique style of playing and songwriting has landed him on stages with everyone from TOMMY EMMANUEL to WILLIE NELSON – and then some.
Matty spent three and half years living and working in Kentucky, in the United States, and while there he performed at numerous festivals and events across America, from Nashville to LA, playing the college circuit, countless radio and TV shows, in the fine company of his younger brother PAULY.
It was while Matty and Pauly were playing at a smoky little bar in Kentucky that they came to the attention of Eddie Mattingley, Trinity Music Productions owner and sponsor of the Acoustic Guitar Masters Concert Series.
Eddie invited Matty to perform on the Acoustic Masters Guitar Concert Series alongside fellow Aussie, Tommy Emmanuel, PAT KIRTLEY, STEPHEN BENNETT, BEPPE GAMBETTA, TONY MCMANUS and MICHAEL KELSEY.
“They’re the guys you read about in Guitar Player magazine,” Matty said. “Being asked to play on that stage is the biggest honour you can get as a guitar player.”
While Kentucky was musically fulfilling for Matty, Australia was calling this native son back home so he returned and eventually landed in Tamworth, the base from where he now tours and performs across the country.
Matty lives to play – and plays to live – and his much loved 15-year-old Maton is never far from his side. A Matt Zarb performance is full of exciting kicking, stomping, guitar, harmonica, mandolin playing and songs of his life and times.
His honesty in songwriting leaves you feeling you can relate to the real life issues that come up in his lyrics and storytelling. If he sings or plays a song or instrumental he has not written, you can guarantee it will have the Matty Zarb stamp on it, whether it’s The Devil Went Down To Krambach/Georgia or the famous MASON WILLIAMS hit, Classical Gas.
Live you get Matt’s “barefoot bushbilly bastard versions” – he never performs with shoes and stomps on his 11-year-old home-made stomp box and plays all his music live without a safety net.
Whether it’s in his kitchen, where he can also cook up a storm, or on the Manly ferry, you’ll find Matty Zarb singing and playing guitar with passion. Enjoy his next live performance – there’s no other option.

LOCAL community radio 2YOU-FM has a stack of great country programs in its weekly mix. I’ve really been enjoying Matty Zarb’s Acoustic Guitar Masters series each Monday from 6pm to 7pm. It’s not always country – but when you start a program with Chet Atkins and feature Tommy Emmanuel, it’s not all that hard to listen to, now is it? From 7pm to 8pm Matty just picks some great tunes from his iPod and goes for it. He’s a very natural presenter who has an absolute ball playing the music he loves. 2YOU can be found at 88.9 on the FM dial. 2YOU is the latest one to investigate live streaming so you can tune in via the internet, as well as on your radio dial. Stand by and I’ll get back to you with the latest developments in that department.

THE biggest news in Australian country music this week was the demise of the eight-year-long management arrangement between Troy Cassar-Daley and Jeff and Vicki Chandler’s Face The Music.In a release issued on Tuesday, Jeff Chandler said his company had enjoyed a very successful eight years with Troy and wished him all the best with his future endeavours.

Troy is moving forward, having just enjoyed a big Tamworth Country Music Festival, where he dropped in and did guest appearances with a heap of old mates. He also had a ball, with a heap of friends dropping in to his now traditional TRECC show – Troy Cassar-Daley and Friends on the Thursday of Festival week. I was at Stuie French’s Pickers’ Night on the Tuesday which featured The Feral Swing Katz as the core band. When Troy jumped up with Stuie French, Michel Rose, Chris Haigh and Andy Baylor – it was pure country joy to behold. The George Jones’ classic, He Stopped Loving Her Today, has never sounded better.

Troy’s guest appearance at Kevin Bennett and Friends that same night at the Tamworth was also proof positive he had a powerful Festival. You just had to see that Troy Cassar-Daley grin. It was almost like watching the young Troy buzz about town like he did years ago, when he lived here in Tamworth.

Now at radio, Big, Big Love is the first single from his much anticipated new album, I Love This Place, which will be released in April on the aptly named Liberation label. The single, Big, Big Love, was inspired by a text message Troy received from his good mate, new dad Keith Urban.

“Keith was on cloud nine after the birth of Sunday Rose and he signed off the text with ‘big love’. I sat down and wrote the song straight away, because love doesn’t get much bigger than the love for your family,” Troy said.


I Love This Place is set to be a career defining album for Troy, one he’s looking forward very much to sharing with his friends and fans right across Australia and the globe. Visit http://www.troycassardaley.com.au/ or www.myspace.com/cassardaley for your own private pre-release preview.

BECCY Cole posted a new blog on myspace earlier this week and it’s a pearler. It gives an insight into the lives of the young and the wrestlers – pillow wrestlers, that is. For those who think the stars come to Tamworth to do one show and then swan about being “stars” the rest of the time, think again. It’s hard work. I got exhausted just trying to keep up with Beccy’s hectic schedule!


It’s a very candid look at the Festival from Beccy’s viewpoint – and yes. There are some juicy bits, like Beccy’s ride in a police car and the inside dirt on who got into a pillow fight on awards night – but you will have to read it for yourself. Get onto www.myspace.com/beccycole and check it out. and check it out.

YOU will find a great little country music festival not too many hours’ drive from Tamworth at The Entrance on the Central Coast over March 6, 7 and 8. With 30 venues presenting more than 40 artists, in primarily free shows, it’s a beaut way to spend a long, lazy weekend away. I reckon you’ll be packing your bags once you see the impressive line-up – Gina Jeffreys, The Sunny Cowgirls, Travis Collins, Morgan Evans, Feral Swing Katz, Talia Wittmann, Steve Passfield, Tamara Stewart, Lucky Starr, Matt Zarb, Rod Dowsett, The Pigs, The Harmonators and even more still!

Travis was on fire during the Tamworth Festival. I caught him a few times and can’t believe how focused and ready this young man is. He puts 1000 per cent into every performance so look out Keith. He’s on your trail. And God love our little 2008 Star Maker winner, Talia Wittmann, who took out the New Talent GG. A South Aussie by birth, I reckon Tamworth can always lay claim to a Star Maker winner because this is where it all happens for them.

The Feral Swing Katz packed The Pub to capacity on VB Pickers’ Night – thanks to Stuie French and his musical cohorts – wife Camille Te Nahu, the man of steel Michel Rose (my Mauritian cousin) and special guest players throughout the night. Tamworth’s newest resident, guitar guru Matty Zarb is a fabulous act and a welcome addition to any festival program. From his Tamworth base, he shares his talents right around Australia.

So what’s not to like about the Central Coast Festival? Get on the phone or the net and find out more about it. Accommodation options can be explored by phoning 1300 724 104. For general festival information ring 1800 335 377 or just jump on the website at www.theentrance.org

NU COUNTRY music guru David Dawson has announced the line-up for this weekend’s screening on Channel 31. Singing actor Trace Adkins hired acclaimed actor and director Stephen Baldwin for his new video clip that airs on Nu Country TV tonight at 8 o’clock on C31. Former buskers Old Crow Medicine Show also return to the program as an entrée to their first Australian tour in March. The quintet joins Taylor Swift, Deana Carter, Joe Nichols and Corb Lund among the headliners at the CMC Rocks the Snowys Festival at Thredbo on March 6 and 7.

Geelong-born Adam Harvey, also playing two major Victorian festivals, combines with Kevin Bloody Wilson in the video for their new hit Genie In The Bottle. Gippsland band Jetty Road, performing with Harvey at Whittlesea Country Festival on Sunday, return to the show with a video filmed in Nashville. And David Frizzell and Jett Williams carry on the family tradition in Nu Country’s new video vault segment. Visit www.nucountry.com.au for the full lowdown.
THIS weekend in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, there’s some mighty fine picking going on. It’s that time of year for the Acoustic Guitar Master Series, a feature of which is Tommyfest – smack bang in the middle of it all – starring Australia’s one and only Tommy Emmanuel. Tommy’s special guest on tonight’s concert is Aussie singer-songwriter and guitarist Rick Price. It’s a fairly elite club – those who have been invited to appear on the Acoustic Guitar Masters Series. Tommy, Rick and Tamworth resident Matty Zarb are the only Aussies to have appeared at this prestigious event.

Matty reckons Rick and Tommy are going to tear the place apart when Rick sings Tenterfield Saddler as Tommy picks out the tune. I’ve got goose bumps just imagining how wonderful that will be. The next best thing to being there would be to get hold of Tommy’s Center Stage double CD and DVD set. You can find out more about the Acoustic Guitar Masters Series at www.acousticguitarmasters.com

Zarb takes stage as a ‘Master' in his own right

Singer and songwriter Matt Zarb doesn't consider himself a master guitarist.
"Tommy Emmanuel is a master. Chet Atkins was a master," he said. "God's gift to me is me music, but I never considered myself that."
But, if Eddie Mattingly, owner of Trinity Music Productions and sponsor of the Acoustic Guitar Masters Concert Series, says he's good enough to play with the world's greatest pickers, then that's good enough for him.
Saturday, a week after his return to Kentucky from touring in Australia, Zarb will take the stage at the Hardin County Schools Performing Arts Center as the first act in the concert series, now in its sixth year.
Days before the event, he was still a little stunned at the players joining him in series performances throughout the season. Among them are Emmanuel, Pat Kirtley, Stephen Bennett, Beppe Gambetta, Tony McManus and Michael Kelsey.
"They're the ones you read about in Guitar Player magazine," Zarb said. "It's the biggest honor I've had as a guitar player."
To that, Mattingly said, "We're honored to have Matt play with us."
Originally from Penrith, Australia, Zarb has lived in Kentucky for three years, creating music that is a blend of Australian bush music and bluegrass he calls Aussie bush-grass.
"He's got a lot of energy, a lot of excitement and great music," Mattingly said.
He also sings.
"I'm not that sort of bloke to play one instrumental after another," Zarb said. "But your level of guitar play has gotta be up there."
It's Zarb's love of music and his ability to combine guitar playing styles to get what Mattingly calls the "Zarbanizing" effect that makes him a unique but fitting addition to the collection of world-renowned guitar players he brings to Hardin County.
To find guitarists at that level, Mattingly said he attends two major music festivals, the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society Convention in Nashville and the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kan., where thousands of guitar players flock each year.
"There are about 30 in the world that are this good," Mattingly said. "I've brought 19 here — the other 11 have called."
In its six years, the series has far exceeded Mattingly's expectations.
"It's got a life of its own, the word is getting out and it's getting back to me that somebody like James Taylor has heard of the series," Mattingly said.
It's a credit to Mattingly, Zarb said, that the series has garnered its reputation.
"He's a local guy who just believes in guitar players and wants to bring them to Kentucky," he said.
And, they come happily, Mattingly said. He's never had an invitation to play in the series turned down.
"When Tommy Emmanuel told me ‘yes,' no one else has told me ‘no.'"
Each Acoustic Guitar Master Concert Series show is the first Saturday of the month at the PAC, except in January. Tickets are $15 to all shows except Tommy Fest, a three-day event featuring Tommy Emmanuel. Tickets for Emmanuel's concerts are $20 with workshops costing $90.
Zarb's performance, featuring Pauly Zarb as special guest, will be 7:30 p.m. Saturday. For Tickets, call Trinity Music Production at (270) 325-3958.
Holly Tabor can be reached at 769-1200, Ext. 236, or by e-mail at htabor@thenewsenterprise.com.

Since Matt Zarb has moved to Kentucky, I have watched Matt's guitar playing skills advance rapidly as he absorbed the music he heard for the like of Pat Kirtley, Mason Williams, and Tommy Emmanuel. His new solo album "Hillbilly Bride" is a mixture of his Australian musical background and his new Kentucky roots. We call it "Aussie Bush Grass". I'm sure you will enjoy it very much.

This is from Geoff Morris from Australia who is one of the DJ’s on WWB on Fridays 5am – 8am EST, 8-11PM in Bendigo Australia. Geoff also does a broadcast radio show in Australia and is connected with the Bluegrass and Acoustic scene there somewhat.

I uploaded the Hillbilly Bride CD to the broadcast site for DJs and recommended it to Geoff, you can read his comments below and he is very interested in learning more about Matt. Hope this helps.

Marc Manning

From: Geoff Morris [mailto:geoff_hawkgrass@impulse.net.au]
Sent: Friday, March 02, 2007 9:29 PM
To: Marc Manning
Subject: Matt's album

Dear Marc,

Well, what a remarkable album your mate has knocked up here!

I loved it. My favourite track is, of course, "Rose Matilda" which I reckon I could play on the show no worries. It's got that floating, lilting Aussie-Celtic folky-bush ballad flavour to it; a lovely piece indeed.

"Southern Cross" is brilliant. Matt has a wonderful way with tight, powerful lyrics and how to phrase them rapidly and effectively into tight corners; he's a ripper!

What does he do in Kentucky apart from make superb original music?

the connection between Australia for the Aborigines and Kentucky for the Cherokee is very striking and powerful and fundamentally very accurate.

I loved his brilliantly racy "Hillbilly Bride", and in fact all around it is a highly original and beautifully executed album no doubt at all.

Does he ever actually play bluegrass? Clearly just one of his influences, of which there are many. How come he now lives in Kentucky? Was this a musical career choice or for some other collection of reasons?

Anyway, we're all very glad we've got him. Is this his first venture into recording? I'd be very surprised if it was.

When so many people, (those with commercial or marketing biases and interests, and just people who like to slot things neatly into immediately recognisable categories) how refreshing it is to find someone who just writes and sets about recording his own work in exactly the way he wants to, (that's right; just because he wants to!)

On the subject of that particular track, when I lived in Sydney I frequently used to take the Manly ferry trip across the harbour and back on a Sunday, just to blow cobwebs away, freshen up and get a wonderful dose of soft, cool ocean air, so I know what he means here.

Thanks again for the album; please convey to Matt my sincere congratulations on a terrific piece of work and tell him under no circumstances to lose that strong, fresh Aussie attitude.

Hear from you.

Geoff.