Matt Savage

True to that statement, Matt hasn't been just jammin' with the greats for the past six years he's been using those instincts to amass an impressive body of original work that has gained the respect of his peers and fans alike. "Quantum Leap" (Savage Records) is the superb new album from The Matt Savage Trio which features Matt on piano with his adult sidemen, John Funkhouser on bass and Steve Silverstein on drums. "Quantum Leap" also represents the Trio's first album to receive worldwide distribution via a new deal with Palmetto Records (MRI/RED). "What I love about jazz," says Matt, "is that you can break all the rules and be free." Matt has taken that freedom to new heights showcasing versatile techniques on such original compositions as "Curacao,"Blues in 33/8" and "Serenity." Matt was just 6 1/2 when his musical journey began. At that time, he taught himself to read piano music and immediately began studies in classical piano. He switched to Jazz after discovering the music of Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane and Miles Davis. Matt studied for 3 years at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and recorded his first solo album in 1999 in collaboration with the New England Conservatory, becoming the youngest child to perform at the NEPTA "Gifted and classical" recitals in 2000. The year also featured Matt playing piano for Dave Brubeck and jammed at a sound session with Chick Corea and his sidemen, Avishai Cohen and Jeff Ballard. The following year he was invited to a soundcheck to jam with jazz great McCoy Tyner and his sidemen, Avery Sharpe and Al Foster. In 2003, at the age of 11, Matt debuted at the famed Blue Note in Manhattan and was signed by Bsendorfer pianos, becoming the youngest person and only child, in their 178-year history, to become a Bsendorfer artist. The following year he debuted at Birdland, performing with the legendary Clark Terry on trumpet, Jimmy Heath on sax, Jon Faddis on trumpet, Marcus McLaurine on bass and Kenny Washington on drums. By 2005, Matt had performed twice with Chaka Khan. News of Matt's talent has spread throughout the jazz world. As jazz great Bobby Watson said, "Besides being an extremely gifted pianist and improviser, Matt has the musical instincts of a person many years older. To me this is the most incredible characteristic about Matt. " Matt has been reviewed by all of the great jazz publications and was heralded on" National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" as one of the most listened to programs of the year. Awards for Matt's musical accomplishments have been many. Among them, Matt earned ASCAP's 2004/2005 "Young Jazz Composer" award for his composition, "The Wild Rose," This year, he received a second award from ASCAP as one of their 2005/2006 "Young Jazz " winners for his composition, "Serenity." Throughout Matt's amazing young career, there have been numerous performances and appearances to support children and adults with disabilities and to support community outreach efforts to educate people about autism spectrum disorders. It is no small wonder, considering Matt has made an extraordinary emergence from his own autism, diagnosed at the age of 3. At that age, Matt could not communicate easily or withstand noises, not to mention music. His parents enrolled Matt in a special program for children with autism that involved patient training and a strict dietary and vitamin regime (the DAN Protocol). From age 3 to 7 Matt underwent speech therapy and occupational therapy. At age 6 1/2 he did a special auditory integration therapy to retrain his ears and make them less sensitive to sound. Matt was able to retune his sensory and social perceptions and his musical skills flourished. By 7 1/2 he had recorded his first album. In a remarkably short amount of time, Matt has emerged as an artist who is comfortable performing in front of audiences of all sizes. He is a welcomed, articulate and outgoing personality on national television and radio shows. Matt's journey has been documented in a worldwide broadcast in 2006 of a film entitled "Beautiful Minds - A Voyage into the Brain," a three-part series produced by German ARD television. Another highlight of 2006 was Matt's special appearance in April at MoMA, The Museum of Modern Art in New York City, in conjunction with the premiere of the three-part documentary "Ellington by Keys" produced by award-winning filmmaker, Gary Keys. Several of the compositions performed by Matt were from original Ellington manuscripts that had never before been published or performed. Matt Savage keeps good company with the music of the jazz greats, past and present. His enormous respect for their legendary bodies of work inspires and fuels his own unique jazz compositions and interpretations. As People Magazine wrote in 2002, "...jazz phenom Matt Savage unlocks a door to genius using 88 keys." With the release of each album, Matt has challenged "genius" by exploring and expanding his creative boundaries. At the age of 14, Matt continues to have vision and technique beyond his years as a composer and musician. Quantum Leap launches yet another chapter in Matt Savage's musical evolution as fans celebrate his prodigious rise in the world of jazz.