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Matt Kay's Hustle

Matt Kay's Hustle - Blues Boulevard

Matt Kay's Hustle - Blues Boulevard

Upcoming Shows

Bio

Matthew Kay was born in Greenville, SC and raised in Easley, SC. In school, he developed a talent for literature, winning awards and being featured in the school literary magazines. After performing with the South Carolina Children’s theater, he developed a love of dramatic art, performing at Greenville Little Theater and Easley Foothills Playhouse. After hearing Led Zeppelin III, he decided he had to play the guitar, teaching himself and practicing up to 20 hours a day. 

In the car one day with Barry Kerr (brother of Ronnie Milsap’s drummer Alan Kerr), he heard a sound that would change him forever. “THAT is the sound I want to make,” he said. The sound: Return to Forever. 

Three days later he bought To the Stars, one of Chick Corea’s most virtuosic and underappreciated albums. He began to study jazz privately as well as classical guitar. After meeting bass virtuoso Shaun Ritchie, a relative and neighbor of Barry’s, he began to perform live, playing sessions with Shaun, the Blue Note Trio, and the Carolina Classical Guitar Orchestra while teaching and searching for his own sound. Today, Matthew continues to teach at Palmetto Fine Arts Academy with bandmate Cameron Morris. 

The Hustle is comprised of professional musicians who bring an amazing energy to any work they take on. Shaun Ritchie is a true virtuoso of the bass guitar, giving his full energy and intensity to every performance and playing at speeds that are nearly unimaginable without losing musical expression or rhythmic relevance. As talented a composer as a performer, Shaun offers many original works to The Hustle. 

John Taylor is a drummer’s drummer, playing on call gigs for bands from country to jazz regularly. Fitting in like clockwork with Shaun, John’s talent is only exceeded by his dedication to expression. Whether it is swing, funk, latin, or straight ahead, John is a truly arrived musician who is always striving to play better than the day before. 

Steve Sarant, flutist and multi-instrumentalist, has been performing jazz, classical, and modern music for decades. A brilliant and intuitive improviser, he adds a tone and texture to music that is rare to find in a performer. Still growing and practicing, he is a sophisticated musician with an unbelievable work ethic. 

Cameron, a rising star and eminent guitar virtuoso, is talented across the board. Whether playing jazz, classical, rock, or gospel, his intuition and musical telepathy is nearly unheard of for someone his age. A relentless learner and explorer, he adds colors and rhythmic shapes to music that are both modern and instantly classic. 

The real star of the show, though, is Blues Boulevard Jazz. Dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in performance, any musician who plays the BBJ stage can immediately hear the dedication put in to the sound system, the stage, and atmosphere. It seems to have been built with one idea in mind: the best EVERYTHING. While other venues are blissfully ignorant of jazz’s place in the history of American music, Blues Boulevard consistently commits to artists who refuse to compromise their love of instrumental music and exploratory rhythm and harmony. 

The Age of Exploration is here. Now. At Blues Boulevard Greenville. The future of jazz will be shaped here. Will you be there? 


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