Who am I? In short, I am just a guitar player in Philadelphia PA who has made a webpage...Ok I suppose the obligatory bio is in order. I have this space so I might as well use it, and give you an idea of who I am.

I started playing guitar in the seventh grade after being blown away by 70's progressive rock and the classic pop/rock my parents played at home. This was actually the early 80's so I was hopelessly out of step with my peers. While the other kids were hyped up on the new and exciting MTV network, I was happy to gaze at the fold out album covers for yessongs and Rush's Exit Stage Left. I was proud to know the lyrics to most Brian Wilson songs while my lab partners in chemistry poked fun at me for my obscure taste(by their standards), and for not knowing the words to duranduran's Hungry Like the Wolf. I am happy to say I managed to survive that time period without purchasing a single Flock of Seagulls record,wearing parachute pants, or seeing a Pat Bennetar concert. So basically I was a geek.

So I got a guitar and learned Rush tunes, Led Zep tunes, the intro to "roundabout", and bought a guitar player magazine.(the beginning of my life-long equipment obsession). A few high school battle of the bands later and I was hooked. So off to GIT upon graduation, much to my mother's dismay, who wanted me to stay in Connecticut and go to real college. At GIT I learned alot, mostly by practicing and spending all my savings on cd's from the first Tower records I had ever seen. I got really into allan holdsworth, scott henderson, and discovered wes montgomery. I graduated and decided LA was too hot and expensive for a 19 year old who only wanted to practice.

So back to CT where I started giving guitar lessons, started a jazz trio, and chipped away at a bachelor's degree in philosophy (yeah don't laugh). I would drive to boston now and then to take lessons with mick goodrick. I soon graduated (again), and started playing weddings, barmitzvahs, atlantic city, the foxwoods and mohegan sun casinos, newport festivals, cruise ships, bars, dives, blah blah... soon I craved change.

So I came to Philly and got a masters in Jazz Studies from University of the Arts. I have been here teaching and gigging now since 1998 and recently recorded my CD of original Jazz Ya Know.....It's Go!  It is a funny name but I stumbled on it through a 10 year old student and I liked the vague sentiment. I think those who like Pat Metheny's Trio stuff, Kurt Rosenwinkle, or just like neat guitar stuff, will dig this CD. If you are interested in a CD or have questions or comments about me or this site, drop an e-mail!
Matt