Wayne Matthews
Music
Hi guys, I am very pleasd to announce my new official association with D'Addario strings! Many thanks to Joel Stanley and the staff at D'Addario for their support.
Click below for the mini blog and on the icon opposite to see which type of strings I use.
New Product Association!
May 15th 2014
Just a quick announcement that the the Platinum Rogues have updated their website with tons more content!
Click on the logo to check it out!
June 25th
It is HOT in July! World Cup Fever, Brazilian type weather and for me a nice crop of gigs in store.
Mario Bakuna, Ian Hill, Sheila Waterfield, Festivals and a few Castles for starters!
July 18th
What's Going On?
The weather's a changing! Time to top up on the vitamins! Back to school, the 9-5. Also time I shared a few more adventures!
Including new discoveries of old marerial..
Say whattt?!
What's new?
September 12th
October 9th
Bill Laraunce 'Flint' Project
September has come and gone. The final quarter of the year already!! Fortunately, I can report on a productive month and the honour of watching some of the Snarky Puppy crew do their thang!
September 30th
Back to Graceland?
Zulu ballet anyone? The combination of the legendary Ladysmith Black Mambazo and a world class ballet troupe coming to MY hometown was just far too good not to check out (plus it helps when the MD is mate! :)
© Adam Levene for the Guardian
October 4th
Neon Villages
Announcing a new project headed by esteemed pianist and colleague David Austin Grey!
Soundbytes and info inside!
© Iza Korsak
c Katherine Beasley
November 3rd
What happens when a master Tabla player and master flamenco guitarist team up with lil ole me?
Plus new pics and sounds in the Gallery and the Soundcloud page!
Finally, just in case you missed out on some earlier blogs....
Brand New Trio Project
Anaconda Bass Showcase
November 17th
This beauty on the right will be in my hands in a lttle over a week on the 28th at the Anaconda Bass Showcase at the Premises Studios in Hackney.
The event will be hosted by Anaconda CEO and chief Luthier Andrew Taylor-Cummings along with endorsees Mike Prince, Russ Sargeant, Nathan Bossoh and Fracesco Milazzo. It promises to be an incredible night of incredible basses in the hands of incredible bassists. Can't wait!
Come and check it out!
Just in case you missed my connection with Anaconda Basses, check out an earlier blog highlighting the London Bass Show at the London Olympia HERE
© Andrew Taylor-Cummings
© Juggy Rihal Masterclass
Neon Villages Update
November 23rd
The Neon Villages crew were in the BCU Studio on the Birmingham Think Tank Site for another recording session, this time all originals including one of mine.
New pictures inside the Neon Villages Blog. Click on the icon or picture opposite to see more!!
© Iza Korsak
February 8th 2015
Quick Catchup!!
What's up family?! Hope the New Year is treating you well. I thought I'd update you on things are going so far!
Four projects are up and running and are shaping up to be very productive!
The Year kicked off with a gig at the Bilston Trumpet with Sheila Waterfield, also the Stylebar Jazz Jam hosted by Ian Hill, David Anderson on Drums, Tony Freeman on Guitar and Neil Hunter on keys that had Sheila getting up to sing 'Summertime'.
Then it was over to Hinckley for the Greyhound Jazz Jam, that had Al Sanders, Michelle Crooks on vocals, Graham Dent on Keys and the great Dougie Wright on Drums.
The last Saturday in January saw the debut of the 'Brothers Blue' in Coventry at the Urban Coffee Company in the New Fargo Village. We had a fantastic Quartet in David Speedy, Neil Hunter and Dougie Wright on Drums. The venue is great for live music with comfortable, inviting surroundings and amazing food!
The Rugby Jazz Jam at the Style Bar in Rugby. Tony Freeman on Guitar, Neil Hunter on Piano, Ian Hill on Sax, Sheila Waterfield on vocals, Nicholas Long on Trumpet, David Anderson on Drums and Wayne Matthews on Acoustic Fretless Bass
The 'Brothers Blue' at The Urban Coffee Company in the new Fargo Village in Coventry. David Speedy on Trumpet, Neil Hunter on Keys, Dougie Wright on Drums and Wayne Matthews on Bass.
Neon Villages, recorded their EP at Park Studios JQ in Birmingham on the 26th-28th January. The raw mixes already sound pretty good, so I'm really looking forward to the final results.
Finally, there was a Two Day recording session with the Neon Villages at Park Studios JQ in Birmingham. We recorded four original tracks which will be part of an upcoming E.P. in the next few months.
We also had our very first gig on Feb 6th at the Red LIon in the Jewellery Quarter as part of the Birmingham Jazz Series. It was a great success with the added excitement of a couple hairy moments! :)
Check out the a clip form the live show here:
@ Jazz West Midlands
@ IK Photography
@ Wayne Matthews Music
It's an exciting time musically for me, a lot of mainly original projects about to take off.
Stay tuned and see where it leads.
February 16th
Post Valentines Day Roundup!!
Hey guys, hope you all had a great Valentines Day weekend. Mine was....no business of yours! :)
Just a brief update on goings on over the last week or so.
Recently I went to visit my friend Mario Bakuna, who I have worked with over the last 9-10 months on Brazilian Jazz projects (Check out previous blogs HERE and HERE. He invited me to be part of a new venture featuring his countryman Filipe Amorim, Cypriot vocalist and Latin dancer Andria Antoniou making it a truly International band! :)
Check it out!
I must congratulate Mario and his wife Patricia on the birth of their son Thomas!
Don't forget to like to like the video!
See ya!
February 26th
Thursday Throwback!!
What's up people! My old drummer buddy Matt Parker recently put an old E.P. on Youtube.
The band was Neo Soul/JazzFunk outfit called
'TimeSquared' - the name derived from the great album by the 'Yellowjackets' My time in this band was a seminal moment in my developement as a bassist. I learnt how to solidify my groove playing and my composing came along in leaps and bounds.
On the video opposite is the tune I contributed
called 'Wrong For Being Right'.
Vocalist Cat McTigue wrote the lyrics, Matt Parker helped with the arrangement and the main chordal structure was by yours truly.
Other band members were keyboardist Matt Bramhall, Rob Newton - percs/BVs, Liz Ralls - trumpet, Gaz Rollins and later Marcus Gorman on tenor sax.
Check it out! The whole E.P. can be heard HERE
Til the next time!
March 1st
Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus!
Happy St David's Day!
I'll let you know how my Welsh Cakes went down! :)
Just a few new Hi Res pics in the gallery this time from the Brothers Blue gig at Fargo Village courtesy of Richard Pearce.
Click on the pic opposite to go straight to the gallery!
@ Richard Pearce
March 11th
London Bass Show 2015!
Hey family!
What's happening? It's been a busy few weeks,
lots has happened from Bass Shows, gigs and oh a new
endorsement! More of that later!
Let's start with this year's London Bass Show:
Click HERE for more!
New Endorsement!
March 14th
Hey guys,
It is with immense pleasure I can announce that I am now an official Ananaconda Basses Endorsee! We have had an unofficial association for just over a year.
If you remember, I played at the 2014 London Bass Guitar Show on the Anaconda Bass Stand with a few other incredible bassists such as my bro Reed Bass, Mike Flynn, Francesco Milazzo, David Omoregie and Russ Sargeant.
The bass in question is the one pictured,
a Crusher CXE6 - The very same bass I played at the showcase in November 2014.
There will be a few demo videos going up soon so keep a look out! Some of my favourite basslines and some noodling! :)
I even made the players page!
http://www.anacondabasses.co.uk/players/4588803476
Full specs of the bass can be seen HERE
Yes, the bass pictured both here and in the link above is mine! :)
© Andrew Taylor-Cummings
© Andrew Taylor-Cummings
© Andrew Taylor-Cummings
Pride of Coventry Awards
2015
March 22nd
Hello Again!
Just a quick recap on another event I had the privilege of taking part it - The Pride OF Coventry Awards. Recognising unsung heroes in this fair City for their dedication to charitable and noble causes.
As part of the 3 Minute Hero Band 'Ruder Than U' we represented the proud Ska history of Coventry.
There were a good few celebritries on show and contestants from 'The Voice' - Letitia George, Lee Glasson and Karl Loxley.
Click HERE for more info!
Park Studio JQ Photoshoot
April 5th
What is up family!
I managed to unearth some fine photos from the recent Park Studios JQ Session with Neon Villages by Garazi Photography. http://www.garazi.co.uk/
I can highly recommand the studio, great facilities,
high quality equipment and an engineer with musicians' ears.
The full gallery can be seen HERE
Flamenco Fusion
March 28th
One of the most challenging aspects in life is to leave your comfort zone and take on something, maybe nor unfamiliar but certainly not something that comes easily.
So for me to play with reknowned flamenco duo David and Tony Shepherd, it was a huge chalenge personally but also one of THE most rewarding and enjoyable gigs I've had the pleasure of partaking in.
My next gig at Strays Cafe will be June 25th 2015 with 3 Way Split:
http://www.strayscoffee.co.uk/gig/3-way-split/
June 2nd
It's Been a While!!
Firstly, I must apologise for not keeping you all up to date with what's going on. I've been pretty busy working. So on that side it's been very productive, on the downside the lack of spare time to work on things like this website and my window to my fantastic audience!
So look out for some new blogs and more brilliant news!
Welcome! Bienvenue! Accoglienza! welkom!
Remember my friend Mario Bakuna? Here we are at the 'Agile Rabbit' in Brixton Market way back in February. Fantastic gig, if it was a 'tad' cold!!
Welcome to my website, I hope you'll find your time here enjoyable.
It's here to show you what's going on in my musical world and to offer teaching via videos, skype audio and the written word.
Please take a look around, check out the blogs, picture and video galleries and most importantly, get in contact, tell me what you like or don't like and let's have some dialogue!
I trade as a bassist, but I'm really a musician who happens to play the bass.
Check out the new single by Neon villages!!
There will be an E.P. available online and as a CD later in June 2015.
Check out the photoshoot from the recording HERE Our mini tour schedule HERE.
June 7th
Neon Villages Tour!!
Pleased to announce a mini tour in conjunction with the release of the Neon Villages single:
'A Place Where Love Will Follow'
Hope to see you at one of the gigs!
June 10th
Neon Villages Hit St. Ives!!
Leg 1 of the Neon Villages tour was a tremendous success! Such a beautiful part of the country at a 1st rate venue and hospitality!
See more of the mini tour inside!
