"Matt Brubeck's facility with the
instrument,
bowing or plucking, seems to allow him to
play whatever
occurs to him."
Doug Ramsey, Rifftides
In the pop/rock world, Matt's eclectic adventures have included touring with the Dixie Chicks, Sheryl Crow, and the Indigo Girls, as well as performing and/or recording with Tom Waits, Sarah McLachlan, Natalie MacMaster, Tracy Chapman and others. During his many years in San Francisco, Matt collaborated with various musicians, including Ben Goldberg, Scott Amendola, Gino Robair, Myles Boisen, John Schott, and Pamela Z. He founded Oranj Symphonette, which recorded two CD's for Rykodisc and went on to play many of the major jazz festivals, from Monterey to Montreal. He worked for several years as composer and cellist/bassist with the San Francisco based Club Foot Orchestra, contributing to critically acclaimed scores for film and television. Alongside all his other musical endeavors, Matt continued to play classical cello and was a member of Kent Nagano's Berkeley Symphony Orchestra from 1989-2003. In 2008, Matt participated in the Grammy award winning Songs of Joy and Peace project with cellist Yo-Yo Ma (video). Matt has enjoyed performing with a wide range of other musicians including Evan Parker, Carlos del Junco, John Geggie, Tanya Kalmanovitch, Pierre Tanguay, Anne Bourne, and David Mott.
Matt is on the music faculty at York University and Humber College. He teaches jazz strings, improvisation, composition, and leads various ensembles. (And, yes, he is the tallest son of Dave.)
Matt Brubeck is a composer/performer specializing in improvisation on the cello. Classically trained, with a Master's in cello performance from Yale, Matt is at ease in multiple genres and has taken his cello improvisation skills into diverse musical territories. He also plays piano and bass.
Presently residing near Toronto, Matt performs with an array of jazz and improvising artists. Current projects include Brubeck Braid, whose 2007 CD, twotet/deuxtet was nominated for both a JUNO award and a National Jazz award in 2008. Brubeck Braid has toured Australia, China, Ontario, and Quebec. Matt is also a member of Ugly Beauties (a trio with pianist Marilyn Lerner and drummer Nick Fraser). Their critcally acclaimed, eponymous CD Ugly Beauties was released on the Ambience Magnetique label in May 2009. The trio performed at jazz festivals across Canada that summer. Additionally, Matt performs with Stretch Orchestra, a trio with guitarist Kevin Breit and percussionist Jesse Stewart. Stretch Orchestra, which just released its first CD in September 2011, has performed at the Atlantic and Guelph Jazz Festivals, the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, and been recorded live by CBC. Stretch Orchestra is working on a Canadian tour for the summer of 2012.
"You are a fantastic cellist! Yo-Yo Ma