Matthew Rait is an accomplished guitarist and educator whose playing is deeply rooted in jazz while drawing inspiration from popular music and folk traditions. His playing is influenced by jazz guitar masters Ed Bickert, Lenny Breau, and Joe Pass, as well as songwriters such as Sting and Paul Simon. Matthew completed a Ph.D. in musicology in 2019, culminating in his dissertation, The Music of Sting. His doctoral research included interviews with artists such as Sting, Branford Marsalis, Rob Mathes, Laila Biali, and Jason Rebello, as well as a chance meeting with Jeff Beck at Centre in the Square in Kitchener. Matthew weaves these eclectic influences together to create meaningful melodic lines and beautiful jazz harmonies.
As a performer, Matthew has shared the stage and recorded with a wide range of accomplished Canadian musicians, including Barry Elmes, Lenny Boyd, Artie Roth, Lorne Lofsky, Pat Collins, Ian Bell, and Mary-Catherine Pazzano. His recorded work includes collaborations with Ron Westray on Jimi Jazz and Magisteria, his own release 6th Line, and the forthcoming album Fiasco with The Treeline, a folk-rock band based in Norfolk County. Matthew has performed at festivals throughout Ontario, including the Orillia Jazz Festival, Barrie Jazz and Blues Festival, Orangeville Jazz and Blues Festival, and Mill Race Festival of Traditional Folk Music. He has taught at York University and Wilfrid Laurier University and continues to teach privately and with a local school board in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.
Matthew will be joined by Ken McDonald on bass and Steve James on drums, bringing together a dynamic trio for an evening of improvisation, jazz standards, and musical exploration.
Personnel:
Mathew Rait-guitar
Ken MacDonald-bass
Steve James-drums