Matt Mitchell

• Name — Matt Mitchell • Born — 19 July 1975 • Instrument — Piano • Genre — Jazz • Occupation — Musician, composer • Years Active — Late 1990s–present • Website — mattmitchell.us

Mitchell was born on July 19, 1975. He grew up in Exton, Pennsylvania. He first played the piano aged six, and composed from the age of 10. He had lessons in jazz and theory at a university from the age of 12. At this stage he was influenced by pianists Keith Jarrett and Herbie Hancock.

Mitchell attended Indiana University for three years and then, in the late 1990s, he completed a master's degree at the Eastman School of Music and settled in New York. In 1999, he contacted saxophonist Tim Berne for some of his scores, but did not pursue the contact further at that point. Mitchell had various jobs in New York, but chose to return to Philadelphia. He then worked in a library at The University of the Arts for nine years before leaving when he had too many gigs to fit in. In 2011, Mitchell had a sextet named Central Chain. In 2012, Mitchell introduced a new trio, with Chris Tordini on bass and Dan Weiss on drums. In the early 2010s, Mitchell was also part of Berne's Snakeoil band, and John Hollenbeck's Large Ensemble and Claudia Quintet. In 2014, Mitchell joined Rudresh Mahanthappa's band, and recorded with the saxophonist later that year. Mitchell has written and published several collections of études. His 2017 release A Pouting Grimace is"a 10-part suite extrapolated from a one-bar vamp reminiscent of Roscoe Mitchell's 1977 piece 'Nonaah'."

A New York Times reviewer commented in 2011 that Mitchell "feels close to the consensus language of straight-ahead jazz but wants to get beyond it. He does it with hands moving in independent parts, with polyrhythms, with music that approaches the technical level of études but that churns and whirls and leaves spaces for broad interpretation." Mitchell has been described as "a chameleon, able to take on completely different musical personas across of fast array of situations." Another New York Times reviewer observed that "Mitchell has his guideposts as an improviser, including Paul Bley and Andrew Hill, pioneers of stubborn poise and self-containment". Mitchell's playing reflects a thorough understanding of his predecessors but remains powerfully singular: "Mitchell is special [...] because he weaves together understanding of perhaps four distinct and critical jazz piano traditions, pulling in impressionistic texture from Bill Evans/Herbie Hancock, ravenous but dynamic attack from Cecil Taylor/Don Pullen, the rhythmic rush of Bud Powell, and the comfort with abstract melodic logic of Paul Bley. Does Mitchell, therefore, sound schizophrenic or derivative? No – over and over he sounds like himself: the most complete and well-integrated improvising pianist of the last 15 years."

• Year recorded — Title — Label — Personnel/Notes • 2000 — Adenium (v. 1) — Scrapple — As Kaktus; trio, with Aaron Meicht (trumpet), Lars Halle (drums) • 2000 — Adenium (v. 2) — Scrapple — As Kaktus; trio, with Aaron Meicht (trumpet), Lars Halle (drums) • 2001 — Sharing the Dry — Scrapple — As Kaktus; trio, with Aaron Meicht (trumpet), Lars Halle (drums) • 2002 — Feigner — Scrapple — As Feigner; trio, with Aaron Meicht (trumpet, electronics), Brendan Dougherty (drums, electronics) • 2004 — Laughter only Feigned Reproach — Scrapple — As Feigner; trio, with Aaron Meicht (electronics) and Brendan Dougherty (electronics) • 2005 — Vapor Squint, Antique Chromatic — Scrapple — Solo • 2013* — Fiction — Pi — Duo, with Ches Smith (drums) • 2015* — Vista Accumulation — Pi — Quartet, with Chris Speed (tenor sax, clarinet), Christopher Tordini (bass), Dan Weiss (drums) • 2017* — Førage — Screwgun — Solo, performing the music of Tim Berne • 2017* — A Pouting Grimace — Pi — With Scott Robinson (bass sax, contrabass clarinet), Jon Irabagon (soprano sax, sopranino sax), Ben Kono (oboe, English horn), Sara Schoenbeck (bassoon), Anna Webber (flute), Katie Andrews (harp), Patricia Brennan (vibraphone, marimba), Ches Smith (vibraphone, glockenspiel, marimba, timpani, percussion), Dan Weiss (tabla), Kim Cass (double bass), Kate Gentile (drums, percussion) • 2018* — Angel Dusk — Screwgun — Duo, with Tim Berne (alto sax) • 2019* — Phalanx Ambassadors — Pi — With Miles Okazaki (guitar), Patricia Brennan (vibraphone, marimba), Kim Cass (double bass), Kate Gentile (drums, percussion) • 2020 — Spiders — Out of Your Head — Duo, with Tim Berne (alto sax); in concert • 2021 — Snark Horse — Pi — Duo, co-led with Kate Gentile (drums); with guest appearances from the Snark Horsekestra (Kim Cass, Ben Gerstein, Jon Irabagon, Davy Lazar, Mat Maneri, Ava Mendoza, Matt Nelson, Brandon Seabrook) • 2022 — One More, Please — Intakt — Duo, with Tim Berne (alto sax) • 2023 — Illimitable — Obliquity — Solo • 2024 — Zealous Angles — Pi — Trio, with Chris Tordini (bass), Dan Weiss (drums)

• Year recorded — Leader — Title — Label • 2003* — A History of Madness — Cuneiform • 2004* — Upon Both Your Houses — Nearfest • 2006* — Ralph — Anastomosi — Abeat • 2011* — What Is the Beautiful? — Cuneiform • 2011 — Tim — Snakeoil — ECM • 2012* — Michael — Spun Tree — Clean Feed Records • 2012* — Darius — Book of Mæ'bul (Another Kind of Sunrise) — AUM Fidelity • 2012* — Mike — Of the Woods — Mike Lorenz Music • 2012 — Dave — Be Still — Greenleaf Music • 2013 — Tim — Shadow Man — ECM • 2013 — Dave — Time Travel — Greenleaf Music • 2014* — Dan — Fourteen — Pi • 2014* — Anna — Simple — Skirl • 2014 — Rudresh — Bird Calls — ACT • 2015 — Mario — Blue Dialect — Clean Feed Records • 2015* — Dave — Brazen Heart — Greenleaf Music • 2015* — Dave — Brazen Heart – Live at Jazz Standard — Greenleaf Music • 2015 — Tim — You've Been Watching Me — ECM • 2015* — Tineke and Greg Osby — Sonic Halo — Challenge • 2016* — Quinsin — Flux — Mythology • 2016 — Sebastian — Shelter — Fresh Sound New Talent • 2017 — Steve — Morphogenesis — Pi • 2017* — Mario — Chrome — Playscape • 2017 — Jonathan — Moving Still — Pi • 2017 — Tim — Incidentals — ECM • 2017 (released 2018) — John — All Can Work — New Amsterdam • 2017 — Yuriy —...For Its Beauty Alone • 2018* — Dan — Starebaby — Pi • 2018 — Jonathan — 3 Times Round — Pi • 2018* — Quinsin — Path of Totality — Whirlwind • 2019 — Sam Ospovat — Ride Angles — Skirl • 2022 — Miles — Miniature America — Cygnus • 2023 — Miguel — Golden City — Miel Music • 2024* — Kim — Levs — Pi