Boogie Woogie, that's my music! I've been playing boogie woogie and blues piano since I was a young boy, and I play live at festivals, stages and events of all kinds.
The pianist Memphis Slim introduced me to the blues. When I went to his concert, I was blown away by this hot and expressive music. I wanted to learn this music myself and from then on I went to numerous concerts by boogie pianists, browsed record stores and sat at the piano for several hours a day to try out what I could hear live.
Soon there were the first small live performances, people exchanged ideas, went to jam sessions and played in different bands. Since the 90s the larger public performances have started.
Musically, my playing is rooted in the music of Boogie Woogie pianists such as Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson, Meade Lux Lewis andNew Orleans pianists like Fat Domino, Allen Toussaint, James Booker, Ray Charles.
I went to Munich in 1996 and initially studied teaching at the LMU Munich, where I completed my first state examination in 2001. Parallel to my studies, I was of course musically active and quickly found connections to various bands in the Munich music scene. During this time, I also took a trip to New Orleans, the Mecca of my blues and boogie music. There I met various musicians and played on numerous sessions, for example with Eddie Bo, who was quite well known in the 60s for his song 'Hey Mr. Popeye'.
In 1999 I went to Paris for a year as part of the educational exchange service. In addition to my internship at schools as a language teacher, I attended the 'Paris Jazz School' and continued my musical education there. There I deepened my knowledge of the art of improvisation and the theory of harmony in jazz.
After my return, I decided to devote myself entirely to my musical career and began touring as a musician in 2002. In the years that followed, I was able to make around 80 appearances a year as a soloist or band pianist and became a professional musician.
This was followed by participation in bands and various projects, such as the Original Bill Haley Orchestra, and then tour accompanies Wanda Jackson as a pianist, at the Elvis Presley Tribute Roadshow, with bands such as Honky Tonk Five, and many more. Also worth mentioning is his participation as a pianist in various theater productions such as 'Siegfried', 'Watzmann', or 'Der Verkaufte Väter' in the Munich Lustspielhaus.
In 1999 my debut solo album 'Boogie Woogie Contours' was released on the Munich FLUXX label.
Two more albums (Shakin The Boogie, Sweet) followed in the following years. With my newly founded trio 'Gentlemen of Boogie' I released the CD 'Boogie Lounge' in 2006, a mixture of boogie woogie and crossover jazz pieces.
Today you can hear me as a soloist, but also in various band projects, such as my Boogie Trio or in various Rockabilly and Rock'n Roll bands.
So follow my motto: Act like Boogie! …and
Do the Boogie with Matt!
