Matt Schofield Announces Summer Plans - Dates Begin 7/18 in Sacramento

                                                                                                                                                                 

MATT SCHOFIELD ANNOUNCES WEST COAST TOUR

ALONGSIDE ADDITIONAL SUMMER APPEARANCES

Provogue / Mascot Label Group Debut Far As I Can See

Further Establishes Schofield As One Of The Blues Brightest Stars

New York, NY --- Matt Schofield has revealed summer touring plans that include an extensive west coast itinerary.  The guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer will launch the run on July 18 in Sacramento, CA at Harlow's Night Club.  Additional appearances will take him through California, Oregon, and Washington before wrapping the western swing at the Kaslo Jazz Festival in British Columbia on August 2.  Schofield will then spend August in the Northeastern U.S., and September in the Midwest.  Prior, he is touring in Europe where he has become a significant attraction.  In North America, the legend inches closer, supported by fans, the Blues community and publications such as the L.A. Times who stated, "In Schofield the UK has produced the best blues guitarist from any country in decades.  Head and shoulders above the herd."

Provogue / Mascot Label Group released their Schofield debut FAR AS I CAN SEE on February 18th to raves.  Schofield has been frequently lauded as the British blues guitarist of current times, and on release Glide Magazine wrote, "One of his strongest works to date," while Blues Rock Review introduced a Q&A with the artist publishing, "A member of the British Blues Awards Hall of Fame, Matt Schofield is widely respected as one of the UK's top contemporary blues guitarists."  Overseas, Guitarist Magazine published simply, “There isn’t a better British blues guitarist playing currently.” With his debut album for Provogue, Schofield finds himself as representative for the long tradition of British Blues on the ultimate blues guitar label, and gaining a home amongst his peers - the world's greatest contemporary Blues players. 

Schofield's career has been gaining momentum for the last several years on both sides of the Atlantic.  Successful runs in the UK, Europe and North America have been met with critical acclaim and exponentially increasing audiences.  FAR AS I CAN SEE is Schofield's fifth album, offering two choice covers from his musical heroes alongside nine original tracks.  Long-time fans will anticipate the epic slow blues of "The Day You Left," as the guitarist re-harmonizes a traditional 12-bar form.  The album's second cut "Clean Break," is a classic trio shuffle, while "Getaway" exhibits Schofield is eager to continue finding new ways to play the Blues, integrating odd time signatures into the genre.  The instrumental cut "Oakville Shuffle," features a cameo by Denny Ilett, one of Schofield's favorite U.K. jazz/blues guitarists. With "Hindsight," the horn section is in full flight in a setting Schofield describes as "What if Albert Collins and Maceo Parker sat in with Tower of Power." Additional tracks include an upbeat and simple organ trio track "Everything," the Texas-blues nod to Jimmie Vaughan "Tell Me Some Lies," and "Red Dragon," which is a tribute to Hendrix's approach to the Blues -- one take, all live, late at night, with the band following his every move.  As a life-long fan of Albert King, Schofield pays his respect when taking on "Breaking Up Somebody's Home," and covers the classic "Yellow Moon." 

Schofield is an inspired character.  His lyrical approach is driven by inspiration from all facets of life's experiences, and the impact what he reads, watches and absorbs has on his deepest thoughts.  This is best displayed with the album opener, "From Far Away."  The singer finds  inspiration from Carl Sagan, and offers, "I'm a big lover of science, humanism and their related philosophies.  Lyrically I have known for a long time that I wanted to do something inspired by Sagan’s incredible and inspiring monologue 'Pale Blue Dot' - this song is my tribute to his beautiful, stirring words."

He is no stranger to accolades, and has been honored as the recipient of major awards that include British Blues Awards Guitarist of the Year in 2010, 2011 and 2012, making him the first guitarist in the British Blues Awards Hall of Fame.  He also was complimented by Mojo Magazine with Blues Album of the Year in 2011, and received the nod for British Blues Awards Album of the Year 2010.  He was rated in the top ten British Blues guitarists of all time by Guitar & Bass Magazine alongside such icons as Eric Clapton and Peter Green.  In the Penguin Book of Blues Recordings, Schofield is cited as one of only two living British artists to gain a maximum four-star rating.

Confirmed Appearances Include:

7/18     Sacramento, CA                                              Harlow's Night Club

7/19     Santa Cruz, CA                                               Moe's Alley

7/20     San Francisco, CA                                          Yoshi's SF

7/22     Napa, CA                                                        City Winery Napa

7/24     Walla Walla, WA                                            Main Street Studios

7/25     Portland, OR                                                   Star Theater

7/26     Seattle, WA                                                    Highway 99 Blues Club

8/02     Kaslo, BC                                                       Kaslo Jazz Festival

8/08     Gravenhurst, ON                                            Peter's Place Live

8/09     Kitchener, ON                                                Kitchener Blues Festival

8/12     East Harwich, MA                                          Cape Cod Jazz Festival

8/14     Bearsville, NY                                                Bearsville Theater

8/15     Woonsocket, RI                                              Chan's

8/16     Morristown, NJ                                               Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival

8/17     Bay Shore, NY                                               YMCA Boulton Center For The Performing Arts

9/11     Chicago, IL                                                     City Winery

9/12     Danville, IL                                                     Phases of the Moon Music & Arts Festival

9/13     Auburn Hills, MI                                            Callahan's Music Hall

10/11   Helena, AR                                                     King Biscuit Blues Festival

                                                               

www.mattschofield.com & www.facebook.com/mattschofieldofficial

www.mascotlabelgroup.com / ART: www.mascot-provogue.com/download/matt_schofield/

Travellin' South - Hamilton Loomis & Matt Schofield

Matt Schofield (born 21 August 1977) is a UK blues guitarist and singer whose music blends blues with rock and funky jazz rhythms. His band, The Matt Schofield Trio, play their own material, which is a blend of blues, funk and jazz, along with covers of blues classics such as Albert Collins' "Lights Are On, But Nobody's Home".
Schofield performs with an organ trio (guitar, organ, and drums), which is an unusual format for blues bands. Organ trios are mostly associated with the 1950s and 1960s U.S. jazz groups led by organists such as Jimmy Smith. Blues bands more commonly use trios of guitar, bass and drums, quartets (guitar, keyboards, bass, and drums) or quintets (guitar, rhythm guitar, keyboards, bass, and drums). In Schofield's organ trio, organist Jonny Henderson plays a Hammond organ, performing basslines using his left hand, and playing chords and lead lines with his right hand. The trio's drummer is Evan Jenkins. Jeff Walker played bass on the final track of Siftin' Thru' Ashes. In 2009, as of the recording of 'Heads, Tails & Aces', The Matt Schofield Trio became The Matt Schofield Band, a four-piece, featuring Jeff 'The Funk' Walker on bass, and also replacing Evan Jenkins with Alain Baudry. His Telecaster, an SVL,is Hand-Made by his guitar tech Simon Law. However, a concert at the Swindon Arts Centre on 22 October 2009, the band reverted to a trio. In June, 2010, Kevin Hayes, legendary 12/8 Rhythm 'n Blues drummer and the "Friendliest Man in Showbusiness", replaced Evan Jenkins in the band.
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