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 Without
a doubt, Matthew (Matt) Hayes is one of New Brunswick's best new
music artists. Even if you're not much of a fiddle fan,
you'll like this guy. At 16, Matt has captured
the heart of just about every audience he's ever played for - from
local coffee houses to full-blown stage productions at the
Imperial Theatre in Saint John.
It's hard not to like him. He plays with as much ease as
any veteran but with the enthusiasm of someone you just know is
headed for stardom. To complete the package, Matt totes a
genuine charm and witty stage presence that is guaranteed to warm
any heart.
The scary part is that Matt didn't pick up the fiddle until he
was 7 and although he's been tutored by such noteworthy musicians
a Pat Boulanger (his uncle), Allison Inch, Krista Trecartin and
Harvey Arbo, first-time listeners are always awestruck at Matt's
fiddling. In addition to the fiddle, Matt has become a multi-instrumentalist - he also plays claw-hammer banjo
and can pick out old-time tunes on the mandolin like he was born
with it in his hands.
One of the most interesting things about Matt is that he
doesn't seem to get stuck in one fiddling style. He can play
you a down-eastern jig, saw off an old bluegrass standard, switch
to some Nashville swing, and cut into a Cape Breton reel with
seemingly little effort.
Matt
now has two CD to his credit:
On The Go, his debut disc was recorded just prior to his 13th
birthday and every track bursts of pure talent. He's backed
up by his equally talented friend Brad Trecartin on
piano, Pat Boulanger on 2nd fiddle, Harvey Arbo on banjo, and Jeff
Matheson to fill in the gaps.
 Shack Wacky is Matt's latest
disc and it packs a pretty big punch. It carries with it an entourage
of guests backup musicians and boasts a wide variety of fiddling
styles. Guest musicians include Ray Legere, Ray Cassey, Ivan
Hicks, Allison Inch, Brian Baker, Brad Trecartin, Jeff Matheson,
Paul Dujohn, Jason Myers, Jim Stewart, Bill Hall, Harvey Arbo, and
Terry Patterson.
If you're a fiddle fan this CD is a must-have. If you're
not, this disc just may convert you to be one.
You can listen to and buy Matt's recordings here.
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