MATTHEW STEVENS – PREVERBAL
Matthew Stevens guitar, Zach Brown bass, Eric Doob drums
For his album Preverbal (2017), Matthew Stevens has chosen a darker, more electronic sound than on his acoustically tinged debut Woodwork (2015), which received international acclaim. This versatility of sound and tone characterizes the Canadian guitarist who’s currently making waves in New York. Stevens played an integral role on Esperanza Spalding’s album Emily’s D+Evolution and has collaborated with Terri Lyne Carrington, Linda Oh and Christian Scott, among others.
‘Stevens is not the sort of improviser to show you all of his cards, or even reveal his intentions: he prefers an air of alluring intrigue. [His music] advances the ideals of modern jazz even when, sonically speaking, it gestures in other directions’ (Nate Chinen, NPR).