Matt Murdick has been a fixture in and out of the Saint Louis music scene
since the early 1990's where he earned a degree in Jazz Studies from Webster University. Coming into the University
as primarily a saxophone player, Matt still trained under Carol Beth True on piano as part of his degree requirements.
By the time he had graduated, Matt was fairly proficient at either and found more work came to him via keyboard
performance. Since the mid-nineties, after completing an ascociation with platinum selling songwriter Curtis Lance
of Nashville Tennessee, Matt has pretty much concentrated his efforts primarily to keyboard performance. The mid-nineties
brought an association with saxophonist Dennis Moser who encouraged Matt to join his group, The BeBops, a jazz
fusion group. Together Matt and Dennis co-wrote and produced two full length albums for FM records, an independant
music label based in Indianapolis . "A Place Beyond", the BeBops live release, is still available for
download through internet mp3 services, such as Rhapsody, today.
With the demise of FM records, members of the BeBops disbanded to pursue other ventures, which led Matt to the
Saint Louis blues music scene. His first tour of duty came with 'Buffalo' Bob Fancher as a member of the 'Bedroom
Blues Band' which backed up Bob.
By 2000 Matt had begun what is a continued association with The Soulard Blues Band, voted 10 years in a row as
St. Louis' Best Blues Band by the River Front Times Readers poll. Matt still performs with the band on occasion,
and associates a great deal of learning about playing the blues to the band's leader Art Dwyer. In addition, participating
in the band's Monday night jam sessions at the Broadway Oyster Bar exposed his playing to other band leaders, who
have hired him for various stints over the years, including guitarist Bennie Smith, guitarist Rich McDonough, Big
Bamou, harmonica player Keith Doder, guitarist Beau Shelby, Kim Massie, and many others.
In 2003 Matt began a continuing association with Hudson and The Hoo Doo Cats, performing various styles from the
forties and fifties, from Jump Blues to Rockabilly. |
