Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Hall.
Hi Matt, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in East Tennessee. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a hot spot for straight-ahead jazz, more for Bluegrass & the like, but I made it happen. I fell in love with the music too hard not to. I began playing the trombone in 2002 when a friend in middle school asked me to join him as he auditioned for the band. The band, I assume, needed low brass players (I.e., trombone, euphonium, & tuba), so I was assigned to that instrument by Shane Ladd, the director of the band, who’s now one of my closest friends. After nearly giving up the trombone after one year of getting seemingly nowhere, my friend Sam Vines showed me a CD of a local trombone player he picked up at a show with his father Tony & brother AJ, a budding trombonist at the time, himself.
The album was titled “Simple/Complexity” by trombonist Rick Simerly. Sam turns the album to track 2: Giant Steps by John Coltrane. Only this time, it starts with a dissertation of trombone playing: a cadenza with technical and thoughtful melodic virtuosity, even comedic at times, eventually leading into the tune with the whole group. But, his sound?! Unbelievable. (I would soon later find out that Rick Simerly sounds even better in person) I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I immediately began researching, eventually becoming a mentee to Mr. Rick Simerly, studying improvisation with him, performing in his band, and generally following him anywhere he had his trombone to perform. You could say I was bitten with the bug early after hearing Rick Simerly and then diving headfirst into straight-ahead jazz and trombone study. I couldn’t get enough. We would be at the middle school band room door at 6 AM every morning to learn and play. Mr. Ladd would relay his then-current studies with Simerly to us in the mornings to follow. This is where I cut my teeth.
I would sometimes skip school for days to practice and listen. I would get in 8 to 12 hours on a good day. After school, I would go to guitar luthier Tony Vines’ (or “Pops” as I call him) shop to hang out with Sam and A.J., where I gained a deep appreciation for world music and other instrumental configurations via listening to Pat Metheny and countless others. I began a small group going into high school. We gigged and constantly performed, recording two full-length albums under “The Second Floor Katz.”
In 2011, I decided to branch away from Tennessee, joining the US Marine Corps band. It led me to the West Coast, San Diego, California, where I served at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. Upon arriving in San Diego, I went to all of the sessions and performances I could, especially anything led by trumpet phenom Gilbert Castellanos. I’ve learned so much from him, Christopher Hollyday, Bob Boss, Marshall Hawkins, Charles McPherson, Mundell Lowe, Mike Wofford, Holly Hoffman, Bob Magnusson, and more. In addition to a busy schedule gigging at the time with my group, I was also a member of the Milligan College Jazz Ensemble, directed by Rick Simerly, and the Knoxville Youth Jazz Orchestra, directed by the great Don Hough.
I was quickly accepted into the scene with open arms. The scene in San Diego is a family. Plain and simple. Following my enlistment, I would soon meet my now-wife, Jeanne Geiger, a fabulous trombonist, and musician. In 2016, within a year of my Honorable Discharge from the military, my brother Charlie Arbelaez (Alto Saxophonist whom I met in the Corps) and I moved to Manhattan to finish our undergraduate degrees. We attended SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music, earning our Bachelor’s in Jazz Studies in 2018. While there, we studied directly with some of the greatest musicians in the world: Jon Faddis, Kenny Washington, Gary Smulyan, Ralph LaLama, Todd Coolman, Ingrid Jensen, Pete Malenverni, David Hazeltine, John Mosca, and more!
We were immersed in the music while in NYC. We would go out every week to hear legends (many mentioned have since transitioned): George Coleman, Kenny Baron, Ron Carter, Rufus Reid, Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Harold Mabern, Jimmy Heath, Jimmy Cobb, Slide Hampton, and Jimmy Owens, to name a few. We go out to sit in with our heroes: Eric Alexander, David Hazeltine, Mike LeDonne, Vincent Herring, and Roy Hargrove. This was an amazing experience that I will forever cherish. To quote Pete Malenverni, “There’s New York, and then there’s everywhere else.”
After my time in NYC, I moved back to Southern California to further my education at San Diego State University, where I would earn my M.A. in Jazz Studies in 2020. I released my debut album under my name in Early 2022, “I Hope To My Never,” under the SUMMIT Records Label. It’s an album of all original straight-ahead jazz, telling my story from childhood to moving to the Big Apple. Please check out where you listen to music! I think you’ll dig it. Now, you can find me performing in Southern California regularly on Tuesday nights at Seven Grand in North Park for a heavy-hitting bebop session and Saturday mornings for a Jazz Brunch (serving chill vibes, great wine, and amazing food) at Pali Wine Company in Little Italy (10 AM-2 PM).
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been smooth?
No. I’m a freelance trombonist that went through Bootcamp at Parris Island, crawling under barbed wire to do what I love. But I wouldn’t change anything. I’ve always had to fight for what I believe in: music. Not everyone has always believed in me or thought I could get where I wanted to go. I do. And that’s what keeps me going hard, deep down. The music keeps us going when it comes down to it. As my brother Louie says: “Prove It!”
Please tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others.
I’m a trombonist specializing in the jazz & bebop genres, but I play all styles of music. I lead my groups: the duo’s up to a full big band. I also teach trombone and jazz studies privately. I have played many trombones available, and these are the best on the planet (or any other planet)! I’m proud to be a Performing Artist for Michael Rath Trombones out of England.
What changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I plan to do a lot more international travel with my music. Europe & Japan are destinations I am vigorously seeking for my groups to perform shortly!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.summitrecords.com/release/i-hope-to-my-never-matt-hall/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matt_hall_music
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1G4wgufBGHQkK0hxWODA1r?si=bhyOKHDaRzqeM-dTxFupug
Image Credits
United States Marine Corps Yassir Souisri Courtney Hendo / Hendo Studios
