18th December 2015: Matthew Stevens and Woodwork on iTunes ‘Best of 2015: jazz albums’ list and gets ★★★★ from The Jazz Mann.

We’re delighted to announce that Matthew Stevens debut release as a leader, Woodwork appears on the iTunes ‘Best of 2015: Jazz albums’ list and the title track also appears on the list of ‘Best jazz tracks’ (scroll down to hear it).

NYC-based Guitarist and composer Stevens is heralded as one of the most promising young artists in contemporary jazz music through his associations with NEXT Collective, Christian Scott, Esperanza Spalding, Terri Lyne Carrington, Walter Smith III, and Harvey Mason. Now Stevens comes fully into his own with his debut recording as a leader.

The album’s title, Stevens says, reflects the almost tactile way in which he creates music. “It’s a metaphor for how I see myself interacting with sound. Woodwork is an act of creation in collaboration with the natural world; it invokes a sense of being handmade or one of a kind. These raw materials exist regardless of whether or not you do something with them, so I try to respect that and let the music unfold naturally.”

Here are the highlights from two recent reviews:

“Woodwork” represents a hugely impressive leadership début from Stevens who scores highly as both a guitarist and a composer. His tunes embrace a wide variety of moods and styles and the writing is reflected in the playing with Stevens delivering an impressive variety of guitar sounds, both electric and acoustic. His playing is refreshingly cliché free and on this album Stevens distinguishes himself as one of the most original guitar players around.​”
★★★★ The Jazz Mann (full review)

“This is a fine showcase for his (Steven’s) writing, playing and his sound.”
Northern Echo (website)