MATTHEW WHITAKER *live

Matthew Whitaker: jazz pianist, composer, arranger and a godsend for jazz.

Matthew Whitaker is hard to fathom: Born in Hackensack, New Jersey in 2001, he started playing music at age 3 when his grandfather gave him a small Yamaha keyboard. At 9, he taught himself to play the Hammond B3 organ. At 13 he became the youngest artist ever to be signed by Hammond, at 15 he advanced to become the youngest Yamaha artist ever and released his debut album "Outta The Box" at 16. When he was born, however, everything spoke against such a career: born much too early and blind, doctors gave him little chance of a longer life and even less of such abilities.

Performances have taken him to the Lincoln Center of Performing Arts, the Apollo Theater, Carnegie Hall and almost all jazz institutions in the USA, to venues in France, Italy, Germany, England, Indonesia, Japan and Morocco.

His latest album, "Connections," is a blend of original compositions and familiar tunes by Whitaker's musical heroes, from Duke Ellington and Stevie Wonder to Richard Smallwood, Duke Pearson, Chick Corea and Thelonious Monk. Guest musicians include Jon Batiste (keyb), Regina Carter (vln), Alvester Garnett (dr) and Steve Oquendo (trp).

Matthew's piano playing and his Hammond organ and keyboard skills are tremendous. Light and airy when called for, gruff and dirty when needed - Matthew Whitaker simply has it all.

"What I enjoy best is playing music...I am a musician who happens to be blind...I have been blessed with a God given gift and my prayer is that I can continue to be a blessing and inspiration to others."

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