Led by one of the most respected mandolinists in today’s acoustic scene, Matt Flinner and his trio partners, Ethan Ballinger (guitar) and Eric Thorin (bass), are sonically founded in bluegrass, jazz, classical and American acoustic music.
Over the past decade, the Matt Flinner Trio has been on the cutting edge of the 21st century string band movement. All master composers and improvisers, the trio has become legendary for their ability to almost simultaneous compose and perform new music.
Their past two albums have developed this “music du jour” concept—drawing on whatever inspires them that day to compose a new tune and then performing it that evening. Their collective ability to conjure great melodies out of the ether and deliver them in front of a live audience has earned the group a reputation as one of the most imaginative and fearless in the contemporary instrumental space. But on Traveling Roots the trio has set their musical sights on seeking out and delivering beautiful music. Band leader and mandolinist Matt Flinner explains: “I feel that our goal as musicians should be to try to add some bit of beauty to the world. I see this as our small, esoteric string band bluegrass-jazz-new acoustic living on the 17th-moon-of-Saturn contribution to that. We hope that all of the sweat, frustration, love and aspiration that we put into this music makes your world a little more beautiful.”
Here in our comfy Bohemian Café, stopping in while trotting through the Southeast, Matt Flinner has volunteered to jump into our Record Store Day week with his blazing and unique jazz-grass-roots trio. A true Happy Hour – Record Store Day Week matchup. The trio’s most recent release, Travelling Roots, is in-stock, naturally, along with his illustrious back catalog.
DISCOGRAPHY, THE MATT FLINNER TRIO
Travelling Roots (CD, 2016)
Winter Harvest (CD, 2012)
Music Du Jour (CD, 2009)
More Matt Flinner:
Matt Flinner Quartet (CD, 2003)
Latitude (CD, 2001)
View From Here (CD, 1998)
Matt also appears on:
DREW EMMITT, Across The Bridge (CD, 2005)
NOAM PICKELNY, In The Maze (CD, 2004)
PHILLIPS, GRIER & FLINNER, Phillips, Grier & Flinner (CD, 1999)
“Matt Flinner blurs the lines between jazz and bluegrass, traditional and avant-garde.” —The Associated Press
“Matt Flinner [is] one of the best mandolin players ever.” —Downbeat
“…stunning, often jaw-dropping musicianship that never feels showy even when it is…An exciting, innovative and listenable release.” —American Songwriter
