Matt always wanted to create an album, but he could never quite finds the time until last year. Unconditional, a collection of six recordings was released earlier this month.
Guilford Music Professor Matt Reid ’16 says he always wanted to release a jazz album, but the timing was never quite right. And by timing, Matt means he never could find the time.
When he’s not teaching music, he manages several apartment complexes in Greensboro. And, of course, he plays jazz after hours with two other artists. The Gate City Jazz Trio, as the group is known, performs at venues across the state.
Eventually Matt figured out if he was ever going to make that album he needed to make the time. Last year he carved out a day here, a week there to do just that. This month he released the fruits of that labor in the form of his first album.
Unconditional is a collection of, as Matt calls them, “jazz standards and classics.” There are six tracks on the album, which can be streamed on most streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon. It can also be purchased on iTunes.
“Every musician wants to release an album but it’s not that easy,” he says. “It’s not just the time to do it, you need the right people, the right songs. A lot of things need to come together.”
Matt plays piano on the album. Chrishawn Darby is the drummer and Evan Campfeild accompanies on the bass. The album’s name is an homage to fellow pianist and composer Duke Ellington, who once said, “Love is supreme and unconditional; like is nice but limited.”
Matt grew up in Asheville and attended Guilford to study music. These days he’s a part-time instructor at the College. “It was a great learning experience,” he says. “I really enjoy teaching at Guilford and maybe making it a nice experience for others.”