Matt La Von has worked as a professional musician, performing and teaching, in New York City for more than 10 years. As a performer, his main area of expertise is as a jazz saxophonist, although he has also been prolific as a sideman in bands and on recordings that cover a wide range of genres which include Rock, R&B, Funk, Fusion, and Hip-Hop. As a teacher, he specializes in private instruction for beginner to advanced saxophone and clarinet as well as beginner to advanced jazz improvisation. He is a graduate of The University of the Arts, Philadelphia.
Bio (….or anti-bio)
Unlike many successful musicians, Matt La Von wasn’t born into a family of artistic types, much less professional musicians or folks with ties to the entertainment field. In short, he was no ‘industry kid.’ So, it’s a wonder that he’s been able to spend the majority of his adult life as a professional noise-maker in the City of New York. Some might say that it is a testament to a childhood spent as the son of an enlisted Marine—an upbringing that imbued him with that “can do” spirit, determination, and discipline to never give up on a thing. Some might say that his drive is derived from his extended familial roots…a sort of grit, inherited from the blue-collar, hardworking, salt-of-the-earth folk who hail from the Southern and Midwestern states.
And there’s probably a little bit of truth in there.
Still, we might be romanticizing reality, just a tad. And maybe the truth of the matter is—as truths of the matter usually are—something more nuanced than the myth. And the actual truth, more than likely, goes something like this: Matt La Von was never much good at anything else other than playing music (…) but no one would ever label him a musical prodigy at a young age, and point of fact, many of the things that came swiftly to most, always took him twice as long to learn. He’s never found himself in the right place at the right time. More often than not, he’s been in the wrong places far too late or way too soon. He’s never been “discovered.” And he’s certainly not the golden poster boy of a musical institution of higher learning. He’s made far more bad decisions than good ones. A smarter man would’ve moved out to the suburbs long ago, and “got’ one o’ them ‘real’ jobs.” But, let the record show, Matt La Von has never claimed to be a smart man.
A cynic might refer to Matt La Von’s career, or lack thereof, as Sisyphean in nature. And yet an idealist might wax poetic about the plight of an artist relentlessly pursuing his dream—thereby causing the aforementioned cynic to scoff and guffaw. However, the longevity of Matt’s relationship with music forces the cynic and idealist both to recognize that he has successfully avoided, and in some cases outright escaped, the traps and pitfalls that cause many a better musician to exit the stage before they’ve begun to reach their potential. Specifically, in terms of success, you could say that he’s successfully managed to stave off adulthood.
An optimist might call that an ability to tap into a youthful attitude, whereas the more jaded of opinion would be apt to diagnose a form of arrested development or lack of maturity as the cause. No matter, the result is the same. Simply put, in life as well as in music, Matt La Von has just never stopped playin.’
Currently, Matt has released his newest album, entitled “Found.” After years of appearing on records as a sideman and collaborator, this album marks the recording debut of Matt La Von as a bandleader and features all original compositions written during, and in the immediate years following, a difficult period in his life. “Found” is meant as an expression of thanks to friends, colleagues, family, and the world for allowing him to be here among all you fine people.
You can see and hear Matt La Von every Sunday from 7-10pm at Bā’sik, a great neighborhood bar in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where he has hosted the weekly jazz jam session for the better part of the last 7 years. You might see him there on other nights too—because, let’s be honest, he has quite a weakness for the drink. But on Sundays, you’ll find him there playing a saxophone, or two.
The new album, Found, is officially released on DAJ Records.