Matthew Fogg-a Day in the (Ongoing) Life
In August of 1968, the Beatles released "Hey Jude" as the inaugural single on their new Apple Records label. The conventional "wisdom" at that time was that artists seldom-if ever-involved themselves in bu [+]Matthew Fogg-a Day in the (Ongoing) Life
In August of 1968, the Beatles released "Hey Jude" as the inaugural single on their new Apple Records label. The conventional "wisdom" at that time was that artists seldom-if ever-involved themselves in business matters, and certainly never to the extent of forming their own label! But the release of "Hey Jude" turned conventional wisdom on its head for quite another reason. Clocking in at over seven minutes, the song shattered the expectation that singles (or 45's, as they were known back in the day!) would fit the comfortable formula of a nice, radio-friendly two-to-three minutes. The Beatles-specifically Paul McCartney in this instance-refused to compromise what they felt was their artistic vision. "Hey Jude" remained unedited, and the rest, as they say, is history.
A little over ten years later, on November 6, 1978, Matthew Fogg was born. While it may appear heretical to some to correlate the two events in ANY way, I'd actually venture the opinion that the "Fabs" themselves would have recognized a kindred spirit! I'll return to this point, and a few others, shortly. For the time being, however, let me sketch a brief biography of the subject in question!
Matthew Fogg's musical journey began as a trumpet player. His interest in the piano didn't develop until high school, when he began listening to greats such as Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, and Keith Jarret. These legendary jazz musicians, among others, helped Matt discover a new passion to pursue...jazz piano. Matthew attended the University of New Hampshire, earning a degree in Music Education with an emphasis on piano (concentrating on jazz, as well as classical). He's performed in university ensembles and had the opportunity to play with legendary jazz musicians like Clark Terry, Slide Hampton, Bud Shank, and Jimmy Heath. During his UNH years, Matthew began a musical collaboration with vocalist and fellow student Nicole Hajj, crafting all her vocal arrangements. They quickly compiled an extensive repertoire of original arrangements of classic jazz pieces. Following graduation, Matthew embarked upon a career as an educator, working as the choral director at Morse High School in Bath, Maine. He also maintained a performing career, playing
|
 |