New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Continuing in the legacy of great New Orleans piano professors from the Storyville era,
Jelly Roll Morton, to his Ninth-Ward neighbor and Rhythm and Blues Legend, Antoine "Fats" Domino, to the New Orleans Stride pianists such as
James Booker & Dr.John, to jazz patriarch and modern jazz master Ellis Marsalis to his child-hood piano rival and great entertainer pianist, Harry Connick, Jr., Matt Lemmler is a New Orleans Jazz Piano Professor, Steinway Artist and musical director for The New Orleans Jazz Revival Band.
After earning a Bachelor in
Music from Loyola University and a Master's from Manhattan School of
Music in NYC, Matt toured four years with Andrew
Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera." He has released acclaimed CDs with his NOLAJazzRevival Band - Portraits of Wonder, a tribute to the music of Stevie Wonder, The
Music of New Orleans, a tribute to his hometown, and UBUNTU, a collection of "Lemmler-ized" visions of church hymns, American spirituals, & classic 70's pop songs such as The Theme from the Jeffersons (Movin' On Up)--all offered for an inspirational healing of mind, body & spirit experience.
"UBUNTU," an ancient African philosophy, explained by
Quincy Jones and
Nelson Mandela as "the collective is stronger than the individual," speaks directly to jazz and the mission of The New Orleans Jazz Revival. After five years in
Houston following Katrina, Matt's spiritual awakening and music path led him back to New Orleans. His first mission was to release his inspirational UBUNTU CD which was inspired by hearing "Ubuntu" explained by
Quincy Jones and
Nelson Mandela as "the collective is stronger than the individual."
To Lemmler, UBUNTU speaks directly to jazz and the mission of The New Orleans Jazz Revival. Recently, Matt Lemmler released his second UBUNTU CD entitled UBUNTU with Ridgeview Charter School and the New Orleans Jazz Revival Band. A professionally produced recording including over 250 middle school musicians (6th, 7th and 8th graders), String Orchestra, Concert Band, Jazz Band & Choir and also Lemmler's all-star NOLAJazzRevival Band. It features the Disney classic, "Colors of the Wind" along with Theme from M*A*S*H, "My Country 'Tis of Thee," "
America" and Louis Armstrong's classic , "What a Wonderful World." To purchase CDs, sheet music or more information please visit www.nolajazzrevival.com
"Matt Lemmler is a pianist of rare originality and a point of view about standard songs that's always surprising and often quirky." - Dave Frishberg
"His recurring, revolving-cast Jazz Revival Band presents an articulate overview of local music, his jazz re-imaginings of
Stevie Wonder songs, and his own inspirational compositions, rendered with equal parts studiousness and spirit." - Keith Spera -New Orleans Times Picayune
Lemmler has been on tour recently in Hawaii, Portland/Seattle region, Paris, and Israel, where he performed at Jazz Fests, Jazz Masses, guest artist, as well as conducted clinics and workshops. When in New Orleans, Matt and his New Orleans Jazz Revival can be found producing and recording with artists and visitors to New Orleans along with Esplanade Studios, as well as teaching and mentoring students throughout the community. He performs every Tuesday night at The Bombay Club inside the historic French Quarter and Sundays at Christ Church Covington's 11:15am service and 6pm Jazz Vespers service. Last year, his NOLAJazzRevival Band recently played to an enthusiastic audience in the Jazz Tent on the opening day of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Jazz Fest. He is the Jazz Piano Professor at Loyola University in New Orleans.
Love is an homage to the journey in life and through music that Lemmler has embarked on with desire, service, and discovery. Much of the inspiration began through his love and passion of singing and finding that gift inside to sing publicly. His discovery began through his love of
Billy Joel songs. When he was a young youth, he wanted to sing like Billy Joel, but was too fearful. It wasn't until after Hurricane Katrina and the failure of our Federal levees that his strength through tragedy gave him the opportunity to find his singing voice. It was when he visited a healing prophet to find healing, that she told Lemmler, he "was a singer" and the spirit of
Frank Sinatra had a message for her to give to him. The message was "Follow your passion and don't let anyone else knock you down and off your path. People can knock a guy down flat, but you need to get up and do your thing."
Shortly after that visit, Lemmler started singing and he remembers the first song he sang to a dear friend was "In My Life," the title track for Love. This was the spark to the idea of Love, tunes like "And So it Goes," another
Billy Joel song, fit nicely with tunes like "Open Arms," and classics like "Baubles, Bangles, and Beads", that were also inspired by love and passion. A Lemmler original "When She Looks
at Me" is his offering, an homage to a well-penned tune, inspired by the likes of such composers as Billy Joel, Max Steiner or Lionel Richie.
Love is deeply inspired by Lemmler's heroes. Some of his childhood all-time favorite musicians, composers, lyricists, piano, rock star heroes!! Billy Joel, John Lennon/Paul McCartney, Lionel Richie, and Love features three
Billy Joel classic's "And So It Goes", "She's/He's Got a Way", and "Lullabye (Goodnight, my angel), Lennon/McCartney's "
In My Life" and Lionel Richie's "Truly," are Lemmler's tribute to their music's influence on him as a piano man, vocalist, composer, lyricist and artist.Also included in this wonderfully inspired album is Southern Songs & Sonatas (bonus disc) This live performance celebrating the Ogden Museum of Southern Art's 10th Anniversary, Lemmler was commissioned to compose and arrange original music that was inspired by the Ogden's permanent art collection. This is a look at the many facets of Lemmler's composing, arranging and performance abilities in any setting, we hope this collection of tunes will enhance your experience of Lemmler as an artist. Enjoy!
