About Matt Brown, Musician

Matt Brown is a talented performer of American roots music. He is an entertaining singer and multi-instrumentalist. He has established himself as a highly respected fiddler, both authentic and innovative. His mentors are some of the best fiddlers in the genre, including Brad Leftwich, Rafe Stefanini, Bruce Molsky, Dirk Powell, and Bruce Greene. As a banjo player, he cites the early influence of his father, Tim Brown. More recently, he has also had the privilege of learning from Paul Brown. Along the way, he taught himself how to play guitar and has become a soulful flat-picker, in addition to being a solid rhythm player. Ginny Hawker, Tracy Schwarz, Charles Williams, and Dick Swain have all helped shape his relaxed, resonant singing style.

Matt Brown tours the country presenting solo shows. He has performed in a variety of configurations: with Paul Brown as the Brown Brothers; with Rhythm in Shoes, Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble; with Flynn Cohen; and with Paul Brown and Beverly Smith as the Lone Prairie Band. Matt has appeared as a guest artist with Tim O'Brien, Uncle Earl, and The Wilders. He has performed at a variety of prestigious venues and festivals, including Millennium Stage at The Kennedy Center, Club Passim, the Annenberg Center, the Philadelphia Folk Festival, The Wheatland Music Festival, The Appalachian String Band Music Festival ("Clifftop"), The New England Folk Festival, and on Jay Ungar & Molly Mason's radio program, Dancing on the Air.

Matt's debut album, Lone Prairie, was recorded with Paul Brown on banjo and Beverly Smith playing guitar and singing. The material covers a wide emotional palette with tunes from the standard repertoire as well as obscure pieces learned from field recordings. Matt's second studio release, Falls of Richmond, demonstrates his versatility as a solo musician and singer. Matt's third album, My Native Home, has just arrived. It is a delightful mix of solo performances and collaborations featuring four remarkable guest artists: Tim O'Brien, Ben Krakauer, Brittany Haas, and Mark Schatz.