Matt Brown

Thanks to Otto Allard for the very festive animation and Tim Brown for filming the video & providing the Christmas decorations. And to watch a banjo version ...

St. Louis blues legend & Chess Records artist Barbara Carr joined us for a show at SPACE in Evanston, Illinois on Saturday, June 15. We're hoping to make an ...

One of my all-time favorite fiddle tunes is an obscure version of Fire on the Mountain that comes from an under-appreciated Kentucky fiddler, Isham Monday (1879-1964). I recorded it on my first album, "Lone Prairie," with Paul Brown on banjo and Beverly Smith on guitar. That recording was released on 5-String Productions in 2006.

Here's how I like to play "Wildwood Flower" on the banjo using the two-finger, thumb lead technique. For a free video lesson geared towards advanced students...

Grey Owl, a traditional Mètis tune, as arranged & performed by Max Allard, Otto Allard and Matt Brown. Max Allard: banjo Otto Allard: mandolin Matt Brown: gu...

"It's Just That Simple" from On Big Shoulders, out 11/2/18 on Allograph Records Pre-order the album here: http://www.allographrecords.com This track features: Steve Dawson - lead vocals & guitar Elise Bergman - harmony vocals Gia Margaret - harmony vocals Anna Jacobson - trumpet Evan Jacobson - trombone Brian Wilkie - pedal steel Liam Davis - piano Aaron Smith - bass Gerald Dowd - drums "It's Just That Simple" was written by Wilco bassist John Stirratt and was originally released by Wilco on A.M., their debut album.

Matt Brown & Greg Reish performing "Kansas City Railroad Blues" at Music City Roots Live From The Factory on 7.20.2016

J. Ivy & I wrote this together in the studio right before we recorded it. His inspiration for the poem was a photograph he took of The Jesse White Tumbling Team. My inspiration for the banjo part was Grand Ole Opry star Sam McGee's guitar playing on the song "Chevrolet Car."

Backstage at the Grand Ole Opry, staff fiddler Matt Combs introduced me to Opry Member and clawhammer banjoist Mike Snider, who was performing on the show with Matt and Brian Christianson on fiddles. Mike asked if I had my fiddle with me.

Live at The Station Inn in Nashville, TN. See the full performance of the Ed Haley Tribute Night.

Steve Dawson teaches songwriting, guitar, and several ensembles at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. He's one of my favorite singers in the Midwest, so I enlisted him to play guitar in the core band and sing lead on 7 of the 10 songs for our new album On Big Shoulders, out this Friday on Allograph Records.

Charlie Walden learned as a teenager at the feet of some of Missouri's finest old time fiddlers, including Pete McMahan, Taylor McBaine, and Cyril Stinnett. He has a great sense of humor to go along with a wonderful fiddle style and a vast repertoire.

Greg Cahill is Chicago's most important bluegrass musician. As the leader of the band Special Consensus for over 40 years, he is an emissary from Chicago's bluegrass scene to the rest of the world. The list of most influential Special C alumni begins with bluegrass titans Josh Williams & Chris Jones, alt-country hero Robbie Fulks, and jazz mandolin master Don Stiernberg.

Aaron Smith is my favorite bass player in Chicago, so when I schemed up "On Big Shoulders," a forthcoming Americana album of Chicago-centric repertoire played by local musicians, he was the first one I asked to become involved. Fortunately, he said yes. Aaron is also a wonderful clawhammer banjo player, as you'll see here.

I will always associate this beautiful tune with the playing of legendary West Virginia fiddler Edden Hammons. In the liner notes to The Edden Hammons Collection Volume 1, Danny Williams writes: "The Hammonses were a family of musicians, and Edden began at an early age on a homemade gourd fiddle.

I will always be grateful to Rachel Baiman for introducing me to Greg Reish. I met Rachel in 2011 at Rocky Mountain Fiddle Camp in Colorado shortly before I moved to Chicago, and she insisted that I get in touch with Greg, who lived in Oak Park, Illinois at the time.

I first met Gerald Dowd when I sat in on a pair of gigs with Justin Roberts & The Not Ready For Naptime Players in early 2016. I was bowled over during the rehearsal and the shows by Gerald's ingenious & powerful drumming.

Max Allard is a 16-year-old banjo & guitar phenom and a student at the Old Town School of Folk Music. He graciously agreed to learn a rather strange old-time fiddle tune for this video. Max figured out how to play the fiddle part note-for-note on the banjo, a 3-finger feat that boggles my mind.

Libby Weitnauer is a former fiddle student of mine at the Old Town School of Folk Music (she was, at the time, getting a B.A. in Violin Performance at DePaul University) and is now one of my favorite old-time fiddlers on the scene. She plays soulfully and thoughtfully.

Here are two tunes I wrote about sixteen years apart. "The Bus to Bucktown" was penned as many modern compositions are; as the result of a texted conversation with a bandmate (Collin sings, plays guitar, writes songs for, and co-leads Big Sadie, the band in which I play fiddle).

Here are two tasty tunes from my favorite Kentucky fiddler, John Morgan Salyer (1882-1952).

Matt Brown was joined by his Big Sadie bandmate Elise Bergman to perform a duet version of "Good Woman," a song written by Elise and recorded by the quartet on their debut album, 'Keep Me Waiting.' This was filmed during Matt's set in Maurer Hall at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago on Sunday, February 26, 2017.

"Keep Me Waiting," the title track from Big Sadie's debut album, released May 19, 2017 on Spindle Tree Records.

I am so glad I got to record with Genevieve (Harrison) Koester. She is Illinois fiddle royalty and one of my favorite Midwestern old-time musicians. "Tomorrow Noon" was composed by her legendary father, Garry Harrison (1954-2012). A noted musician, archivist, field recorder, luthier, and tunesmith, Garry self-released his album "Red Prairie Dawn" in 2000.

"Danny," the first track off Big Sadie's debut album 'Keep Me Waiting,' out May 19, 2017 on Spindle Tree Records.

Andy Malloy, who wrote one of these two instrumentals, ranks among my favorite banjo pickers. He and I play in a band called Big Sadie, which is led by Elise Bergman & Collin Moore. Big Sadie's debut album, which you can pre-order below, will be released on May 19, 2017.

When I was a teenager, one of the CDs I listened to obsessively was "Swing Low, Sweet Mandolin," which featured the legendary Jethro Burns (mandolin) accompanied by his protégé Don Stiernberg (guitar). Soon after moving to Chicago in 2011, I met Don at a bluegrass jam.

It was a treat to arrange this duet with Elise Bergman, who is one of my favorite singers. Elise sings, plays bass, and writes songs for the band Big Sadie, which she leads with guitarist, singer, and songwriter Collin Moore. I play fiddle in the band and Andy Malloy picks the banjo.

Vidar Skrede recently moved to Chicago from Norway. It's been a delight hearing him play around town. He won first place at the 2016 Midwest Fiddle Championship, which I directed. Since then, we've had the chance to play some music together.

Big Sadie performs "Next Train Home" at their album release show at The Hideout in Chicago, IL on May 19, 2017.

Matt Brown (fiddle) & Greg Reish (guitar) play a medley of Matt Simond's Tune, Old Buzzard, and Brickyard Joe from their 2015 release "Speed of the Plow." This video was shot at Seman Violins in Skokie, Illinois by Kevin Viol.

Big Sadie performs "Silver Stallion" by Lee Clayton at Backlot Bash in Skokie, IL on August 27, 2016. Elise Bergman, bass & vocals Collin Moore, guitar & vocals Matt Brown, fiddle Andy Malloy, banjo Website: http://bigsadie.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bigsadiemusic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigsadiemusic/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/bigsadiemusic YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/bigsadiemusic/

Matt Brown and Greg Reish perform the traditional fiddle tune, "Big Scioty," live at Music City Roots in Franklin, TN, July 20, 2016. From the album Speed of the Plow, available here: http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/MattBrownGregReish

I had the honor of sitting in with Della Mae at Schubas in Chicago on 3/15/2016 as they played Steve Rosen's original fiddle tune, "Nail That Catfish to the Tree." Thanks to Hanna Zeman for the video clip!