MATT MINGLEWOOD (acoustic) is back with the marvellously gifted keyboard player & vocalist, Jeff Stapleton, for two nights, FRIDAY, November 25th & SATURDAY, November 26th.
Tickets are $35 (+tax) and are NON-refundable. Doors open at 6 pm, show starts at 8 pm.
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Matt Minglewood Band are a musical hybrid, a four member band with one foot steeped in the musical roots of blues and country and the other knee-deep in rock. Matt Minglewood himself has long been known as a musical shape-shifter and the band are masters of improv and genre bending. Their constant touring and high octane live show has earned them the well-deserved reputation of 'down to earth bearers of good will and good times'. Their diversity and broad audience appeal has made them a fave on the Canadian touring circuit.
Matt grew up in North Sydney, Nova Scotia in a large and loving extended family of twelve. At an early age he remembers sitting on grandfather Batherson’s knee listening to him, completely enthralled by his fiddle playing as he bounced him up and down. At the tender age of four he sang in front of his first audience, singing a couple of Gaelic songs and the writing was on the wall. At the age of six he started fiddle lessons, moved on to the piano at eight and by his teens was in love with the guitar.
He joined his first band, the Rockin’ Saints’ in his late teens playing organ and rhythm guitar. His early influences were eclectic, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Hank Williams, Muddy Waters, BB King but also local fiddle players such as Winston Scotty Fitzgerald and Buddy MacMaster. By his early twenties Matt went on to join a band entitled Sam Moon, Matt Minglewood & the Universal Power. This band soon evolved into the Moon Minglewood Band. They toured the country extensively and became known as one of the hardest working bands in the country. By the mid 70’s they morphed into the Minglewood Band & recorded their first album, affectionately known as ‘The Red Album’ in 76…..a recording contract with RCA Records soon followed.
His music and song writing has the natural universality one only hears from a born storyteller. The songs can be somewhat autobiographical as in 'Me and the Boys', a song about carefree days of his youth or social issues he puts forth in 'Long Way From Texas'. Many of Matt's tunes grapple with the universal feelings of passion, frustrations, hope, loneliness, love, disappointment and regret as well as his deep love of the Maritimes. They are always reflected his life around him and what he is feeling at the time. “Me & The Boys” was recorded by southern-rock legend Charlie Daniels on his CD of the same name. Many major artists (such as Jeff Healy, Jimmie Rankin, Duck Dunn, (Bassist for Eric Clapton, Neil Young and the Blues Brothers), Colin James, Downchild Blues Band, Kenny Neal, and Grammy award winning Blues harp player Charlie Musselwhite) just to name a few have joined Matt on stage and CD. You never know who may show up to “ sit in “ on any given night!!
In a climate ripe with ever-changing musical styles Matt's artistic character has been defined by his simply remaining true to himself. He is on stage the embodiment of a Southern rocker but with an eclectic twist, he is equally comfortable performing a Country ballad, a Celtic air or Rockin' the blues.
A dozen recordings later and now on his own label, Norton Records, Matt has released his first acoustic Cd ‘The Story’ and has no thoughts of slowing down. Recent performances have taken him as far away as Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Egypt, Israel and Afghanistan where he was honored to be given the opportunity to entertain the multi-national troops of the United Nations. Another of his recent highlights was playing and performing across Canada with the 'Legends of the NHL', a dream come true! Throughout the years Minglewood has been honored with numerous accolades, music awards & nominations including 3 gold albums, honorary doctorate from UCB university and entertainer of the year from the Maple Blues Society and in 2013 was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Maple Blues Society
Matt still continues to tour extensively either as an acoustic solo artist or with his full band.