"Parker is restlessly inventive… This promising debut makes him an album-maker to keep tabs on."
"Straightahead or on the edge, saxophonist Matt Parker welcomes listeners with warmth and wit."
"A warmly swinging showcase for his breathy, Ben Webster-esque flow."
"A fully formed artist — one with his own unique voice and singular vision."
"One of the most original and exciting tenor players to arrive on the scene in a decade. An inspiring performance!"
"Tenor and soprano sax whiz."
"Show me someone who says jazz is no fun to listen to and I'll show them Matt Parker."
"Crazily exuberant and undeniably soulful. Find of the Week."
"Parker's playing can recall the gruff-yet-sensuous lines of Ben Webster."
"Parker can do anything… he swings his ass off."
"A warmly swinging showcase… his tenor seems like it will come apart in his hands."
"A master of improvisational music. His chops, knowledge, and focus grant him the freedom to be led by the music in the moment."
Video Interview: Parker Plays X
Jazz Pianist/Vibes Richard X Bennett and Saxophonist Matt Parker on their 2023 collaboration for BYNK Records.
Watch on YouTubeReview: Parker Plays X
"The passion and the pace of the album are wonderful. Although at times it threatens to careen out of control, it never gets there, remaining on the edge, which proves to be their comfort zone."
Read the reviewParker Plays X — Release Feature
"It's a unique experience to take on someone else's sensibility so intensely. I tried internalizing Richard's melodies and took it from there." — Matt Parker
Read the featureJazz Vibes with Sonny Lauderdale
"A master of improvisational music. His chops, knowledge, and focus grant him the freedom to be led by the music in the moment."
Read the featureMatt Parker Interview — Story by Bob Weinberg
"Straightahead or on the edge, saxophonist Matt Parker welcomes listeners with warmth and wit."
Read the feature"Present Time" Named Best Album of 2016
DownBeat Magazine awarded ★★★★½ and named Present Time among the best albums of the year.
Read the entryReview: Present Time — Karl Ackermann
Full review of the BYNK Records release by All About Jazz contributor Karl Ackermann.
Read the reviewFeatured Artist: Woodwinds
"I've played D'Addario reeds my entire career, and I love how they play right out of the box."
See the featureThese are Matt's personal dispatches — thoughts on music, creative discipline, and the art of paying attention. Originally published here; each one makes a good LinkedIn post.
Music for the Future?
On Teo Macero, Billy Prince, and music written so far ahead of its time you wonder if it was written for a future audience.
Music History Jan 2019MLK Day 2019
Duke Ellington's "My People," Bull Connor, and the first song ever written to praise Dr. King — which King himself heard rehearsed.
Music & History Dec 2018Understanding and Appreciating Beauty
On jazz, Black American Music, and why you can't just listen if you want to truly see the beauty within it.
Reflection Jan 2019A New Year / 13 Subjects
Benjamin Franklin's 13 virtues, studied one week at a time. Matt's adaptation for his own 2019.
Discipline Jan 2019Paying Mind to Our Minds
Writing down your goals. The hard drive metaphor. Why backing up your ideas offline frees space for active thinking.
Process Apr 2019Stand Firm
Neil DeGrasse Tyson on the multiverse, and the artistic challenge of learning from others while delivering something genuinely your own.
Creative Life Dec 2018A New Beginning: Taking Action into 40
The post that started the journal. Two months out from forty, certain of one thing: growth cannot happen as long as we choose comfort over education.
Starting Point Aug 2019A Quote I'm Pondering
Adolphe Sax, Voltaire's La Bégueule, and the best as the enemy of the good.
Quotes Jan 2019Discipline
Mr. Rogers on self-discipline as a daily process — and why it's just as useful in adult life.
Discipline