Matt Wilson

“Two bubbles found they had rainbows on their curves. They flickered out saying: “It was worth being a bubble, just to have held that rainbow thirty seconds,” recites drummer and bandleader Matt Wilson recites in his composition “Bubbles”. Inspired by the poem by Carl Sandburg, the song reflects the message of his 10th album as a leader for Palmetto Records.

An Attitude for Gratitude (February 14th / Palmetto) is the 4th album by the award-winning ensemble Matt Wilson’s Arts & Crafts, an extraordinary collective of musical personalities featuring Wilson, Terell Stafford (trumpet), Gary Versace (piano, organ and accordion) and Martin Wind (bass). “This album celebrates having a loving family, a fabulous band and a remarkable community of people who surround and inspire me. Most important, I am most grateful that my wife Felicia is healthy again. She received a stem cell transplant after being diagnosed with leukemia and is doing great!”

Matt Wilson is beloved worldwide for being one of jazz music’s most imaginative, entertaining and fun-loving spirits. National Public Radio says, “Drummer Matt Wilson is one of the friendliest guys in jazz, and his music, even at its most complex, reflects that.” He was voted the 2011 Drummer of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association, an honor he was also awarded in 2003, and was featured on the covers of both Downbeat and Jazz Times magazines in November of 2009. In addition to maintaining an active schedule as a performer, bandleader and recording artist, Wilson is a dedicated teaching artist. His outreach work and reputation as a community builder has helped establish him as an treasured ambassador for jazz music.

Matt Wilson

drums and recitation

Gary Versace

piano, organ, accordion

Martin Wind

bass

Terell Stafford

trumpet, flugelhorn