From picnic table to stage…

In 2016, Matt attended the Inside:Outside retreat for saxophonists in Nashville, TN where he met Bob Reynolds, a prolific saxophonist most known for his work with john Mayer and jazz fusion group, Snarky Puppy. Matt walked away from his first retreat and found what he learned to be incredibly impactful, so much so he wanted to find a way to bring a portion of that experience back to his community. In 2018, Matt began to save money and formulate a plan to convince Bob Reynolds to travel to Spokane and perform a live show. In the summer of 2018, Matt made his pitch at a picnic table at Wooten Woods in Only, Tennessee. Bob warned him that this was a huge under taking and wanted to make sure Matt understood what he was getting himself into. Matt persisted and assured him he knew exactly what he was proposing. The two reached an agreement and the planning commenced.

Over the course of the next months, Matt worked with Bob and mapped out a short regional tour for the Bob Reynolds Group throughout the Pacific Northwest. On March 1st, Bob arrived in Spokane and gave clinics for Gonzaga University’s Jazz department and Eastern Washington Univeristy’s Jazz Department. He later performed as a featured artist with the Concert Jazz Orchestra at Eastern Washington University. The following night, the Bob Reynolds Group performed for a sold out, energized, audience at Terrain Spokane with Pianinst, Ruslan Sirota, bassist Janek Gwizdala and drummer Chaun Horton.