| Mike Mattison | |
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Mattison with Scrapomatic, opening for The Derek Trucks Band and Susan Tedeschi |
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| Background information | |
| Born | c. 1969 |
| Origin | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Genres | Blues, Blues rock, Soul, World music, R&B, jazz fusion |
| Occupations | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, Piano, Clarinet, Tenor saxophone French horn, trombone, Upright bass |
| Labels | Columbia, Alligator, Landslide Records |
| Associated acts | The Derek Trucks Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Scrapomatic, Susan Tedeschi |
Mike Mattison is an American musician and the lead vocalist[1] of the Grammy Award-winning blues rock sextet, The Derek Trucks Band. Mattison's vocal sound has been described as "strong," with an "expressive blues voice".[2] In addition, he is a founding member and vocalist of the blues rock duo, Scrapomatic, where he picked up a nomination for Minnesota Music Awards best male vocalist, and both he and partner Paul Olsen were also nominated for best R&B Group.[3] Mattison is credited as a songwriter in both bands, and Scrapomatic frequently opens for The Derek Trucks Band while on tour.
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Mattison was born and grew to adulthood in Minneapolis, Minnesota,[3][4] during a period where he was encouraged to learn and experiment with a variety of musical instruments, which appealed to him. Before graduation from high school, he'd learned, with differing levels of accomplishment, to play the recorder, clarinet, tenor saxophone, french horn, trombone, bass, and guitar, in addition to his natural ability to sing. He was influenced by jazz, the blues, and roots music. Mattison began exploring songwriting and performing with a friend who had also been raised in Minneapolis, Paul Olsen. The pair met in 1993 at a Parliament-Funkadelic concert, and began playing R&B and blues-based music together afterward.[5] Mattison's acceptance and subsequent college education at Harvard brought him east, and he convinced Olsen to move with him.
Mattison graduated from Harvard with a degree in English and American literature. Olsen and continued playing and performing together, forming the duo they named Scrapomatic. In 2002, Craig Street and John Snyder, the two record producers that had business ties with blues rock musician Derek Trucks independently suggested Mattison as the person to fill the newly vacated position of lead vocalist for The Derek Trucks Band.[6] Trucks, who was in New York City on business,had begun looking at the information and photos supplied of Mattison, and having seen Mattison's photos and demos singing, was surprised to find he was in the same subway car. After Trucks recognized him and introduced himself, Mattison performed in several concerts following the unusual meeting with The Derek Trucks Band, and shortly afterward, landed the position, where he has remained since his entry into the band. He continues to maintain his position in Scrapomatic, with the duo frequently opening for The Derek Trucks Band.
Mike Mattison's voice has been considered a "perfect fit" for The Derek Trucks Band. After listening to the band play the arrangement of "I Wish I Knew" in the style of Nina Simone, an NPR host mentioned a "growly" quality to Mattison's voice, which Trucks was able to closely duplicate on the slide guitar. The next song had a completely different sound altogether, a rendition of a song by Skip James, where Mattison sang in a falsetto.[7] His wide range appealed to Trucks, who was looking for a lead vocalist that was not the usual fare. Within The Derek Trucks Band, Mattison's voice has been described as an instrument, rather than that of a focal point as frontman.[8]
In 2010, The Derek Trucks Band announced a hiatus, and Mike Mattison joined the new group, Tedeschi Trucks Band, as a backing vocalist and songwriter. One of his compositions, "Midnight in Harlem," appears on the DVD release of Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010.
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