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Matt Otto
Matt Otto is the assistant director of Jazz Studies at Kansas University. Matt studied music performance and composition at Indiana University, Berklee School of Music, The New Sch...view moreMatt Otto is the assistant director of Jazz Studies at Kansas University. Matt studied music performance and composition at Indiana University, Berklee School of Music, The New School for Social Research (BFA) and California Institute of the Art (MFA). Having lived in Japan for 5 years, New York City for 7 years and Los Angeles for 6 years, he has performed with a variety of artists including Anthony Wilson, Larry Koonse, Rashid Bakr, Ben Monder, Wada Leo Smith, Willie Jones III, Alan Ferber, Mark Ferber, Albert “Tootie” Heath, Gregory Hutchinson, Charlie Haden , Joe La Barbera, Junior Mance, Leroy Vinegar, Jimmy Smith, Ari Honig, Ben Street, Mike Moreno, Danny Weiss, Steve Cardenas, Larry Goldings, Eric Harland, Sheryl Bailey, Darek Oles, Erik McPherson, John Stowell and many others.
While in Los Angeles, Matt co-founded of the Los Angeles Jazz Collective, an artist driven composers collective and record label dedicated to promoting and recording original creative improvised music and collaborating with other arts and music organizations. Matt is an adjunct professor at Kansas University teaching Jazz Improvisation, Jazz Combo 1, and private lessons.
He currently performs his original compositions with his Kansas City based quartet with members Gerald Dunn on alto saxophone, Jeff Harshbarger on acoustic and electric bass, and Mike Warren on percussion and drum set. Matt has recorded with the Anthony Wilson Nonet (“The Power of Nine” Groove Note 1035, 2006), Joeless Shoe ( Joeless Shoe, jcr, 2007), and 3-ish (Baobab, jcr 2009) and has several Cds recorded as a leader; 53 West 19th – Noir Records 1996, Red–Origin Records 2000, Q trio vol.1 (Jazz Collective records 2008) , and has appeared on over 20 CD projects as a side man.
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