Matthew Stevens

An acclaimed, genre-bending guitarist, Matthew Stevens is known for expansive post-bop harmonies and stylistic forays into post-rock, hip-hop, electronic music, and modern creative jazz. Building upon the pioneering approach of guitarists like Bill Frisell, Nels Cline, and John Scofield, Stevens initially garnered attention in the 2000s for his work with Grammy-nominated trumpeter Christian Scott, and has contributed to albums by such similar maverick artists as Esperanza Spalding, Ben Williams, and Harvey Mason. He has also issued his own cross-pollinated albums, including 2015's Woodwork, 2017's Preverbal, and 2018's In Common with saxophonist Walter Smith III, as well as In Common 2 in 2020. The following year, Stevens released Pittsburgh, his first collection of solo guitar compositions. He reunited with Smith for 2022's In Common III, contributed to 2024's Milton + Esperanza, and then delivered Matthew Stevens in 2026.