Matthew Fogg & Nicole Hajj: Live At The Azure Cafe – Music Review

by Liz Singer from www.hotindienews.com, posted December 15, 2008

Matt Fogg & Nicole Hajj - Live At The Azure Cafe

Throughout “Live at the Azure Cafe”, the latest album by Matthew Fogg and Nicole Hajj, Hajj’s voice is crystal-clear and stunningly jazzy, while Fogg’s piano skills are solidly spectacular. On “Cry Me a River,” the instrumental introduction makes you feel like you’re in the middle of a dream as the melody takes you to a faraway place. And once the vocals kick in, it becomes clear that these musicians’ talents are ones to be reckoned with.

“It Never Entered My Mind” mixes it up with a funky-fresh intro, toe-tapping beat, and upbeat, airy mood; it sounds like you’re like stepping onto the city streets early in the morning, ready to take on the day. Hajj’s voice dazzles through and through, sounding exactly like the amazingly sweet voice of Eva Cassidy. Between the wonderful vocals and almost-too-perfect instrumental riffs, I honestly couldn’t decide which I loved more.

With its strumming bass intro, “Twisted” is classic jazz at its best. My favorite track, though, is a remake of Norah Jones’ “The Nearness of You.” A personal favorite song of mine, I absolutely fell in love with this slightly slower, jazzier rendition. Both voice and keys are 100% “on,” and it’ll be no surprise when this duo reaches a similar fate as Norah herself.

On “Night & Day,” Hajj’s vocals continued to give me goose bumps as she hit higher, breathier notes, singing emotional lyrics about love. And on “Summertime,” her voice is as cool as a cold glass of lemonade, singing, “Summertime and the livin’ is easy.”

Slower and jazzier than ever, this track proves that even a jazz duo can create a diverse, eclectic album that constantly keeps listeners guessing about what they’re about to hear next.

From beginning to end, “Live at the Azure Cafe” proves the versatility of both Matthew Fogg and Nicole Hajj, as they skillfully re-create timeless songs to better fit their own talents and turn the old into something new, and—as is the case here— even better than the originals.

Matthew Fogg: First Yamaha Artist In Education Endorsee

from Accent Magazine Winter 2008, Volume 68

Yamaha is proud to announce 28-year old jazz pianist and teacher Matthew Fogg is the first endorsee under a new program titled Artists in Education. Living up to Yamaha’s long and dedicated history of supporting music education, Yamaha Corporate Artist Affairs, Inc. has developed this new program to support those devoted to both creating and teaching music.

“This program was important to us because we wanted to be able to support the world-class musicians who also dedicate their time to education,” saya Chris Gero, Vice President of Yamaha Corporate Artist Affairs, Inc. Fogg says he is thrilled to be welcomed into the Yamaha Artist family and to be recognized for both his playing and teaching, two things that hold equal importance in his life. Fogg plays and teaches with Yamaha acoustic C2 or C3 conservatory grand pianos and a U1 upright piano.

“It is an exciting new step forward for all of Yamaha as we recognize the contributions to music and music education by these new Yamaha Artist educators,” says Mike Bates, Director of Yamaha Institutional and Commercial Services. “Far from the old adage ‘those who can’t perform teach,’ these fine musicians are also straight-ahead great performers, inspiring their students to reach for the highest quality performances they can achieve…and showing them how it’s done.”

Fogg’s musical journey began as a trumpet player at the ag of ten, but after taking an interest in legendary jazz musicians Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett during his high school years, he quickly developed a passion for jazz piano. He graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in Music Education with an emphasis on piano. Following graduation Fogg embarked on a career as an educator, working as the director of choral music at Morse High School in Bath, Maine. Ever drawn to the world of creating and performing, Fogg maintained an active schedule as an artit as well.

“It was never a question of either/or or me. I always wanted to be a teacher, but playing came very natural to me as well,” says Fogg. “Ultimately I ended up with two seperate career paths that were joined by the love of music. I feel like being an educator complements being an artist becaue it leads me through a constant process of discovery.”

While at UNH, Fogg began a musical colaboration with Voclist Nicole Hajj, and it was with her that he recorded Live at The Azure Cafe, an album that garnered glowing revoews and recieved airplay in numerous states and half a dozen countries. In 2005, he was asked to join an impressive roster of artists performing for jazz legend Clark Terry’s 85th birthday celebration. In May 2006, he released This is What You Want, an album that allowed Fogg to experiment with vintage keyboards and embraced a wide range of musical styles. As with Azure, it was greeted with consistently positive reviews and earned him special praise for his keyboard and arranging skills.

Fogg continues to educate, currently spending his daylight hours as the Music Education/Choral Music Director for the Lyman Moore Middle School in Portland, ME. He is also the adjunct professor at Bowdoin College and at the University of Maine in Augusta.

Success Stories: Matt Fogg – Teacher And Musician

from The Maine Switch January 10, 2008 by Amber Olesen

Living on the West End in Portland, married with a 4-month-old son, Matthew Fogg juggles a very busy lifestyle. Both a musician and teacher, this 29-year-old has a long list of artistic activities and musical interests.

Developing his talents at a young age playing trumpet, Fogg entered the Regional Music Festival. But after hearing a jazz trio play, he set his sights on piano, which proved to be a better fit. He attended the University of New Hampshire and received a degree in music education, and Fogg now uses that knowledge to teach jazz piano at Lyman Moore Middle School, in classes at the University of Maine in Augusta and Bowdoin College and privately at the Tony Boffa School of Music.

“Teaching informs and enhances my music vocabulary … we pull out a tune, start working and they plant a seed,” Fogg says of his students. He describes teaching music as an improvisational relationship — never dictating. Fogg speaks enthusiastically of having specific goals for his students but encourages them to have fun and explore their own talents. Working with students of all levels and abilities lends inspiration to Fogg’s own music.

In addition to teaching, Fogg has several ongoing ventures. He does freelance work as a jazz pianist, playing at Azure Café in Freeport as well as clubs, restaurants and private parties. Fogg frequently teams with singer Nicole Hajj and they recorded a CD together in 2005 called Live at the Azure Café (Find it at www.mattfogg.com). In 2006, Fogg recorded an original CD called “This is What You Want”. Also a member of Jaye Drew and A Moving Train, a hip hop/funk band, Fogg says the band is “five different people with different backgrounds coming together to create an original sound.” A CD is in the works for this group as well. Fogg also makes time for Retrospecticus, a cover band made up of friends, which plays the local bar scene. Fogg was the first recipient of the Yamaha Artist in Education award, given to recognize performers who spend time teaching others. “I would love to use my music advocacy and convince people to do more incredible things with music in schools and different organizations,” he says.

About six months ago, Fogg began to focus on his voice and singing capabilities. “As I grow up and get older, I think of what I can do to have a successful music career,” he says. “Learning to combine musical talents with personality is the key to branding as an artist. Once my vocals are on point, I am going to cut my own album, combining the piano with the vocals. “My utopic world would be to wake up, have a cup of coffee, play with my child and then go down and make music in my studio.” When applauded for how much he does for the music community, Fogg simply says, “We all do what we do and try to make a positive impact.” As a composer, performer and teacher, he seems well on his way to influencing the musical world in Maine and beyond.

Twenty Is Plenty

from Port City LIFE November 2007 by Mindy Favreau

To counter the undeserved but perhaps prevailing wisdom that says the current group of recent college graduates-sometimes called Generation Y, sometimes called Millennials-is (fill in the blank; self-absorbed, brash, too plugged in to look up from their computers), we decided to zero in on a few 20-somethings in Maine who are already making a contribution in their fields. What’s more, these four demonstrate that you don’t have to leave the state to be successful. And to bolster our argument in favor of these new kids on the block, we had four other 20-somethings write up their profiles.

Matt Fogg, 28, wasn’t always a gifted musician. He joined the band in fifth grade and quickly became, he says, “the worst trumpet player in the whole school.” Still, the Biddeford native persisted, and in high school he auditioned for a spot in a regional music festival. He didn’t get it. But what happened at that audition changed the course of his musical career.

“Walking out, I passed this jazz audition, and it was awesome,” he recalls. I just thought, “What is this sound I’m hearing?” For the first time, I knew what I wanted to do. It was like a lightning bolt.”

Fogg started taking piano lessons, auditioned the following year at the same festival as a jazz pianist, and made the cut. He bought his first tuxedo not for the prom, but for his first major gig at the swanky former Seascapes Restaurant (now Pier 77) on Cape Porpoise.

Now, over ten years later, Fogg has turned his passion into a busy career. Some nights he’s entertaining dinner guests at the Azure Cafe in Freeport. Other nights he’s offering up high-energy renditions of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” with the band Retrospecticus at the Montsweag Roadhouse in Woolwich. He’s already put out three CDs-two with vocalist Nicole Hajj, and one with vocalist Cheri Gaudet Grimmet and guitarist Scott Morgan. A fourth, a collection of hip hop and funk-inspired tunes with the band Jaye Drew and a Moving Train, is due out next spring.

In his various collaborations, he plays everything from blues, jazz, and gospel to 1950s pop, 1980s hair band rock, and hip hop. “Anything that I do, I take it to the nth degree,” he says. “When I get passionate about something, I have to immerse myself in it.”

By day, Fogg, who has a degree in music education, teaches jazz piano or vocals at Bowdoin College, the University of Maine at Augusta, and the Tony Boffa School of Music in Westbrook. For the past three years, he’s directed the chorus at the Lyman Moore Middle-School in Portland, luring “kids who never come to the band and chorus room” with musical programs that include Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” complete with guitar solos. “My teaching philosophy for kids that age is to get as many as possible interested in loving music,” he says. This philosophy has earned him national attention. Earlier this year, he was featured in Keyboard magazine, and in August he received the very first Yamaha Artists in Education endorsement.

Lately Fogg’s been sticking closer to home for his latest project: fatherhood. In September, he and his wife, a nurse, welcomed their first child, a son named Paxton. “I like the high energy lifestyle, but managing my time is tough,” he says. “If I’m not working on anything, I fall into a funk. I just keep wanting to create art. That’s the driving force-the passion to do something different.”

-Mindy Favreau, a 2007 summa cum laude, graduate of Colby College, works as an editorial assistant at Maine Biz.

Thumbs Up — Play The Jazz, Wear The Blues

from The Times Record

Strike up the band for Matt Fogg, the former Morse High School choral director, for becoming the first recipient of the Yamaha company’s Artists in Education endorsement. The Jazz Times reported last week that Fogg, 28 and now a teacher at the Lyman Moore Middle School in Portland, will help launch the program devoted to teaching and creating music.

Based on his achievements at Morse after assuming the baton for the choral program there in 2001, Fogg brings a perfect mix of skills to the new initiative.

The creativity it takes to perform as a jazz pianist, which Fogg does when he’s not teaching, fortifies the leadership, diversity and dedication that remain prerequisites for teaching music in schools. “I want to change people’s mind about what it means to be a high school musician,” Fogg told The Times Record in a 2003 interview. It’s about stretching the ears of the students, which will stretch the ears of the audiences.”

The skills required to play an instrument or sing complex chorale arrangements translate well to other academic disciplines. Yet band and chorus don’t merit much respect from a state educational hierarchy that seems intent on defining Essential Programs and Services in the narrowest possible way.

Perhaps Fogg’s national recognition will tune up that dissonant note.

Morgan Fogg & Grimmet: This Is What You Want – Indie Music Review

from Hot Indie News by Darkside

Morgan Fogg and Grimmett - This Is What You Want

This Is What You Want by Morgan Fogg and Grimmett is best described as having three sections: vocals, lyrics and musicianship. These three distinct categories are varied stylistically and in terms of talent, which makes for an interesting melange, and an engaging (if occassionally confusing) listen.

Starting off with lyrics, this album has Christian-based lyrics counterpointed with songs about booze. The idea of lyrics reflecting Christian ideas is an ingenious one, though occasionally seemingly out of place. The songs with lyrics, however, happen to be exquisetly crafted, and singer Cheri Gaudet Grimmett does a good job of integrating them into the album’s sound.

Ms. Grimmett sounds like a lounge singer, and does that title a service. Initially, her voiced sounded strained, as if she were attempting to pull off ‘smoky’ (which, if she was trying to do, she failed at), but as the album progresses, she seems to settle into her own style with a beautiful, sonorous, controlled voice. By the penultimate song, “Go Down Moses”, she has firmly and smoothly integrated herself into the sound of the album.

The music throughout is superb. Fogg’s Fender Rhodes, Carl Dimow’s flute, and Brad Terry’s clarinet all shine throughout the album; they are all magnificently played, and have impressive solos throughout.

The highlight of the album, however, is Matt Fogg on the piano. Fogg has spent a lifetime creating music, first as a trumpeteer, later moving onto piano. His expertise as a jazz pianist is obvious from the first note, and is consistently held. Furthermore, he posses a range that is simply astonishing- he adeptly changes styles, from restaurant-jazz (background music that you start paying attention to) to true blues-style, and everything in between.

‘Gigging With Mr. Fogg: ‘Music has brought me to a lot of cool places,’ entertainer and educator says

from The Portland Forecaster – March 7, 2007 by Peter Smith

Portland – It all started when he was in the fourth grade. Matt Fogg went to his high school auditorium for a performance of the wind ensemble. What he heard was the coolest thing ever (at least for an 11-year-old): The soundtrack to “M*A*S*H.” Afterwards, he wanted to learn how to make music, so his dad took him to a pawn shop and bought him a used trumpet.

Fogg now teaches sixth-grade vocal music at Lyman Moore Middle School. In warmer weather, he rides his bike from the West End, down Washington Avenue to the Auburn Street school. On the bus ride, students would see him pedaling – the first of many indications that Fogg is not an ordinary choral teacher.

By the ninth grade, the trumpet had gotten old. It got especially old when Fogg wasn’t invited to play at the Southern Maine Music Festival. On his way out of the try-outs, he heard someone talking about jazz. About jazz piano.

Today, Fogg’s classroom at Lyman Moore is wired with 24 piano keyboards. He teaches four music classes and a chorus class. He also teaches jazz piano at Bowdoin College and the University of Maine at Augusta. He works with the Jewish Youth Chorus. He’s working on producing a comedy CD with his younger brother Ben (though Ben thinks Matt is the funny one).

“And Friday night,” he said, “I went gigging.”

When his sixth-graders ask about gigging, Fogg laughs. “Oh, you guys are too young,” he tells them.

Fogg is an easy-going guy with a hard-working ethos. He plays at RiRa and Brian Boru. He plays the old standards. He plays originals. He plays a little of everything. He played two shows last Friday, two shows Saturday and one show Sunday.

Fogg played in high school and he played in college. At the University of New Hampshire, he had a blind theater professor who performed scenes from a Braille script in front of the class; he never missed that one. The more his teachers performed, he said, the more he performed. That’s something he tries to pass on to his students.

Fogg, who describes himself as not particularly stylish, is a 28-year-old entertainer who usually treads the school hallway in black duds. But gigging gives him some street cred: How many public school teachers have publicists? How many teachers have publicists who send reviewers CDs wrapped in chocolates just to get a review? How many teachers are on iTunes, MySpace, and CDBaby? How many teachers teach hundreds of middle schoolers to sing Freddy Mercury’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”? (Or team teach history with Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire”?)

“Music has brought me to a lot of cool places,” Fogg said. And middle school is one of those places.

But making money just making music may be unrealistic. All the jazz greats had music gigs. And they also had teaching gigs, he said. “If it were really possible, they’d be doing it,” Fogg said.

Fogg had a show last year at Lyman Moore that was something of a hit, if choral enrollment is any indication – this year, it jumped 300 percent.

Still, Fogg hopes to make it big. So far, he’s been featured in Keyboard magazine, on Maine Public Radio and WCSH-TV’s “207″. he’s hoping to write one hit song, just one.

“All you have to do is write one hit tune,” he said, “and you can get your kids through college.”

Matt Fogg: After School, By The Bike Racks, Don’t Bring Your Mom

from Keyboard Magazine – January 2007 by Ed Coury

In 1903, George Bernard Shaw wrote, “He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches.” If George were around today he’d be eating those words, after meeting Matt Fogg.

The 28-year-old music teacher does more in one week than many of us do in a month. Monday through Friday, Mr. Fogg is the vocal music instructor at Lyman Moore Middle School, near his home in Portland, Maine. Weekday evenings he teaches jazz piano at the University of Maine at Augusta, and Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. And as if that weren’t enough to keep him busy, Matt directs the Jewish Youth Chorus of Maine (which is no small feat; Matt isn’t Jewish, so he learned the repertoire from scratch).

Okay, it’s apparent that Matt can teach. But can he “do”? The answer is yes – and he does it all weekend long.

You might catch Matt playing jazz standards at a classy Portland restaurant. He brings along a Yamaha P120 or P140 – and sometimes adds female vocalist Nicole Hajj. Matt and Nicole have recorded together, and their jazz tunes have been played on radio stations overseas.

Those gigs are quite a contrast to the shows Matt puts on with his cover band, Retrospecticus. “We try to do the whole rock star image,” he says. “We wear T-shirts and try to put on a really good rock show.” He describes the band’s playlist as “a mix of disco, soul, rock, and funk. Just all kinds of covers from the ‘50’s to the late ‘80’s.”

Matt’s Retrospecticus rig consists of his Yamaha P120, the 73-key version of the Nord Electro 2, a microKORG, and sometimes an Angel melodica, “for a few tunes like Stevie’s ‘Isn’t She Lovely’.” Matt likes the sound of Yamaha pianos (which explains why he owns two). He puts the Electro in the mix for its great clonewheel abilities. And the microKORG is added for classic and modern synth sounds. “It has some of the cool analog sounds that Suge Knight and Snoop Dogg used, like on Doggie Style.”

The Motion Sound KP200S is Matt’s main amp. He runs in stereo and sends a feed from the amp’s stereo outs to the band’s P.A. system when needed. Monitoring is in-ear, with Shure E3 High Energy earphones. Matt supports his boards with an On-Stage Stands Folding Z keyboard stand with an added tier, or the two-tier On-Stage KSA7500 X-style stand.

The makeup of Matt’s rig is subject to change. Sometimes he takes his Kurzweil PC88 to a job. For really big shows, such as the Festival for Cultural Exchange in Portland, he puts his arm and back muscles to the test and brings his Hammond A-100, Leslie 120, Wurlitzer 200A, and Fender Rhodes Suitcase.

Matt may be in the classroom five days a week, but on-going recording projects with vocalist Jaye Drew as well as Morgan, Fogg, and Grimmett (an original group which recently released a CD) might make him a star one day. “All the things I do are an attempt to get out there and be known, and get my stuff heard,” he says. If he did make it to the big time, Matt would like to write and produce, making enough, he says, “to do whatever I want, when I want.”

Being a part-time performer has paid off in the classroom for Matt. He brought Retrospecticus to school one night to play a two-and-a-half hour dance. “Lot of kids in Portland never have a chance to hear a concert,” he says, “so I wanted to get the band in there.”

His effort paid off. “255 kids joined the chorus after we played,” he says. “The previous year we only had 80. Being a weekend pro gives a teacher some street cred. If they don’t find me credible, they won’t listen to anything I tell them.”

Demolition

from www.goodtimesmag.com – December 12, 2006 by Syl Nathan

Morgan Fogg & Grimmett - This Is What You Want

Matt Fogg is clearly one of the region’s preeminent musicians. It appears he can play anything – jazz, blues, swing, pop, you name it. Once again, he displays his varied musicianship, sharp production skills, and incredible keyboard acumen on this recently released group CD, which is quite different from his previous albums.

Fogg has set the bar quite high for himself; nothing he ever does will top the live performance document he issued with Nicole Hajj, Live At The Azure Café, the overall best CD released in Maine last year. However, this group, featuring Fogg on various keyboards, vocalist Cheri Gaudet Grimmett, guitarist Scott Morgan, bassist Andy Rice, and percussionist Shawn Boissonneault, comes darn close. No one should ever tar New England as an “unsophisticated” music area – not with such vibrant and original jazz music such as this coming from within its borders.

The album of mostly originals veers into pop at times, but it’s amazing in that many of the tunes are of such high quality that they could become standards. The amazing “Love/Hate Relationship” merges a clever lyric and an out of this world chord progression to challenge the listener without becoming overwhelming. “Bounce,” “Blues For Steve,” and “Huntin’” continue to forge Fogg’s rep as an outstanding composer, particularly of instrumentals. And throughout, Grimmett’s vocals charm, tease, and cajole in perfect harmony with the mood of each piece. Add to that Morgan’s fluid, expressive guitar, and it’s a complete and varied package that pleases the ears like few other local releases. Stunning.

We don’t want to lay on the hype too thick; it suffices to say that every project puts his attention to is pure gold in terms of artistic achievement. Here’s hoping he and his compatriots get the recognition they deserve for being among the east coast’s jazz elite. Written from the perspective of a New Yorker (where this review was written), Morgan Fogg & Grimmett are Blue Note bait. C’mon down; we could use more great jazz in these parts, too.

Review Of Live At The Azure Cafe

from www.muzikreviews.com – September 20, 2006 by Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

Matthew Fogg and Nicole Hajj - Live at the Azure Cafe

Matthew Fogg & Nicole Hajj had a history before this album came together. They met and found a mutual admiration and respect for one thing, the art form of jazz.

It is unusual to release a debut album as a live recording, but the duo decided this was the best way to present their music at the time. Live At The Azure Café was released in 2005 and received with open arms from the jazz community.

The mixture of jazz standards and originals is as compelling as it is enriching for the casual listener or connoisseur. Music like this has a particular audience, one that can appreciate good music and the changes it can go through in a live setting. It is quite simple actually, if you have a love for good music, this CD will find a way into your heart.

Besides the beautiful tones and elegant vocal style produced by Nicole, Matthew provides fresh arrangements via his exemplary piano playing. They get plenty of assistance from their friends, too. Shawn Boissonneault (drums, percussion) is a long time friend and collaborator of Fogg’s, Brad Terry (clarinet), Andy Rice (acoustic & electric bass), and Lucas Cantor (guitar), round out the sound and form an ensemble that would rival any other band out playing jazz music today in a public venue. I would go far beyond that, actually, and say that this is several notches above any typical nightclub performance. This is a group of musicians right in the middle of their creative element.

A select group of people provided the necessary audience ambiance, and the live sound resonates clearly and crisply throughout this recording. There is not any other idiom that flourishes more in a live setting than jazz, I can attest to that fact. After seeing countless concerts over the years there are a few jazz shows that I cannot seem to forget, and I know why. Improvisation breathes new life into songs you have heard a hundred times before. Take “My Funny Valentine” for instance. You instantly recognize the tune, however, the musicianship puts a different spin on the standard and brings it right into the new millennium by giving due respect to the past and adding bits and pieces of today for a sound that is unforgettable. Fogg & Hajj have a special chemistry and the music that they make will give you the sense of being there, you can feel the creative energy and sparks flying. That is quite convincing since I was not there to actually witness the performance.