Since its inception in 2006, the Matt Flinner Triohas been performing its own brand of acoustic music around the country to rave reviews. Mandolinist Matt Flinner, guitarist Ross Martin and bassist Eric Thorin cover a wide variety of musical styles – all with the common ground of originality. Bluegrass, jazz and old-time music are all present here in their ways, along with a dose of classical chamber music composition and arrangement, as the members all draw from their wide array of musical loves, experiences and influences. Call it Americana Music, or New Acoustic, or Chamber Grass, or just call it Great Music … whatever label you put on it, it is guaranteed to be fresh and original, and definitely something you’ve never quite heard before. All master composers and improvisers, the trio has become legendary for their ability to almost simultaneous compose and perform new music. Their past two albums have developed this “music du jour” concept-drawing on whatever inspires them that day to compose a new tune and then performing it that evening. Their collective ability to conjure great melodies out of the ether and deliver them in front of a live audience has earned the group a reputation as one of the most imaginative and fearless in the contemporary instrumental space. Starting out as a banjo prodigy who was playing bluegrass festivals before he entered his teens, Flinner later took up the mandolin, won the National Banjo Competition in Winfield, KS in 1990, and won the mandolin award there the following year. He was featured on Steve Martin’s CD “The Crow,” which won the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album. The trio’s newest CD, “Traveling Roots,” was released in 2016 on Compass Records to rave reviews.
February 11, 2017
