Matt Wilson's Big Happy Family - Beginning Of A Memory

Drummer Matt Wilson celebrates the memory of his Late Wife Felicia and his Extended Musical Family on 'Beginning of a Memory'. Matt Wilson's Big Happy Family gathers the members of the Matt Wilson Quartet, Arts & Crafts, and the Christmas Tree-O into one spirited ensemble.

Featuring Terell Stafford, Kirk Knuffke, Jeff Lederer, Joel Frahm, Andrew D'Angelo, Gary Versace, Martin Wind, Paul Sikivie, Chris Lightcap, Larry Goldings, Yosuke Inoue and Matt Balitsaris.

Both a joyous act of communion and a solemn farewell, Beginning of a Memory is a celebration of life, community and family expressed with the virtuosic wit and embracing humor that has made Matt Wilson so beloved in the jazz community. Returning to the studio for the first time since his wife Felicia lost her battle with leukemia in June 2014, the result is a warm and loving commemoration, featuring new renditions of many of Felicia's favorite tunes from Wilson's past recordings interspersed with snippets of studio dialogue that capture the spirit of the session.

Moments of uninhibited joy collide with passages of bittersweet sadness, but all of it combines with Matt Wilson's emotional openness, empathy and exuberance to conjure a mood of wistful optimism.

[Matt Wilson is] clear and swinging, attuned to color, pitch and the overall sound of his drum set� there's a specific kind of gentle humor in [his] band. - Ben Ratliff, The New York Times

Matt Wilson has never failed to bring an element of surprise and unabashed joy to the bandstand. - Bill Milkowski, JazzTimes