Crowd on its feet.The Gumbo Jam · presented & led by Matthew Hartnett
Presented & led by trombonist Matthew Hartnett
Horns, strings, vocals and a rhythm section, with a DJ, rappers and guest artists. Arranged and led from the front by Matthew.
Also: Kirk Franklin · Talib Kweli · Joe Sample · Mike Phillips | Denis Wick Artist
Talent buyers: this is the actual product. Press play and the video opens on the wide shot of the full ensemble, so you can size the production before you ask.
“Black” (Daria Savannah arr. Matthew Hartnett). Horns, strings, vocals and rhythm section on one stage.
The Gumbo Jam is a group. The show is arranged, with one song improvised as the group’s trademark.
A hip-hop orchestra presented and led by Matthew Hartnett, built for stages where the crowd is on its feet and the whole family is in it.
A hip-hop orchestra with a serious emphasis on horns, led by a trombonist who has played the biggest stages.
Presented with a DJ, rappers and whichever guest artists your date calls for.
Hip-hop, jazz, rock n' roll and funk collide, so the set speaks to every age in the crowd.
The show is arranged. One song is improvised, the trademark the group is known for.
Trombonist, arranger and bandleader. Matthew founded The Gumbo Jam, arranges for it and leads it from the front line.
Featured trombone soloist and ensemble leader with national-stage experience.
Wrote the horn arrangements on Talib Kweli's P.O.C. Live.
Music director for hip-hop and R&B artists in Houston.
Matthew's documented dates, including earlier and smaller lineups of the band. Every line links to a public source.
Matthew Hartnett & The Gumbo All-Stars, Emancipation Park, Houston, TX.
Watch the set →Pier 3, New Bedford, MA. Standard-Times also reported Matthew backing Lauryn Hill on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Read the article →Matthew Hartnett & The Gumbo All-Stars, Washington, D.C. (May 4, 2017). An earlier, smaller lineup, archived in full by the Kennedy Center.
Kennedy Center listing →Debut solo album, rated four stars by DownBeat and reviewed by Something Else!.
Read the review →Live at Jazzy Sundays, Emancipation Park, Houston (2023)
Shine: NPR Tiny Desk Contest
Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, May 4, 2017 (earlier, smaller lineup)
Every line is sourced. Click through to the original.
“Trombonist Matthew Hartnett has performed with Lauryn Hill, Bilal, Dave Chappelle’s Juke Joint, and many more.”The Kennedy CenterMillennium Stage artist bio, May 4, 2017See the listing →
“Hartnett has backed Lauryn Hill on ‘The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,’ rocked Dave Chappelle’s Juke Joint, played the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. and shared stages with Kirk Franklin, Talib Kweli, Mike Phillips, Joe Sample, and many more.”Lauren DaleySouthCoastToday.com, June 7, 2018Read the article →
“Matthew Hartnett has identified something culturally valuable in every environment he’s found himself in to make a remarkable introduction.”S. Victor AaronReview of Southern Comfort, Feb. 21, 2016Read the review →
Denis Wick Products lists Matthew as a trombone artist and has published a career interview with him.Denis Wick ProductsArtist profile and interviewSee the profile →
The latest single from Matthew Hartnett. Press play, then save it to your library on Spotify.
“1 Corinthians 13 is set to the tone of ‘In a Sentimental Mood’ by John Coltrane, played on trombone by Matthew Hartnett. ‘In a Sentimental Mood’ sets the canvas for the message Matthew paints, using the color palette and scriptural context of 1st Corinthians Chapter 13. The production style is marked by Matthew Hartnett’s reimagining of the jazz song being sampled into and throughout the song.”
“In a Sentimental Mood” was composed by Duke Ellington (1935). Coltrane recorded it with Ellington in 1963.Matthew Hartnett is the founder of The Gumbo Jam, the group, and of the Gumbo Jam Session, the improvised event that gained its notoriety in New York and has since been copied around the world.
With 1Cor13 he brings an improviser's spirit to a sacred text: jazz tradition, modern sampling and spiritual depth in one release.
The group is The Gumbo Jam. The Session is the party it became known for.
A Gumbo Jam Session, New York
The Gumbo Jam Session is an improvised event that the group puts on. Matthew founded it in New York and brought it home to Houston. Every song is improvised, and singers, rappers, poets and horn players sit in, with guests from the bands of Lauryn Hill, Mariah Carey, Erykah Badu, Talib Kweli and Snoop Dogg.
It is optional. A session can be added to a concert as a segment, and it is a judgement-free room where the stage is the pot and everyone who sits in is an ingredient.
“Live music, pure souls, and VEGAN GUMBOOOO!! The vibes were phenomenal and I'll be back next Sunday. I adopted a new departure phrase, ‘Peace on purpose.’”
Gumbo Jam Session guest“Tonight was nothing short of amazing! @matthewhartnett is a musical genius.”
Gumbo Jam Session guest“Chuuch at @thegumbojam......it's always a movie.”
Gumbo Jam Session guest
Festivals, fairs, performing arts series, galas and private events. Send the date, venue and budget range, and we will reply with availability and a quote.
Matthew Hartnett · Houston, Texas