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After a great lineup of blues at Southsea Folk & Roots Festival over the Bank Holiday weekend The Bullfrog Blues Club realised it was very important not to lose impetus, so we had to book someone very special for this Thursday's gig at South Parade Pier - and who better than THE MATT SCHOFIELD TRIO? Since releasing his debut CD in 2004, Matt Schofield is developing a fast growing following of admirers stretching from the USA to the Far East. Many blues fans in the UK and Europe will already know Matt from his work with Lee Sankey, Dana Gillespie and The Lester Butler Tribute Band. He is being talked of by those in the know as the finest blues-inspired guitarist to have emerged in Britain for several generations. Born in Manchester, Matt’s family moved to Fairford in Gloucestershire when he was a youngster. He first started playing guitar seriously at 12. It was not the guitar heroes of that period (the late-eighties) that inspired him. Rather it was seeing a video of BB King, Albert Collins and Stevie Ray Vaughan playing together that fired Matt’s imagination. The call of music was strong. As soon as Matt finished college he ventured to London to check out the music scene, visiting the blues jams around town, and was soon playing professionally. After touring and recording with the Lee Sankey Group, Matt was recruited by British blues diva, Dana Gillespie, to form part of her ‘London Blues Band’. While all this was happening Matt was consciously avoiding being labelled a teenage wonder, and concerned with developing his own style. “When I started playing on the blues circuit I was never comfortable with the ‘hot young guitarist’ label. Instead of being 'good for my age' I just wanted to be 'good'. So I decided to learn my trade first. I learned so much by backing other artists. What to do, and not do”. Working in the house band at many international festivals, including the Mustique Blues Festival for several years (often an exhausting 6 hours a night for 14 days) saw Matt backing a long list of artists, providing tremendous experience. “The Trio came together almost by accident. Not having a bass player for a gig one night, we thought we'd give it a go with Jonny doing left-hand bass on the organ, and from the first note we knew we were onto something. People kept coming back to hear more and asking if we had a CD and where else they could see us. One of those 'if it feels good, it is good' things. "The unique format of the organ trio allows an unusual freedom of improvisation and interaction. It's exciting because it's different every time! It’s a very collaborative, sum of the parts thing. “Jonny's extremely talented and the perfect keyboard foil for me. He has learned from many of the same musicians as I did, so he knows how to back me up perfectly, but can also really tear it up in his own right. His left hand bass gives The Trio such a distinctive groove plus, like me, he's a real 'tone' guy and has nailed that vintage Hammond sound. “I'm very proud to have Evan involved. He's one of my favourite drummers anywhere. I have played together with him more than any other drummer, in many different situations. His feel and timing are second to none. Evan can play it all - jazz, rock, pop, but he also has a natural feel for blues, and he always does it his own way.” THE MATT SCHOFIELD TRIO appear at The Bullfrog Blues Club on South Parade Pier, Southsea on Thursday 1st September. Tickets (£8) available on the door - doors at 8 p.m.