Matt Schofield

“In Schofield, the UK has produced the best blues guitarist from any country in decades.” LA Daily News.

Britain has produced great guitarists: think Eric Clapton and Peter Green. Now there’s another, in a new generation, named Matt Schofield. Indeed, Guitar and Bass Magazine rates him in the Top 10 of British blues guitarists of all time. He was named British Blues Guitarist of the Year three times and was the first guitarist inducted into the British Blues Awards Hall of Fame.

British-born and now U.S.-based, Matt Schofield continues to push the frontiers and reshape the boundaries of the British blues tradition. After more than 30 years of performing and 20 years into a solo career, the multi-award-winning guitar virtuoso, singer, songwriter, producer and band leader, his impact as one of the most influential and distinctive guitarists of his generation is unquestionable.

That’s heady stuff for a man in his forties who grew up in the English countryside watching a B.B. King video his father gave him. Later, videos introduced him to Albert Collins and Stevie Ray Vaughan. “It was like, ‘I’ve got to do this,’” Schofield said. “There’s something about the way the three of them were jamming. B.B. really was majestic. As an 11 or 12-year-old watching him, I was mesmerized but didn’t think there was any way I could ever do that. It was too special. When I saw Stevie Ray Vaughan playing with him, I thought maybe I could. Stevie made it seem accessible to people. I taught myself, working through my dad’s great blues record collection. I did my first gig at 13, and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

At 18, Schofield moved to London and worked as a sideman, honing his skills playing for artists of the British blues scene and touring American performers. “This enabled me to stay close to my roots while learning my trade and exploring a variety of musical frontiers,” he said. “By age 25, I was starting to explore my own band projects. Although my formative guitar influences are largely the old-school blues players, I never wanted my own music to be constrained by a rigid formula or even genre. I just wanted to play ‘Matt Schofield music.’ Classic jazz, funk, soul, rock and all the music I love have found their way into it. The process of writing and singing has become increasingly important to me and I feel it’s those other aspects of creativity that helped define my career on guitar.”

Schofield’s live performances have become iconic. From main stages at prestigious festivals to packed houses in legendary clubs, his ability to connect with audiences immediately and profoundly is unforgettable. His authenticity, mastery of the guitar, emotive vocals, and improvisational brilliance come to life with his innovative, original compositions. He is also a renowned music educator, passing on his craft to others. In 2018, he released Blues Speak, his highly acclaimed TrueFire instructional series. He has taught from Tokyo to Texas and all points in between.

After numerous studio albums and decades of performing with his own band, there is still much he wants to do. “Remaining open to where the music might take me while maintaining the excitement that improvising and collaborating with talented musicians is key to me,” he said. “My inspiration and goals come from many places, my influences, old and new, include musicians I have wanted to collaborate with for years. There are things I still feel I hadn’t realized on previous albums and I have a need to keep pushing myself. It all meets at the place where I’m heading now. I’m always aiming to go as far as possible to capture the same connection with the listener that I aim to make at a live show or record. That’s the goal: capturing that special moment.”

Schofield has achieved success he never imagined, but he remains in awe of those who showed him the way. “I remain a music lover, first and foremost,” he said. “The recognition I’ve received from both fans and peers is humbling and inspiring and those ‘pinch me’ moments where I found myself trading licks with heroes like Robben Ford and Buddy Guy are still the greatest thrill.”

If you haven’t heard Matt Schofield, your thrill is still to come.