Matt Dusk's Two Shots

Young Toronto crooner now shines on screen and stage

Call it the power of television. We interviewed rising young crooner Matt Dusk in the elegant confines of the Windsor Arms Hotel a full year ago. He'd just completed his major label debut CD, but that album, Two Shots, wasn't released until this June.
The delay made marketing sense, for Dusk just recently took a key role in The Casino, the new reality TV series from Mark Burnett, the mastermind behind Survivor. It is not a mega ratings hit, but it still gives Matt Dusk weekly exposure to millions of potential new fans every week. He has a featured acting role in the series, as in a recent episode where his attempt to be promoted to the casino's main entertainment room is thwarted, funnily enough, by fellow Torontonians Barenaked Ladies!
Handsome looks and smooth vocal stylings have Dusk slotted as a potential major new star. Certainly, no expense was spared by his record label, Decca, in the making of Two Shots, a very impressive album in the mold of the classic big band singers of the jazz era.
Recording at London's famed Abbey Road studios with a 42-piece string section from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra doesn't come cheap. They're employed on six songs, while the Toronto Symphony and London Session Orchestras are also used extensively.
Their presence thrilled Dusk. "For every singer it is always a dream to have the opportunity to record with a big orchestra. To hear the strings coming through demos that we had programmed, where you think 'yes, I could hear this with an orchestra.' Then you hear it and your jaw drops to the floor!"
A large number of other tracks were recorded in Toronto, with local producer/songwriter Terry Sawchuk. Such talented players as Domenic Troiano and Roberto Occhipinti are also featured.
Writers featured on the album include Lennon and McCartney ("Please Please Me") and U2's Bono and The Edge. They wrote "Two Shots Of Happy, One Shot Of Sad" for Frank Sinatra, but Ole Blue Eyes never got to record it before his death.
Matt co-wrote three songs on Two Shots, confirming he is not just the pretty boy singer up front. He took a strong role in the recording process, explaining that "it is my name on the record, and I want to be happy with everything. Yes of course it caused friction, but it is not people arguing over who is right or wrong. Everyone cares so much about the project, so it is about getting the best."
The record label bio may claim this is Matt's first record, but the 25-year old has long been active both performing and recording on the Toronto circuit. As Matthew-Aaron Dusk, he actually recorded four albums and became a favourite on the MP3.com internet site.
Matt sang with such big bands as The Galaxy All-Star Orchestra, honing his vocal skills on the classic songs of the big band era. Prior to that, he toured internationally as a member of the choir of the St. Michael's Choir School. He looks back on his years at SMCS with fondness. "I was with the same guys from grades 3 to 13. They were my second family, and I still hang out with those guys now."
Exposure to the sounds of Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett changed Dusk's musical direction. He enrolled in York University's jazz programme, studying jazz vocal with the famed Bob Fenton. "He worked with Billie Holiday and lived a strong jazz life. He worked me really hard, and has been the most influential person on my singing."
Matt's talent for the form soon became apparent. He participated in master classes with Oscar Peterson, and received an Oscar Peterson Scholarship for his high academic record and excellence in jazz performance.
From opera to jazz, this cool cat can sing it all. He may now enjoy both the recording and acting processes, but live performance remains his key addiction. "I would far rather do live. Recording means capturing a moment, but artists now so often do 80 takes and it can sound so manufactured. On Two Shots, we mostly did just one take, with some overdubs added later. What I love about live is that you have just that one moment. If you screw up, it is part of the moment. If you have a fight with your girlfriend and have to do a gig, man the pain comes through."
He is now on the fast track to fame, but Matt Dusk has certainly known personal pain. He referred to love life trauma in our interview, and last year he had to cope with the death of his close friend and co-manager, popular Toronto music industry veteran Scott Richards.
Two Shots is dedicated to Richards, and it does his memory proud.
Two Shots is out on Decca/Universal. Matt Dusk performs at Revival on August 27, and other local dates are expected.

Publication Date: 2004-08-29
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=4344