New Years Eve with Michelle Lordi/Matthew Parrish Quartet at The Side Door Jazz Club – Old Lyme, CT

This show will have a 1 drink minimum per person

Michelle Lordi – Vocals

Matthew Parrish – Bass

Vincent Bourgeyx – Piano

Byron Landham – Drums

Jazz bassist, Matthew Parrish, has ‘come into his own’ as a sought after performer, arranger, composer, producer and instructor. Matthew brings skills and s wing as he puts his heart into every note he plays. He has a genuine warmth and loyalty to the music that transcends into every note, every tune, and every interaction with his fellow musicians.

Born in central California to hard-working, music-loving parents of four children, Matthew is the youngest to his next sibling by eleven years. With a variety of jazz, rock, and classical music being played around him since birth, whether live or recorded, and a father who played acoustic bass early in his military career, Matt was destined for a life dedicated to music. Although he started on trumpet in middle school, he switched from that instrument for the acoustic bass in a last minute decision of the heart right before his Rutgers Mason Gross School of the Arts music program audition. He was accepted as an acoustic bass student in jazz studies and he has never stopped learning his craft.

Matt’s young bass career is grounded in Philadelphia, PA. He had the blessing, in his late teens and early twenties, of performing with Shirley Scott, Mickey Roker, Bobby Durham, Cecil Payne, Johnny Coles, Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison, Sylvia Simms, Danny Turner, and fellow young musicians, Orrin Evans and Byron Landham. Matthew went on to have the unforgettable experience of touring with legendary trombonist, Al Grey. This era also included performing with Clark Terry, Marion McPartland, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Lou Donaldson, Joe Cohn, Savion Glover, and Bill Charlap.

After the sad passing of Al, an important mentor and friend, Matthew continued to tour with the bands of Greg Osby, Jon Jang, James Newton, Stefon Harris, and Regina Carter. Matt came to be relied upon as a gifted composer and arranger in addition to his steady performing. His own works, as played by Matt on bass, are on his debut CD, ‘Circles’ (Hipnotic Records), as well as on recordings from Regina Carter and Dave Leonhardt, Denise Montana, and Ben Schachter.

Matthew also has recorded with musicians such as Wynton Marsalis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Paquito D’Rivera, Clark Terry, Etta Jones, James Williams, Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison, James Newton, Miri Ben-Ari, Gary Thomas, Vana Gierig, Orrin Evans, and Houston Person

Vocalist Michelle Lordi has received international accolades and heavy rotation on jazz radio stations in the US and abroad for her recording projects, “Drive” (2015) and “Dream A Little Dream” ( 2017),“Break Up With The Sound“(2019) and “ Two Moons” ( 2023)

Whether she’s performing with bebop jazz legends, exploring experimental soundscapes in her original music or delivering her taut, mesmerizing jazz interpretations of pop ballads, Lordi’s profound love of the music she chooses to sing and the musicians she creates with is evident in every note of her vividly expressive and elegantly communicative voice.

Michelle has performed in performance venues, jazz clubs and festivals across the US such as the Mann Music Center, The Kimmel Center, The Deer Head Inn, Chris’ Jazz Café, Philadelphia Museum of Art, South, Zlock Performing Arts Center (PA), 55 Bar, Birdland, Cornelia Street Café, Jazz Forum, Maureen’s, Mezzrow, Minton’s, SMOKE Jazz & Supper Club, Smalls,(NY), DazzleJazz (CO) , BluJazz, Bop Stop (OH) The Drake (MA) Cliff Bell’s, Dirty Dog Jazz Café, (MI) The Jazz Cruise (FL) & Le Duc Des Lombards (France)

In 2019 Michelle Lordi was nominated in three categories ( Best Band, Rising Star & Female Jazz Vocalist) in the Hot House New York City Readers Jazz Awards. She has performed and/or recorded with musical luminaries such as Orrin Evans, Sumi Tonooka, Eric Wortham II, JD Allen, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Larry McKenna, Greg Osby, Houston Person, Matthew Parrish, Buster Williams, Eric Revis, Ben Wolfe, Matt Davis, Nir Felder, Steve Cardenas, Ian Macaulay, Tim Motzer, Miles Okazaki, Sonny Troy, Nasheet Waits, Gene Jackson, Jerome Jennings, Donald Edwards, Wayne Smith, Jr. EJ Strickland, Rudy Royston and many others. Lordi has also collaborated with producer/guitarist Warren Defever ( His Name Is Alive).