Matt Scutchfield’s “Far Away Again”
Matt Scutchfield’s “Far Away Again”
Bluegrass in the Czech Republic; Jazz in Poland
by Cynthia Connell Davis
Matt Scutchfield, a violinist from Plymouth, Indiana, is back in the USA. He has been in Poland and the Czech Republic, recording his first album, “Far Away Again.” His passion for American Bluegrass earned him an Indiana Council on the Arts grant. “Far Away Again” integrates the work of outstanding musicians from Indiana, New York, Poland and the Czech Republic.*
Scutchfield says, “As I listened to the recording we did in Warsaw, Poland, I realized this is the best work I've done. The work from the Czech Republic is just as satisfying. I am thrilled to hear this caliber of work coming out of myself and my production.”
“C’mon, guys! Let’s just bang it out!”
“Far Away Again is a mash-up between bluegrass and jazz. Before Scutchfield received the grant, he could hear the album in his “inner ears.” During recording, the musicians were playing music out of their comfort zone. There were moments of reluctance, but no one ever said “No.” He was able to get them to guide the musicians to his vision.
“When they were overthinking, I directed them through pieces and got the results I expected but better than I could have imagined. I would say, ‘C’mon, guys! Let’s just bang it out.’ ”
Lukasz Pawlikowski (the cello player from Poland) said, “I don’t understand,” Scutchfield would say, “Just listen to it and play it. Play from what you feel.” After five or six false starts, he played it perfectly. The Czech players were a little timid, but they, too, mastered the music. On one track, the pianist played exactly what Scutchfield had heard in his inner ears.
It was so good that there would be no words after a session. Everyone would freeze and sit with it!
Matt Scutchfield
“Everything’s different now.”
In the bluegrass style, only strings -- banjo, dobro, fiddle, mandolin, guitar – are played. It is common to hear piano, drums, sax, or trumpet in jazz. Scutchfield's vision is to blend all these instruments, upending traditional bluegrass to create a new sound. In the 1980s and '90s, some people inserted elements of jazz in newgrass music. Musicians added jazz chords or advanced harmony. Scutchfield planned up until last year to create two albums. The first album would be different from everyone else’s; the second album, a new, entirely different combination of music styles. Then came the pandemic and the death of Tony Rice. Tony Rice was a respected guitarist and bluegrass musician. After those experiences, he felt, “Everything’s different now. I’ve passed through a window, and now I need to make a new repertoire." He plunged into the second plan: an entirely different combination of styles.
Tony Rice, Scutchfield’s hero, died on Christmas 2020. As a teen, Scutchfield became disenchanted and was ready to give up bluegrass. He discovered Rice’s music which captivated him and made him happy. “After Tony died, I made a deep dive into his work. I never made a conscious decision to make a tribute record." Many other musicians created tribute albums to Rice, playing his music as Rice played. Rice did not like it when artists just copied his work – he wanted people to make it their own. Scutchfield uses Rice as an inspiration to make music new.
“Tony Rice’s music is unique. The millionth time you listen to a song by Rice, it still sounds like you are listening for the first time. Even on tracks where Rice only plays fills, his playing is “so off the charts, it’s magical.” Rice never wanted anyone to play according to a set pattern. He would not allow a song the musicians had practiced during rehearsal to be played during a concert. The sound had to be fresh, perfectly “in the moment.” Scutchfield illustrated Rice’s work this way: “Tony once said that he wanted a player to do it in a way that made his head snap around. He wanted it taken to a level he hadn’t thought of.”
Rice was a huge jazz lover; he loved all music, from Coltrane to classical. Scutchfield, too, loves all kinds of music. His album “Far Away Again” shows this love as he integrates several types of music, especially bluegrass, and jazz.
Like Rice, Scutchfield has taken music to a level he only dreamed of.
Recording with cellist Łukasz Pawlikowski in Kraków, Poland.
from listening
Scutchfield’s life is absorbed in the music. He began to play the violin at age 3 and trained at the Berklee School of Music, graduating in 2017. He owns over 3000 albums (vinyl, cassette, CDs, 45's). He has listened to each at least once. His system of collecting is to buy a highly publicized album released by a known label and to buy lesser-known albums released simultaneously. He uniquely curates his collection: as he listens, he wonders if there is a song that stands out for him. Bluegrass is his starting point, and he also listens to a wide variety of music. “I am not against purity. Sometimes I only want to play bluegrass; sometimes, I stop halfway and switch. My sound and my ideas come from listening.”
“Far Away Again” includes tracks representing pure traditional bluegrass, songs with a jazz vibe, and tracks like "Shadows," originally by Gordon Lightfoot, bringing new instrumental life to the music. The individual songs are enjoyable; the whole album tells the story of Scutchfield's vision. “I’ve been meticulous about the order of the tracks to make it flow as one whole piece.”
The classical style; old-time mountain style; mountain blues finger picking style; jazz; pure bluegrass; Greek film score -- all are combined on “Far Away Again.” He plans to do more of this cross-cultural collaboration. The grant was awarded based on learning from other cultures. They’re playing American bluegrass in the Czech Republic. There is an annual bluegrass festival in southern France that is wildly popular. “With a ‘blind listen,' you wouldn’t know where the musicians are from,” says Scutchfield.
Several times while listening to Rice playing fills on albums from Rice’s discography, Scutchfield says that he could imagine Rice doing other tracks. "On this album, I sort of channel him.”
If only Rice was alive to experience “Far Away Again,” causing his head to snap around!
Recording with Vojtech Šlajs and Loes Van Schlaik in Czech Republoc.
Warsaw, Polish recording session
With Fryderyk HD, Jared Kashmachik, Tetyana Haraschuk, and Roman Chraniuk.
Matt Scutchfield’s album “Far Away Again” will be released on August 13, with a party and concert at the recently renovated Rees Theater in Plymouth, Indiana. The musicians will be present as guests.
*Musicians: Vojtech Slajs: banjo, Czech Republic; JD Williams: mandolin, NYC; Lukasz Pawlikowski: cello, Poland; Bohdan Borisov: drums/percussion, Ukraine/USA; Phil Christopher.