MATT PANAYIDES is a guitarist and composer whose distinctive playing has led to performances throughout New York City and all over the world. Influenced by guitarists such as Jim Hall, John Scofield, and Wes Montgomery as well as Jimi Hendrix and Joni Mitchell, Panayides has set out on his own path creating a unique body of music documented across numerous performances and recordings. Based in the New York City area, Panayides can be found leading his own groups and collaborating with other musicians throughout NYC and abroad.
Matt is currently focusing on applying concepts developed on his previous three albums to the solo and trio jazz guitar format. Turning his attention to presenting tunes from the American songbook repertoire and compositions by great jazz composers, he is sculpting arrangements featuring the natural acoustic sound of his hollow body guitar made by Victor Baker. This marks a departure for him, as he turns away from not only his more electric and effects driven sound, but also from his focus on original compositions.
His previous musical projects include: "Field Theory" (2021) with Matt Vashlishan (EWI), Rich Perry (tenor sax), Robert Sabin (bass), and Mark Ferber (drums), "Conduits" (2015) with Rich Perry (tenor sax), Mark Ferber (drums) and Thomspson Kneeland (bass), and "Tapestries of Song" (2011) with Rich Perry (tenor sax), Steve LaSpina (bass) and Dan Weiss (drums). All three recordings were released on the Pacific Coast Jazz record label to much acclaim and feature Panayides’ original compositions. Panayides has been taking his music to Asia for several years now, collaborating with the famous Korean drummer Oh Jong Dae in Seoul and Alec Haavik, a legend of the Shanghai jazz scene, in China.
Panayides, who grew up in Springfield, OH, and Indianapolis, IN, played piano when he was young but switched to guitar because he was inspired by Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. He discovered jazz in high school and continued his education at the Manhattan School of Music where he studied with jazz guitarist Rodney Jones and pianist Garry Dial, both of whom have had a lasting impact. Matt holds a BM from Manhattan School of Music and an MM from William Paterson University.
