Volunteer for Matt Flinner Trio

Hosted by songwriter, roots scholar and multi-instrumentalist MichaelEck

The American Roots Series at The Linda presents a total of five programs showcasing this intimate and tradition-rich musical phenomenon, and is made possible by the support of the New YorkCouncil on The Arts withthe support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and theNew York StateLegislature.

Since its inception in 2006, the Matt Flinner Trio has been performing its own brand of acoustic music around the country to rave reviews. Mandolinist Matt Flinner, guitarist Ross Martin and bassist Eric Thorin cover a wide variety of musical styles---all with the common ground of originality. Bluegrass, jazz and Celtic music are all present here, but not necessarily overtly or in a contrived sense. Call it Americana Music, or New Acoustic, or Chamber Grass, or just call it Great Music; whatever label you put on it, it is guaranteed to be fresh and original, and definitely something you've never quite heard before. On select tours, the Trio performs music that is as fresh as it gets---music written the day of the show. In these “Music du Jour” Tours, each member of the Trio writes music each day of the tour, and each dayʼs music is debuted on that eveningʼs show. The results are stylistically varied, unpredictable and always exciting. The Matt Flinner Trio released their first two CDs, "Music du Jour," and “Winter Harvest” in 2009 and 2012 on Compass Records. The CDs feature selected compositions from various "Music du Jour" tours the trio did between 2006-12. Bluegrass, jazz and Americana are all part of the mix, and both CDs break new ground in acoustic string band music. Their new CD, “Traveling Roots,” will be released on Compass Records on January 22, 2016.

Matt Flinner, mandolin
Matt Flinner has made a career out of playing acoustic music in new ways. Whether it's with his own Matt Flinner Trio or with Phillips, Grier and Flinner, the Frank Vignola Quartet, Darrell Scott, Steve Martin, the Ying Quartet, Tim O'Brien, Leftover Salmon or the Modern Mandolin Quartet, Flinner's style and compositional ability have established him as one of the most accomplished and musically diverse mandolinists in the world.
Starting out as a banjo prodigy who was playing bluegrass festivals before he entered his teens, Flinner later took up the mandolin, won the National Banjo Competition in Winfield, KS in 1990, and won the mandolin award there the following year. He moved to Nashville in 1999, and his musical horizons quickly broadened. His two solo albums for Compass Records, "The View from Here" and "Latitude" both featured bluegrass stalwarts Todd Phillips, David Grier, Stuart Duncan, Jerry Douglas and Darol Anger, and received high critical acclaim. He was also featured on Steve Martin's CD "The Crow," which won the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album.

Ross Martin, guitar
Ross Martin has established a reputation as one of the most exciting jazz and bluegrass musicians in Colorado, and his reputation is rapidly expanding around the country. After graduating form the jazz program at the University of North Texas, Ross moved to Denver and soon joined the Tony Furtado Band, with whom he toured for four years. More recently, Ross wowed bluegrass audiences during his stint with the Drew Emmitt Band from 2003-5. He also continues to tour the country actively with Mollie OʼBrien, The Theory of Everything (with Michael Kang and Kyle Hollingsworth of the String Cheese Incident) and jazz trumpeter Ron Miles. Rossʼ first CD, Volley, was released in 2002 and features 10 original compositions which span the wide range of Rossʼ musical scope: from jazz to Americana to bluegrass and back. His second solo CD, which was produced by Matt Flinner and features Darol Anger and trumpeter Ron Miles, among others, will be released soon. Ross currently lives in New York City.
Eric Thorin, bass
A native Coloradoan, Eric got his start on piano and trombone at an early age from the prodding of his musical parents and later studied bass at the University of Northern Colorado. He played in salsa bands such as Kizumba and Conjunto Colores, toured extensively with rock act The Thugs, made up a third of the Flamenco/Indian ensemble Curandero, and toured with the Tony Furtado Band for four years. Eric also teaches bass at the Yellowstone Jazz Festival. He currently lives in Lyons, Colo., and continues to sit in with a variety of musicians including Hamster Theater, K.C. Groves, Leftover Salmon, Manuel Molina's Combo Caliente, and Greenwich Gulch. He also has produced a collection of songs for Japanese elementary school children who are learning English. Eric was a member of one of the most widely acclaimed young bluegrass bands in the country, Open Road, from 2002-2006.

Michael Eck:

All five programs of the American Roots Series at The Linda will be hosted by Michael Eck who plays 78 rpm music for the 21st century with Ramblin Jug Stompers; Historic American Music with Lost Radio Rounders; and performs solo under his own name and as Ukulele Mike. Eck, who has shared stages with Pete Seeger, Patti Smith and Peter Case, has also spread the word about roots music to important venues like Caffe Lena, Old Songs, The Dance Flurry, The Eighth Step, The Electric City Ukulele Festival and Jalopy Theatre and School of Music.

The American Roots Series at The Linda presents programs showcasing this intimate and tradition-rich musical phenomenon, and is made possible by the support of the New York Council on The Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.