Matthew Stevens: Grammy Award-Winning Guitarist Releases Kaleidoscopic New Single "Hazy" Ft. Josh Johnson, Forthcoming Self-Titled Album Out May 8

New Album with genre-blurring originals and deeply personal covers signals a bold new chapter for one of jazz’s most essential voices and respected players.

A Culmination Of 20 Years Of Craft, Stevens Steps Into The Spotlight And Taps Multigenerational Musicians Terri Lyne Carrington, Jeff Parker, Anna B Savage, Joel Ross, Corey King, And More For Eponymous Album Co-Produced By Josh Johnson And Eric Doob

• “…A cohesive statement shaped by both artistic growth and personal transformation.” - JAZZIZ
• “While ‘Who Does She Hope To Be’ sits back, ‘Take Heart’ bounces — but they both share Stevens’ masterful jazz touch.” - NBC BOSTON
• “Mr. Stevens plays the guitar with tight clutch, improvising in truncated melodies and tense, frequently beautiful harmonies that always tilt toward a payoff.” - THE NEW YORK TIMES

Today, GRAMMY Award-winning guitarist and producer Matthew Stevens released the kaleidoscopic new single “Hazy” ft. Josh Johnson, from his forthcoming album, Matthew Stevens (out May 8 on Candid Records). Listen to “Hazy” and pre-order the new album here.

Featuring saxophonist and co-producer Josh Johnson (Flea, Meshell Ndegeocello), the woozy, new original was written by Stevens during a time in his life when he didn’t have a clear image of his future.

• Listen to "Hazy" HERE
• Pre-Order "Matthew Stevens" HERE
• Watch the Visualiser HERE

“‘Hazy’ was the first song I wrote in about a year and a half, right in the middle of a divorce, a move, starting a new job in academia — just facing more uncertainty than I’d ever known,” reveals Stevens. “What caught my attention immediately was how it felt like waking up and returning to my own artistic practice. The music itself was different because so much had changed, and so had I. In a lot of ways, it was the bellwether for the language of the record. I was influenced by time spent in Rio working on a Milton Nascimento project with Milton and Esperanza Spalding, and his music just gets inside you — there’s no resisting it. That hyper-melodicism, those adventurous harmonies that never feel self-conscious, all carried by a feel so deep it makes you squint — that energy definitely found its way into this song and the album as a whole.”

Speaking on working with Stevens, Josh Johnson adds, “Matthew is open-minded and deeply committed to unearthing the essence of each idea – a dream collaborator. From the jump, I told him ‘Hazy’ is my jam! His undeniable melodic sense is on full display here. The kaleidoscope is slowly spinning for five minutes, but the melody (infectious, almost haunting) never vanishes from the center. I played the album for a friend who articulated it perfectly after the second side finished: ‘endless melody.’”

“Hazy” follows the release of the rhythmic tune “Take Heart,” ft. vibraphonist Joel Ross, and the soulful Sharrock cover “Who Does She Hope To Be?” ft. eclectic jazz guitarist Jeff Parker and esteemed drummer Terri Lyne Carrington.

Long recognized as one of the most thrilling and thoughtful guitarists of his generation, Matthew Stevens has built an elite reputation in music, touring, and recording with a "who’s who" of modern icons, including Esperanza Spalding, Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah, Harvey Mason, and Walter Smith III. He has also made a splash outside of jazz, having produced the tribute album I Am A Pilgrim - Doc Watson at 100, featuring artists such as Valerie June, Steve Earle, Nora Brown, and Dolly Parton (Stevens produced Parton’s version of “The Last Thing on My Mind,” which earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Solo Performance in 2024). A culmination of 20 years of craft, the eponymous album serves as a mid-career mission statement with Stevens stepping into the spotlight.

Co-produced by Stevens, saxophonist Josh Johnson, and percussionist Eric Doob, the record seamlessly melds acoustic and electric sonics through a mix of genre-blurring originals and deeply personal covers. It features a multigenerational cast of musicians who have had a profound impact on Stevens’ journey, including rising visionaries like vibraphonist Joel Ross and vocalists Anna B Savage and Corey King, in addition to his mentor Terri Lyne Carrington and personal guitar hero Jeff Parker. At the album’s core is a band of his most trusted collaborators, which also includes keyboardist Chris Fishman and bassist Kyle Miles, with additional contributions from percussionist Paulo Stagnaro and guitarists Dylan Day and Rich Hinman on slide and pedal steel.

Matthew Stevens reflects a period of profound personal and artistic change, ultimately bringing him to "a place of optimism, excitement, and confidence" that signals a bold new chapter for one of jazz’s most essential voices and respected players.