Matt Cusson

Matt Cusson

Matt Cusson is a contemporary jazz artist whose musicical array features a combination of Jazz, R&B, and Pop.

Biography

Born and raised in Pittsfield, Massachusetts to parents who were a classical piano teacher and choir director/arranger, music of all different genres was introduced to Cusson at an early age. Cusson attended St. Joseph High School and Berkshire Community College. He later studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston where he played with John Mayer, Ryan Leslie, and was chosen to participate in the Singer Showcase, a forum highlighting Berklee’s best vocalists. Cusson has one brother and a sister.

Career

In 2000, Cusson was discovered by one of his biggest musical inspirations, Brian McKnight, who a day after hearing Cusson perform his original music, flew Cusson to his home in Los Angeles to collaborate musically.

In 2004, Matt was chosen as the only male singer to perform with Christina Aguilera on her summer tour “Exposed”. Cusson has also performed on “The Daily Beat” with Allure, “BET Live” with Avant, as well as “Bobby Jones Gospel” and the 2003 U.S. Open Tennis Tour with well-known group Here II Praise.

In 2009, while on tour with his mentor, Brian McKnight, Matt Cusson was awarded the Maxell Song of the Year and the John Lennon Songwriting Contest Best Jazz Song[1] for his original composition "One of Those Nights".,[2][3] while his single "Every Step" performed in the top three in the R&B category. In that same year, his self-titled album was a pick for top 10 albums of 2009 in the Japanese Magazine BMR.[4] Cusson has shared stages and studios with James Taylor and Livingston Taylor, Stevie Wonder, Stanley Clarke, Babyface, and Bebe Winans.[5] He has performed live on “The View” and “Live with Regis and Kelly[6]” and was one of the 12 people chosen out of hundreds to perform at the historical and highly competitive “Amateur Night at the Apollo Theatre” in New York City, and went on to win the competition three times.[7]

Cusson signed with Spectra Jazz in 2010 to release worldwide his single "One Of Those Nights". Additionally, Cusson performed as a member of the international "Michael Jackson - "Man in the Mirror" Tribute tour.[8] Soon following, Cusson received a "2011 Song of The Year" nomination from the Oasis Contemporary Jazz Award [9] committee for his composition of "One Of Those Nights".

References

Yoko and Matt Cusson talk about him winning The JLSC Maxell song of the Year

  1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRnP-vbShP0 Yoko Ono sits down with JLSC winner Matt Cusson
  2. ↑ http://www.jlsc.com/winners/2008b/song_of_the_year.php John Lennon Songwriting Contest
  3. ↑ http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_6549564
  4. ↑ http://www.berklee.edu/bt/221/alumnotes.html Berklee Alumni Newsletter, Emily Dufresne
  5. ↑ http://www.communicationcreations.com/program/interview-matt-cusson Interview with Matt Cusson, Michael Hammer and Dolly Miller-Brennan February 2011
  6. ↑ http://music.trueanthem.com/artists/artist.aspx?artistId=21305621
  7. ↑ http://www.allbusiness.com/humanities-social-science/visual-performing-arts/12389769-1.html Brian McKnight Presents $20,000 "Maxell Song of the Year" to Matt Cusson Who, McKnight Says,...
  8. ↑ http://www.jazzreview.com/article/review-7979.html Cornelius White
  9. ↑ http://mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=137964&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+mi2nheadlines+%28Mi2N.com+-+Music+Industry+News+Network%29
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