Biography of Mat's Up

Matthias Spillmann (Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Composer)
(*April 15th 1975)

Matthias Spillmann started playing the trumpet with classical training at the age of 11. Through a Miles Davis record he turns into a complete Jazz fan at 14. Next to Miles, he calls Kenny Dorham, Tom Harrell, Gil Evans and Duke Ellington his main musical influences. At the age of 19 he decided to make music his career. He studied at the Swiss Jazz School and the New School in New York City. His teachers include the Belgium trumpeter Bert Joris as well as jazz legends like Jimmy Owens, Richie Beirach, Ed Neumeister or Reggie Workman.

M.S. has performed in numerous venues in Europe and America, among others the International Jazz Festivals of Bern, Montreux, Lugano, Lausanne, Frauenfeld as well as the 24th and 25th Annual IAJE Conferences in New York and Chicago.
He was soloist with the Big Band of the EBU in Hungary 2002.
He worked with musicians like Franco Ambrosetti, Randy Brecker, Bill Holman, Joe Lovano, Bob Mintzer, Clark Terry, Jimmy Woody and others.

As composer and arranger, he has worked for Combos, Big Bands and Brass Ensembles in the classical sector.

He leads the septet MATS-UP, a group which performs mainly his original compositions, the music from the bottom of his heart.


Discography

- Something About Water [JHM Records, 2003]
- In The Beginning (Altrisuoni, 2005)