|
contents | jazz | |||||||||||||
| Thunder Bay/Toronto Guitarist Matt Sellick Blends Flamenco and Symphony on New Album 'Watching The Sky' With the release of his ambitious new album Watching the Sky, Toronto flamenco guitarist and composer Matt Sellick is bringing a decade-long dream to life. Known for his evocative fingerstyle work and deep love of Spanish music, Sellick boldly bridges genres by orchestrating his solo guitar compositions for a full symphony orchestra — the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Evan Mitchell — while retaining the soul of flamenco and the intimacy of his roots in Thunder Bay. At the heart of Watching the Sky is a story of transformation: of place, of memory, and of music itself. Sellick, who studied flamenco extensively in Spain and began his career performing in Northwestern Ontario, has spent the last ten years developing these orchestral versions of his compositions. The result is a sonic landscape that is both sweeping and intimate, grounded in tradition but unafraid of innovation. The album opens with "A Beautiful Day, " a lyrical celebration of renewal composed by Sellick and brought to life by his agile guitar work, the colorful depth of the TBSO, and the expressive percussion of longtime collaborator Marito Marques. The track feels like sunlight stretching over a horizon — a fitting start to an album that evokes nature and emotion in equal measure. Though Sellick has previously released several solo albums, Watching the Sky is his first recorded project with a full orchestra — and his first time recording live, with all players in the same room. "It was the complete opposite of how I've done things until now, and I just loved it, " says Sellick. "Everything about it felt so real, natural, and genuine." The sessions took place in his beloved hometown venue, the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, a room Sellick calls "absolutely top-notch." The pieces themselves are inspired by real places — Lake Superior's rugged shorelines, quiet trails in Toronto, sunlit alleys in Spain — each track functioning as a tone poem for a memory. As Sellick revisited the landscapes that first inspired his music, he found himself reshaping and reorchestrating melodies to reflect how both he and those places have changed. The result is a rare fusion of reflection and forward motion. Produced by Keith Horner and engineered by Dennis Patterson, the album features masterful playing by TBSO members and guest percussionist Marques, who contributed djembe, udu, and hand percussion on several tracks. Feature solos by bassist Martin Blanchet and pianist Paul Rodermond enrich the textures, while additional percussion was arranged by Marques on tracks 8 and 11. Sellick, a graduate of Lakehead University and an active performer with artists such as Jesse Cook, has performed in over 20 U.S. states and 8 European countries. Yet, *Watching the Sky* remains a deeply personal work — a love letter to Thunder Bay, a tribute to musical collaboration, and an expression of his ever-evolving artistic identity. The album's credits read like a who's who of orchestral talent: 40+ musicians fill out the ensemble, including principal players in strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. The liner notes include special thanks to the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council, whose support helped bring the recording and orchestration to life. Though grounded in flamenco, Sellick's music is not bound by it. There are moments of classical serenity, cinematic swells, and playful rhythmic interplay that speak to his broader influences — from Vicente Amigo to Debussy to the Canadian landscapes that shaped his imagination. For listeners new to flamenco or orchestral music, Watching the Sky is a radiant entry point. For longtime fans, it's Matt Sellick at his boldest and most vulnerable. Either way, it's not to be missed. write your comments about the article :: © 2025 Jazz News :: home page |