Date Signed: January 2025
Label: Candid Records
Type of Music: Jazz
Legal: George Howard
Publicity: Ashley Natareno - Big Feat PR
A&R: Terri Lyne Carrington
Web: mattstevensmusic.com
John Burk co-founded Concord Records in 1995, where he’s had major success with artists including Carlos Santana, Ray Charles, and Esperanza Spalding. He eventually created Exceleration Music in partnership with Glen Barros, Charles Caldas, Amy Dietz, and Dave Hansen. In 2020, that organization acquired jazz label Candid Records, the venerable home to many of the genre’s greats, such as Charlie Mingus, Max Roach, and Lee Ritenour.
After taking over Candid, Burk hired drummer and composer Terri Lyne Carrington to serve in an A&R capacity. GRAMMY-winning guitarist and producer Matthew Stevens knew both Burk and Carrington. He was part of Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah’s band in the early 2000s, which Burk signed to Concord Records as part of a multi-album deal. They did a bunch of recordings together at Fantasy Studios, which Concord then owned. And Carrington is someone who’s been a musical collaborator and mentor to Stevens for years.
“I started doing a bunch of sessions for Concord, like a Harvey Mason record,” recalls the Berklee College of Music professor. “And ultimately a Concord all-stars thing called NEXT Collective. John was involved in all of that, so he was the person I was around at the beginning of my career.”
Carrington first offered the deal with Candid in February of 2024. The contract was signed by the end of that year, and recording began the following May. The Toronto native previously released albums with U.K.-based Whirlwind Recordings. Contrary to what one might assume, Stevens was less cautious this time around. “Because I know John and Terri Lyne so well, I was happy to jump right in,” he proclaims. “It was a wholehearted gut feeling.”
The jazzman further chose Candid in part because he’s a huge fan of the label’s catalog, from Abbey Lincoln and Cecil Taylor to Memphis Slim. “They have a lot of historic significance,” Stevens remarks. “And I’m excited by the fact that they’re also signing new artists and pushing forward.”
Matthew Stevens (out May 8 via Candid Records) – pre-order here
