Things to Do: Matt Hubbard Album Released at Shoeshine Charley’s

An instrument, old or new, can carry within it a distinct sound and a spirit of its own and it is up to the person who plays it to bring out the soul of the object to create music.

Austin-based musician Matt Hubbard seems to be able to do it all musically as a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and producer, but for his latest album he focused on just one instrument, the piano.

Grandfather’s piano will be released on June 7 and Hubbard will celebrate the release with a performance at Shoeshine Charley’s Big Top Lounge on Wednesday, June 5 with a full band. Hubbard was able to record and release on vinyl, accompanied by musical scores, thanks to an economic development grant from the City of Austin.

“I do a lot of things,” Hubbard says from the Kerrville Folk Festival where he performed with Joe King Carrasco, one of several established artists who frequently call on Hubbard to bring his magic to their shows.

He describes exploring the after-hours campgrounds with his accordion at night to join numerous after-hours jam sessions during the festival weeks and it’s clear that this would be the ideal setting for Hubbard and his many talents.

“I studied experimental electronic music composition and a lot of avant-garde experimental music, so I definitely went there doing weird, distant noise jazz and all that, but I myself like traditional roots music.”

Grandfather’s piano is nothing like what one would expect from an artist like Hubbard. For this project, he took inspiration from the 1950s Cable & Co grand piano owned by his maternal grandfather, Grandpa James. This piano now resides in Hubbard’s home and he has used it as part of a weekly series on Facebook during the COVID shutdown.

Based on the old family legacy that his mother and brothers learned to play on, he wrote nine songs that at times reflect his roots in experimentation and improvisation while balancing with more classical sounds, all while reflecting the warmth and soul that can only come from truly knowing an instrument as if it were family.

When asked if he ever felt like he was channeling his grandfather, whom he never met, Hubbard replied, “I guess I always feel like I’m channeling the ancestors every time.” that I play music,” adding that even though he’s heard stories about his grandfather, it’s always fun to imagine what he was like.
For Grandfather’s piano Hubbard sometimes let the notes flow freely and other times took a more structured approach, even reworking two songs from his previous albums with an instrumental version of “Emily & Lucy” from his Live at C-Boy’s album.

The album features two carefully crafted bookend tracks, making the album go into a full circle of reflection on the improvisational journey between the two main tracks, with the latter taking a different perspective from the original melody.

“I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel with anything,” Hubbard says. “I just like making music and making people happy being me.”

He makes people happy, because the long list of musicians he has worked with is as impressive as the wide range of instruments he plays.

A native of Michigan, he describes growing up in a home where his young parents bought a piano before they bought a couch and where the children had to learn three main things: how to swim, rescue and play the piano.

Hubbard moved to Austin in 1994 after he and his twin sister studied music at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. He immediately fell into the perfect crowd and describes his quick encounter with none other than the God of Texas, Willie Nelson.

Hubbard befriended and collaborated with Kimmie Rhodes, whose husband was Joe Gracey, the legendary KOKE-FM disc jockey who coined the famous “cosmic cowboy” name for Nelson’s movement.

He played his first concert in the new city with Rhodes and his son, who was then playing with Paula Nelson. When it was time for her to form a band, Hubbard was recruited and produced her first album. Go home in 1996.

The process led Hubbard to Bobbie Nelson’s home, where he also met Willie that same day. As Gracey, who was also in the mix, set up a computer for recording, Hubbard was able to help them because they were using the same programs he had studied in college.

The group bonded musically and Hubbard went on to produce Nelson’s Rainbow connection which was recently reissued by Nelson himself. All of this experience allowed Hubbard to plant his roots at Luck Studios.

“I was there for about 20 years, so it was a great way to get acquainted with the Austin music scene.” Hubbard has currently taken over Ray Benson’s old studio and renamed it Old Wheel Studios.

Over the years, Nelson became Hubbard’s family and much of the wisdom imparted to him by the living legend continues to serve him well as he applied it to Grandpa’s piano.

“Willie said to me, ‘Don’t delete all the characters.’ and I always keep that in mind when working with music,” he explains, describing how the phrase helps combat the temptation to make things perfect in the studio.
“He also told me to try to record things that you can play live, which I did with this piano record and the gospel album,” referring to its 2017 release. No one’s fault but mine which he made for his father who asked him to record a traditional album. “Willie also said, ‘Don’t do what I did,’” he laughs.

Hubbard has worked with a wide range of artists, including Edie Brickell, Rickie Lee Jones, Golden Dawn Arkestra, 7 Walkers with Bill Kreutzmann of the Grateful Dead, Papa Mali and George Porter Junior of The Meters. Most recently, Hubbard contributed to Beaumont big guy Jesse Dayton’s latest album, Blues the hard way.

“I’ve always played with older musicians and Grandpa’s Piano is a bit like that. I really enjoy helping other bands and recording people, being a session musician and playing live. I just like music, so I never had a big master plan or anything. I just let it all happen.

Matt Hubbard will perform Wednesday, June 5 at Shoeshine Charley’s Big Top Lounge, 3714 Main, 8 p.m., $10. Grandpa’s Piano will be available for purchase and streaming on June 7.