05/03/17 Matt Cusson - Singer/Songwriter & Pianist with Brian McKnight

Jackie's Groove

Matt Cusson, an award-winning singer/songwriter and pianist, continues to wow audiences and prove that he is the real deal. He is a gifted self-taught musician who excels in jazz, pop, singer/songwriter and soul, as demonstrated by his expert writing and arranging skills on his critically acclaimed self-titled debut album of 2009. That same year, Matt won (by unanimous vote) the John Lennon Songwriting Contest's top annual prize - the Maxell Song of the Year - for his jazz ballad "One of Those Nights". That song also won the Billboard Songwriting Award in the Best Jazz Song category, and came in second in the International Songwriting Competition, as well as being nominated for a 2011 Los Angeles Music Award for “Best Male Vocalist” and “Best Jazz Song”. In 2013 Matt was also a finalist in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition with his lullaby, “Once Upon A Time”.
Matt attended Berklee College of Music, where he performed in the exclusive "Singer Showcase", which highlights the school's top eight singers. He cites many musical influences, such as James Taylor, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Rufus Wainwright, Djavan, Miles Davis, and John Mayer, just to name a few. Even more impressive is the list of artists he has performed with, including Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, the Roots, Babyface, Christina Aguilera, India Arie, Boyz II Men, Paulina Rubio, BeBe Winans, Joe, Jon B, Livingston Taylor, and many others. More recently, Matt has been working and touring with his mentor and friend, Brian McKnight, star of Broadway and TV, Megan Hilty, 5 time Grammy award winner, Cee Lo Green, and Javier Colon, winner of the first season of “The Voice”. Matt has also played, sung, written, produced and arranged for countless artists and continues to find a large portion of his work in the recording studio.
Matt is a three-time "Amateur Night at The Apollo" winner, and has a long list of television shows that he has made appearances on, including “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”, "The View", “Rachael Ray Show, “Live with Kelly and Michael”, “Live with Regis and Kelly”, “The Brian McKnight Show”, “Christmas in Rockefeller Center”, and "Millionaire Matchmaker”. He was also a regular as the “one man band” and also a musical guest on VH1’s, “Big Morning Buzz Live” with Nick Lachey, where he co-wrote and arranged several bumps and songs for the show. He was a featured performer on the international "Michael Jackson - Man In The Mirror" tour in 2010. Matt's current single, "Leaving L.A." is receiving rave reviews and being played all over the world. His 2012 Christmas EP, “It’s Christmas Time”, is a regular play on Sirius XM Radio and numerous radio stations during the holiday season. His sophomore album, “Only Human”, will be released in the Spring of 2016.
“You can tell right away when Matt starts playing that he is the real thing.”
– James Taylor
“Matt has an incredible gift.” – Brian McKnight
"Matt Cusson is honestly one of the most talented musicians I've ever met. When I heard him live for the first time, I was blown away not only by how well he sang and played, but how easy he makes it seem. I became an instant fan. There are a lot of artists out there, but few even come close to the amount of talent he has. He combines Jazz, R&B, Pop like nobody I know. He's so good he makes you want to go home and practice your scales. If you haven't had a chance to hear Matt, you're missing out on a world class artist." - Javier Colon, Universal Records and winner of NBC’s “The Voice”