Matt Slocum

Matt Slocum is an American keyboardist with national and international touring credits. Slocum has toured with some of the biggest names in jam, jazz-funk, and rock bands including Oteil Burbridge (Allman Brothers, Oteil & the Peacemakers), Jimmy Herring (solo, Widespread Panic), Susan Tedeschi (solo, Tedeschi Trucks Band), Col. Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit, John McLaughlin & the Mahavishnu Orchestra, The Magpie Salute, and Railroad Earth. 

Slocum began his classical music studies at the South Shore Conservatory of Music in Massachusetts at the age of 7. After moving to Alabama in his teens, Slocum continued his education at the Alabama School of Fine Arts (ASFA) in Birmingham. He attended a 6-week summer program at Berklee School of Music in 1991 where he was ranked in the top 10 of the student body. After dropping out of ASFA at age 17, Slocum started a band in Memphis only to find himself back in Birmingham within a few months. Undeterred, Slocum spent several years in and out of local bands before finding his way onto the jam and jazz-funk scenes. A phone call from Oteil Burbridge in 2003 led to a tour with Oteil & the Peacemakers and into the studio to make the album Believer (2005). Through Oteil, Slocum was introduced to Jimmy Herring with whom he recorded two studio albums, Lifeboat (2008) and Subject to Change Without Notice (2012). Slocum played keys in the final reincarnation of the famed Mahavishnu Orchestra, appearing on the album Live in San Francisco (2018) with John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension and Jimmy Herring and the Invisible Whip.

Slocum played keys on Susan Tedeschi’s 2008 album Back to the River, which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album in 2010. Susan introduced Matt to Black Crowes guitarist Rich Robinson, which led to multiple tours and albums with both Robinson's solo band and The Magpie Salute. Slocum joined Railroad Earth for several shows starting in 2017. He was asked to join as a touring member of the band in 2018.

Other notable performances include: 

• Monterey Pop Festival with Susan Tedeschi (2008) 
• The Conan O’Brien show with Susan Tedeschi (2009) 
• Headlined the Montreux Jazz Fest in Switzerland opening for B.B. King while touring with Susan Tedeschi (2009) 
• Sydney/Brisbane Australia with Gold Record recording artist James Hunter in the James Hunter Six (2009) 
• Aquarium Rescue Unit played the grand re-opening of the Georgia Theater (2011) 
• Paul Reed Smith 30th Anniversary show with Col. Bruce Hampton (Aquarium Rescue Unit), Jimmy Herring (Widespread Panic), John McLauglin, and Dennis Chambers 
• Played India w/ Doyle Bramhall II (Eric Clapton, Roger Waters) and Rich Robinson (Black Crowes, Magpie Salute), opening for Buddy Guy (2014) 
• Played Dhakka, Bangladesh Jazz Fest with King Baby (2015) 
• Col. Bruce Hampton’s 70th birthday party at the Fox Theater in Atlanta where he shared the stage with artists including Chuck Leavell, Peter Buck (REM), John Popper, John Fishman (Phish), John Bell & Dave Schools (Widespread Panic), Carl Densen (Rolling Stones), Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Jimmy Herring (solo, Widespread Panic), and Warren Hayes (solo, Gov’t Mule) (2017) 
• Played Argentina with Rich Robinson (2017) 
• Headlined Red Rocks with Railroad Earth (2017) 
• Played Japan with Magpie Salute and Jimmy Herring (2019) 

Matt resides in Birmingham, AL. He is currently a touring member of Railroad Earth and Jimmy Herring’s solo band.