Pilgrim by Matthew Fox

Matthew's songs have been likened to the writing styles of Lyle Lovett and Norman Blake, comparisons he takes as tremendously flattering. He was also one of 5 finalists in the 2003 Sisters Folk Festival Songwriting Contest.

In December of 2002, Matthew recruited fiddle and mandolin legend Peter Ostroushko, folk heroes Dakota Dave Hull and Kari Larson and a host of local talent to release "Pilgrim", a collection of original and traditional tunes that varies in style from Old-Time to songs showcasing his bluesier side and his appreciation for the great Texas story-song tradition. He's also been spending time in the studio working as a session player and occasional producer.

Matthew's shows usually include a mix of blues tunes, a jazz standard or two, a healthy dose of traditional and Old-Time songs and instrumentals, performed on guitar and mandolin, along with original material, varied in style but usually rooted in the American Roots traditions. He is equally at home playing fingerstyle or flatpicking.

"Guitarist and singer Matthew Fox's music is steeped in country blues, bluegrass and Texas swing. Equal parts originals and traditional songs, the album has a toe tapping, easygoing, front-porch vibe. Fox's playing is solid, and he invites a few choice guests along for the ride..."

-Sing Out! Magazine, Fall 2003

"Matthew is so facile with the guitar, with such an easy-going stage presence, that you don't really care what his left and right hand are doing (as a guitarist watching another), you are only being carried off to where he is taking you."

-John Bauman, Acoustic Guitar magazine's "Guitar Talk"

"Mr. Fox takes the title of this release to heart, reaching deep into the well of folk music to make a record that is bluesy, eclectic and amazingly delicate in its interpretation and execution."

-Paul Dickinson, PULSE of the Twin Cities, 3/12/03

"Fox can hang a wry angle in this voice, as on the Lyle Lovett-style "Magnolia Walk," or invoke a high, lonesome tenor laced with bittersweet country soul. As a songwriter, Fox has a superb ear for melody, as on the exquisite instrumental lament "Captain's Waltz," and can tell a story equally well with words, vividly detailing the yearnings of a road-weary wanderer on "Where I Shall Not Rest Alone."

-Rick Mason, Star Tribune (Mpls.), 11/29/02

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