I play tenor, bari, and alto saxes, and flute for sessions in a wide range of styles. I've played on over 75 albums and toured a bunch. Lot's of jazz, soul, funk, R&B, afrobeat, and brazillian music. I generally stack horns and play tasteful solos. Jobs vary so I'm happy to work with your budget.
Based in Los Angeles since 1997, Matthew DeMerritt plays tenor, alto and bari saxes, flute, keyboards, percussion and melodica. In addition to composing and playing his own music he has been a busy session and back up musician touring with the likes of Macy Gray, De La Soul, Ghostface Killah, Brazzaville, Allen Stone, Brother Ali, Breakestra, Action Figure Party, Talib Kweli, and Rakim among many others. He has recorded with artists as varied as Andra Day, Eels, Nine Inch Nails, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Everlast, Jim Bianco, Damon Aaron, and Diana Krall, and has worked with many great producers including Beck, Trent Reznor, Quantic, Nicola Conte, Greg Kurstin, David Foster, Gabe Roth, and E. He can be heard locally with a variety of bands including the Mudbug Brass Band, Dakah, and Double G's Ninenet, and supporting singers Brenna Whitaker and Gaby Moreno. Most recently he has been a primary collaborator on De La Soul's Grammy nominated album "And the Anonymous Nobody," and appears periodically on "The Late Late Show," augmenting the house band "Reggie Watts and Karen."
Send me a note through the contact button above.
Credits
- Macy Gray
- De La soul
- Brenna Whitaker
- Rhythm Roots All Stars
- Ghostface Killah
- Talib Kwali
- Redman
- Big Daddy Kane
- Rakim
- Brother Ali
- Sharon Jones
- Jim Bianco
- Nailah
- Nikka Costa
- Orgone
- breakestra
- Allen Stone
- Brazzaville
- Gomez
- Gaby Moreno
- Reggie Watts and Karen
- George Clinton
- EELS
- Nine Inch Nails
- Everlast
- Ben Lee
- Damon Aaron
- The Jade Vincent Experiment
- Spanky Wilson and the Quantic Soul Orchestra
- Charlotte Gainsbourg
- Jamie Lidell
- Diana Krall
- Nikki Yanofsky
- Mudbug Brass Band
- Action Figure Party
- Aaron Frazer
- Aaron Frazer
- Robert Finley
- Sunny War
- Shawn Amos
- Shawn Amos & the Brotherhood
- Claude Fontaine
- Spain
- Spain
- Jaws of Love
- De La Soul
- De La Soul
- De La Soul
- De La Soul
- De La Soul
- De La Soul
- Tasha Taylor
- Gaby Moreno
- Insects Vs. Robots
- Nailah Porter
- Nailah Porter
- Nailah Porter
- Nailah Porter
- Nailah Porter
- Nailah Porter
- Nailah Porter
- Damon Aaron
- Damon Aaron
- Damon Aaron
- Everlast
- Everlast
- Eels
- Jim Bianco
- Jim Bianco
- Megan Jacobs
- Ben Lee
- Ghostface Killah
- Ghostface Killah
- Ghostface Killah
- Damon Aaron
- Eels
- Billie Burke Estate
- Billie Burke Estate
- Mad Finder
- Mad Finder
- Mad Finder
- Dakah Hip Hop Orchestra
- Dakah
- Dakah Hip Hop Orchestra
- Dakah
- Dakah Hip Hop Orchestra
- Dakah
- Sol D'Menta
- Josh Smith
- Robert Finley
- Diana Krall
- Paolo Achenza Trio
- Various
- Devin Hoff
- daKAH Hip Hop Orchestra*
- daKAH Hip Hop Orchestra*
- Jim Bianco
- daKah Hip Hop Orchestra*
- Billie Burke Estate
- Damon Aaron
- Eels
- Eels
- Rhythm Roots All-Stars*
- Spanky Wilson & The Quantic Soul Orchestra
- Ghostface Killah
- Ben Lee
- BabyStone
- Jim Bianco
- Eels
- Marek Niedźwiecki
- Jim Bianco
- Diana Krall
- Various
- Insects Vs Robots
- De La Soul
- Gaby Moreno
- Jaws of Love.
- Spain
- Spain
- Josh Smith (5)
- Claude Fontaine (3)
- Aaron Frazer
- Robert Finley
- Sunny War
- Julian Brink*
- Rhythm Roots Allstars
- Fan Fiction (7)
- Various
10 Reviews - 1 Repeat Client
Endorse Matt DeMerritt
check_circleVerifiedMatt delivered again! Great parts turned around quick and recorded/played really well.
- check_circleVerified
Matt did a great job with horns, yet again! Great parts, playing, turnaround time, recording, and delivery.
- check_circleVerified
Matt did an awesome job of editing, solidifying and expanding on our ideas in the exact right amount and style! Great playing, writing, tone, recording, turn around time and communication.
check_circleVerifiedGreat to work with!
check_circleVerifiedMatt is great with solos, arrangements, full horn sections, you name it. I love the sound of the barisax and he's the best. Hope to work with him again on another funky tune.
- check_circleVerified
Completely professional experience--great communicator, amazing performance, quality recording. Will absolutely call on him again in the future!
check_circleVerifiedA very versatile musician, I already knew his work very well so for me it was just a confirmation that Matt has immense talent and a great ability to improvise, all this combined with a great sense of professionalism.
check_circleVerifiedIncredible musician, great sound, friendly guy. I really got the impression that Matt put a lot of care into the parts he recorded for me. Highly recommended!
- check_circleVerified
Matt DELIVERED! Awesome sax part. Loved working with him.
check_circleVerifiedMatt was a pleasure to work with-- he is kind and exercises an attention to detail, while also providing a flexibility with his instrumentation style. Overall such a pleasure to work with, with a refined musical sensibility and immense talent. Thank you, Matt!
Interview with Matt DeMerritt
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That I play smooth jazz.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I'll pour my heart and soul into my work.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: The delight in making something from nothing.
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: The De La Soul record, "And The Anonymous Nobody." I spent five years with those guys along with "The Rhythm Roots Allstars" co-writing that album. I learned a lot about collaborating and the creative process in general, and also honed my engineering and editing skills.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: My own album (after all these years).
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: The more prepared you are and the clearer your vision the easier it is to get what you want from a session musician.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: My three saxes, a flute and a piano.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I've been at it for about 30 years. Just started playing in bands and never stopped. Moved from Denver to LA in 1997.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Blue note hard hard bop soul jazz with a little Maceo and Fela thrown in.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Sax solos and horn arranging
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Heart, soul, pocket, vibe, flavor, drama, mood, feeling.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Knock it out.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: My go to mic is the Coles 4038 ribbon right into an apollo quad interface. I also use an octava 319 modded by Michael Joly for flute and room. I use Protools, Reason, and a deep library of keyboards sounds. I also have my trusty Fender Rhodes Mark I suitcase.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Sax or flute solos, and stacking Bari and Tenor for parts (I call it instant Memphis).
I was the brass arranger and saxophonist in this production
- SaxophoneAverage price - $170 per song
- FluteAverage price - $170 per song
- Keyboards - SynthAverage price - $170 per song
- HornContact for pricing
- Film ComposerContact for pricing
- Track minus top-lineContact for pricing
I usually knock things out in a day or two.
- Coles 4038 ribbon mic through UAD Apollo
