I first met Matt when he was about age 40 and I about 50. I soon discovered that we had many common friendships in both the previous and the current generation of trombonists and brass players.

We had known Coffey, Corley, Tesson, for example, and we knew Battell, Katuska, Havens, Holmes, Osmun, O’Toole, Phillips, Shires, Walker and Zawislak.

Over our 25-plus year friendship I’ve observed in Matt a man who is unremittingly and unrepentantly positive and a person who is fabulously generous. Many of these notes probably say the same. So I’ll be fabulously redundant in my praise.

At Gazebones soirees on Friday nights Matt often hosts a dozen of us trombonists. Then, at nearly midnight, Matt feeds us a feast of his own cooking.

In my own music publishing project, Matt contributed literally scores of hours recording and editing piano music, gratis. Lucky me!

Thanks, Matt.

David Schwartz

P.S. Attached is a newspaper clipping from 1981.