Imagine the sound of a BrazilianCarnaval in the Appalachian Mountains.A sound where exotic percussioninstruments rumble beneath bluesdrenched vocals, telecaster twangs, andfolksy fiddle tunes. Now, imagine thesesounds in the hands of some of NYC’sfinest young improvisers as they light upclub and festival stages world wide. On his Ropeadope debut, Matuto, ClayRoss offers us a peak into his diverse anddynamic musical world. Composer,singer-songwritier, and producer, thisSouth Carolina native has become an in-demand guitarist on the NYC jazz, world,and roots music scenes.  In the last fouryears, Ross has submerged himself inBrazilian music as a Member of CyroBaptista's world renowned percussionensemble "Beat the Donkey."  He hascompleted four international tours as aU.S. Jazz Ambassador and currentlyperforms at Bluegrass Festivals acrossNorth America with rising folk star AprilVerch. Through the unorthidox blend ofBrazilian Percussion and AmericanBluegrass, Ross has created an organic,animated sound all his own.  

“Clay Ross demonstrated that not all Americans whohave the will to be Brazilian are boring. His soundmixes the old west and the sertão in a stylized way,but it’s all so much fun that it doesn’t sound artificial.”- Recife Rock (Rec Beat Festival in Recife, Brazil)   

“Clay Ross thinks like a poet, writes like a novelist,and plays the guitar like a master.” – Jambase

“Clay has a passionate, unique, and personal voice thatawakens feelings in audiences.” – Jazz Review

Rob Hecht – Fiddle, Itai Kriss – Flute, Rob Curto – Accordion, Edward Perez – Bass, Tim Keiper – Drums,

Release date: August 25, 2009www.clayross.com

www.ropeadope.com

For media information contact Brad Riesau atDL MEDIA WEST (p) 909-744-0704 (e)

brad@jazzpublicity.com or Don Lucoff at DLMEDIA (p) 610-667-0501 (e)

don@jazzpublicity.com

Featuring master percussionists Cyro Baptista (Paul Simon,Sting) and Ze Mauricio (YoYo Ma, Choro Ensemble),drummer Richie Barshay (Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea) andaccordionist Rob Curto (Lila Downs, David Krakauer.) Mixedby Tony Maimone at Studio G, Mastered by Scott Hull. WithClay Ross - Guitars, Vocals, and Cavaquinho, Rob Hecht -Fiddle, Edward Perez - Bass, Tim Keiper - Drums, ScottKettner - Percussion, Eduardo Guedes - Percussion, OlivierManchon - Violins, Viola, and Vio-cello, Merideth Hite -Oboes and English Horns.

Press Quotes

“Clay Ross, best known for his work with percussion master Cyro Baptista’s New York world-music ensemble Beat the Donkey, has created a stunning cross-cultural statement with Matuto”– limewire.com

“Clay Ross and his MATUTO group really shook the place up - Bluegrass Hillbilly meetsBrazilian Folk Beats in a head-on celebration - !! - making this nite on par with the top 5 mostmemorable live music acts we have ever seen, and we’ve seen a few !!!  MATUTO - is a LIVEWIRE ACT - you do NOT !! want to miss.” - artloversny.com

“Clay has a passionate, unique and personal voice that awakens feelings in audiences. On theimprovisational side, he has listened to the greatest of those who are speaking, and this adds tohis own distinct voice: a sweet, sometimes melancholic, but always precise one. Yet he allowshis group to go free whenever they feel the urge and we eventually lose his sound into thewhole of it. This is why it is so sweet.” – Jazzreview.com

“Sly, subtle wit colors his guitar style: playful and humorous but deeply complex.” –Jambase.com

“A solid debut from a talented player and composer. Clay Ross’ “The Random Puller” reveals asolid jazz player, but even more so a strong songwriter who knows how to lay back and let hissession mates shine. “ – Sean Dennis, All About Jazz

“Ross is a founding member of several important bands in the Lowcountry and one of our finestmusicians.” – Jack McCray, Charleston Post and Courier

“One of Charleston’s prodigal sons, guitarist Clay Ross, who carpet bagged up to NYC in 2002and has made semi-annual stops here ever since. Ross consistently brings home an interestingcast of characters, demonstrating that he has spent his time away wisely, learning and absorbingstyles of music from across the globe” – Sara Miller, Charleston City Paper

“There’s a lot of musical talent in the Upstate, but we rarely see one of our own go on to biggerand better things, Anderson guitar prodigy Clay Ross is a rare exception.” – James Nichols,Greenville Metrobeat.

“Clay Ross conveys the same enlightenment and enjoyment through his facial expressions as hedoes in the music. It’s almost a spiritual moment for Ross as nirvana spills over into the crowd’sexcitement, almost lifting them off their feet and into the stratosphere.” – Mike Saliba,Charleston City Paper

“The amazing guitarist Clay Ross helps us kick into another notch, learning our repertoire sodiligently and contributing with his solid harmonies” - Cyro Baptista

MATUTO is a Brazilian slang word used to describe a simple man from the countryside.

Clay Ross - Guitar and Vocals, Rob Curto - Accordion, Rob Hecht – Fiddle,Edward Perez - Bass, Richie Barshay – Drums, Ze Mauricio – Percussion

CLAY ROSS, a South Carolina native, has become an in-demand guitariston the NYC jazz, world, and roots music scenes. In the last four years,Ross has submerged himself in Brazilian music as a member of CyroBaptista's world-renowned percussion ensemble "Beat the Donkey." Hehas completed four international tours as a U.S. Jazz Ambassador andcurrently performs at bluegrass festivals across North America with risingfolk star April Verch.www.clayross.com ROB CURTO brings passion, energy and musicality to the accordion,shedding new light on the instrument's many timbral and rhythmicpossibilities. The Los Angeles Times writes that, "Curto's originals..combinetraditional authenticity with persuasive dashes of jazz." An early devotee ofNorth American swing music, bebop piano, funk, rock and blues, Curtocombines these influences with his mastery of their South Americancounterparts forro chorinho, samba, maracatu, frevo and the many otherstyles that belong to the Brazilian accordion tradition. The result iscompletely original, authentic and stimulating to fans of all kinds, and hasearned the accordion many a convert, who profess to having discovered alove for the instrument at one of his shows.www.robcurto.com RICHIE BARSHAY, most noted as a member of the Herbie HancockQuartet since 2003, has established himself as a prominent musical voice ofhis generation. Regarded as "a player to watch" by JazzTimes magazine,he maintains a busy international schedule with some of today's top artistsincluding Hancock, The Klezmatics, Kenny Werner and Chick Corea amongothers. In September of 2004 he was named an American Musical Envoy bythe U.S. State Department, along with the renowned Latin-Jazz ensembleInsight. Now based in New York City after 5 years on the Boston musicscene, Richie began playing Jazz and Afro-Latin music during his youth andhas expanded his focus to Indian rhythmic concepts and tabla, inspiring his2005 recording debut "Homework" and the launching of his new band, TheRichie Barshay Project.www.richiebarshay.com

EDWARD PEREZ stays active in New Yorks jazz, latin jazz, and southamerican music scenes. His bass has been heard in major festivals such asVitoria (Spain 2006), Moers (Germany 2006), Valencia (Spain 2006) andLima (Peru 2002, 2004, 2005) and he has shared the stage with jazzluminaries such as Mick Goodrick, George Garzone, Hector Martignon,Greg Hopkins, Lionel Loueke, and Tony Lujan. On any given night in thecity, he may be found playing anything from traditional afroperuvian music tomodern jazz, and he has appeared in many of the key nightspots includingthe Blue Note, Iridium, Jazz Gallery, Zinc Bar, Smalls, Fat Cat, Tonic, 55Bar, and Nuyorican Poets Cafe. He currently leads a world-jazz-fusiongroup under his own name and serves as musical director of theafroperuvian band Alcatraz.www.edwardperez.com

ROB HECHT is the winner of the 2009 Rocky Grass Fiddle Competition. Anative of Bloomington, Illinois, he has studied violin with some of thegreatest in Bluegrass music including Mark O' Connor and Darol Anger. Hestudied saxophone at William Patterson University in their esteemed JazzStudies program and has developed a playing style that bridges the gapsbetween jazz, classical, and folk. He has performed at major music festivalsincluding Bonaroo, and toured in support of The multi-platnum DaveMatthews Band.www.robhecht.com

ZE MAURICIO was born in Rio De Janiero, Brazil. He is an originalmember of "Cyro Baptista's Beat the Donkey" and performs with an eclecticblend of NYC bands. Highlights have included “Carnival on Broadway” withWynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra as well asrecording on the Grammy winning album "Obrigado Brasil!" with Yo-Yo Ma.He has performed or recorded with Paquito D' Rivera, Romero Lubambo,and Trey Anastasio among others. Since 2001, Zé has been a member of"Choro Ensemble," the only band dedicated exclusively to BrazilianChorhino Music in New York.www.zemauricio.com

“Brazlian Carnaval in the Appalachian Mountains”

Selected Past Performances2009 American Folk Music Festival, ME2009 Sines World Music Festival, Portugal2009 Mariposa Folk Festival, Canada2009 Palisades Bluegrass Festival, CO2009 Rec Beat Festival, Brazil2009 Garanhuns Jazz Festival, Brazil2009 Diario De Pernambuco, Brazil2009 Livraria Cultura, Brazil2008 Detroit International Jazz Festival, Detroit, MI2008 Jewish Museum, NYC2008 Roccella Jazz Festival, Roccella, Italy2008 Lincoln Center Band Shell (Out Of Doors Series), New York2008 Grassroots Festival, Trumansburg, NY2008 Quebec City Summer Festival, Quebec City, Canada2008 Stuytown Music on the Oval Concert Series, New York, New York2008 Piccolo Spoleto Festival, Charleston SC2008 Hancher Auditorium, Iowa City, IA2008 Abrons Center - Henry Street Settlement, NY, NY2008 Garanhuns Jazz Festival, Brazil2008 Light in Winter Festival - The State Theatre, Ithaca, NY2007 Raue Theatre, Crystal Lake, IL2007 Kinetic Playground, Chicago, IL2007 Krannert Center For The Arts, Urbana, IL2007 World Music Festival Chicago 2007, Chicago, IL2007 Planet Arlington Festival, Arlington, VA2007 The Chastain Theatre, South Boston, VA2007 Presser Hall, Decatur, GA2007 Huntington Arts Council, Huntington, NY2007 The Starwood Festival, Sherman, NY2007 Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH2007 Artown Festival, Reno, NV2007 The International Fesvtial of Arts and Ideas, New Haven, CT2007 Kentucky Center, Louisville, KY2007 Cultural Performances in Kosovo2007 Tracce Festival, Brescia Italy2007 Porto Musical Festival, Brazil2006 Two U.S. State Department Tours of the Balkans2006 Festival International de Louisiane, Lafayette LA2006 Bethel Woods Jazz Festival2006 Alice Jepson Theatre, Richmond VA2006 Boulton Center for the Arts, Bay Shore NY2006 Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival, Silk Hope NC2006 Krannert Center, Urbana IL2006 Kolher Arts Center, Sheboygan WI2006 Grassroots Festival, Turmansburg NY2006 Charleston Performing Arts Festival, SC2006 Alverno College2005 Summer Stage in Central Park2005 10,000 Lakes Festival

MATUTO STAGE PLOT

DRUMS ON RISER PERCUSSION ON RISER (1 MONITOR ON LEFT SIDE, (1 MONITOR IN FRONT, 1 VOCAL MIC) 1 VOCAL MIC, DI BOX) BASS AMP GUITAR AMP

BASS ACCORDION (1 MONITOR IN FRONT (2 MONITORS IN FRONT 1 VOCAL MIC) 1 VOCAL MIC, DI BOX)

FIDDLE GUITAR (1 MONITOR IN FRONT (1 MONITOR IN FRONT 1 VOCAL MIC, 1 DI Box) 1 VOCAL MIC, DI BOX)

TECH SPECS

6 SM58 VOCAL MICSGUITAR AMP (FENDER TWIN, VIBROLUX, DELUXE OR SIMILAR TUBE AMP)BASS AMPDI BOX FOR ACCORDIONDI BOX FOR FIDDLEDI BOX FOR PERCUSSION5 MONITORS (5 MIXES)STANDARD 4-piece DRUMSET WITH 22-inch bassdrum, 16-inch floor tom30 CM RISER FOR DRUMS30 CM RISER FOR PERCUSSION

American Guitarist, Clay Ross builds International bridges with Matuto

National release set for August on Ropeadope Records

After independently releasing a well praised, instrumental jazz recording, guitarist Clay Ross introduces a new paletteof sounds with his spectacular debut Matuto on Ropeadope Records.

Unlike his previous effort, which showcased a dark, Metheny-esque tone throughout, Ross is now courting a broaderpalette of guitar sounds. From Telecaster to dreadnought, hollow body to classical, here we see a full range of sonicexpression. On Matuto, Ross parlays his masterful guitar chops, dynamic songwriting, thoughtful arranging, andunique vocal style into an organic, original, and accessible blend of pan-American sounds.

One of the most promising young talents on the jazz/world/roots music scene today, guitarist Ross has been honinghis musical skills since childhood. Starting out on piano and violin he switched to guitar at age 10. He graduatedfrom the University of Charleston, SC in 1998 with a degree in classical composition, where he also studied classicalguitar and had his first exposure to jazz music. “At that time, I was definitely inspired by the whole jam band thing.It was my gateway into so much different music,” says Ross. “I had my rock band and we wanted to be able toimprovise, tell stories through songs, and play every style. We were taking ideas from school and applying them toour band. That was my first taste of being a professional performer. We had some success, made money in the clubs,and had a lot of fun,” says Ross.

Not one for complacency Ross felt the need for change. “I had an epiphany one day in a Charleston coffee shop. Iwas listening to Quentin Baxter (Monty Alexander, Rene Marie) and two other well-known local musicians play themost incredible improvised music I had ever heard. I had found my new heroes and all I wanted in the world was toplay with them.” Clay’s enthusiasm was soon rewarded and before long these four formed one of the most importantand long standing groups on the regional jazz scene. “Our weekly gigs became my classroom. The subjects rangedfrom John Coltrane to Jim Hall, Wynton Marsalis to Ornette Coleman, Wes Montgomery to Wayne Shorter, and theexams were always trial by fire. The standards were high. I was in way over my head and forced to sink or swim.”Swim he did, and before long the group was even performing many of Ross’ original compositions, to the elation of aconsistently packed house.

Being the only white musician in a SC based jazz quartet was also a unique experience for the young Ross. “Thesecats were deadly serious about the music, young, incredibly talented, and with strong personalities. It was a true bandwith no ‘leader,’ and there was a constant give and take. We had to learn to communicate and deal with each other ina South where we all grew up around a lot of racism. Being integrated was a big deal for me. Through the music webecame brothers and we still love each other that way.” He did not yet realize, but this would not be the first time thatRoss would need to bridge cultures in order to realize his musical inspiration.

In 2002, after a brief move to Paris that included a few memorable performances in the Pigalle squats, Ross relocatedto Brooklyn, NY. “I came here to play jazz. I wanted to be closer to Kurt Rosenwinkel, Peter Bernstein, Ben Monderand all the other players just a generation ahead of me that I had grown to love. The day I moved up here, I learnedthat Monder was living in the same building! I got myself a lesson right away and I’m still working that stuff.” Rossquickly made himself known at the local jam sessions and on the club scene. Before long he was collaborating with

phenomenal young musicians from around the globe. He formed a duo with Spanish accordionist Victor Prieto (YoYo Ma, Paquito D’ Rivera.) “I didn’t want to do the day job thing, so I decided to do what I had done in Charleston.We just pounded the pavement and within a month we had secured nine steady gigs a week, working every singlenight with brunches on the weekends. I was learning about a lot of Latin music, Afro-Cuban, tango, and for me, themost intoxicating of all… Brazilian. We would play anywhere for varying degrees of little money, but we weremaking it work.”

Clay continued to “make it work” and before long a new world of opportunity would come knocking. In 2005, withhis newly formed Brazilian jazz quartet, he was selected to tour the Balkans as a U.S. Jazz Ambassador. Ross’ groupwon the approval of the U.S. State Department, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and a distinguished panel of judges thatincluded the late great Ray Baretto. In the Spring of that same year he was invited to become the full-time guitarist inCyro Baptista’s world renowned percussion ensemble Beat the Donkey. “Touring internationally and working withBaptista changed everything,” says Ross. “Suddenly I was performing on concert and festival stages around theworld. It was another trial by fire and an exciting time.” In both contexts, Clay won praise and continued growth.After four years he still holds his position with BTD and has gone on to complete four U.S. sponsored tours abroad.Most recently, he lead an all-star NYC based quartet on a six week residency in the Northeast of Brazil.

The music of Brazil continued to have an influence on Clay’s work. “Cyro really challenged me in regards to myguitar sound. He wants to use the guitar like a thousand different percussion instruments. He’s collaborated with somany musical legends (Paul Simon, Sting, John Zorn) and he has specific ideas about the guitar. For BTD I’ve triedto shape something out of all of those influences. Something that’s a little bit Marc Ribot, Romero Lumbambo, KevinBreit, and a whole lot Jimi Hendrix. After my first Carnaval in Brazil, it was so much easier to understand wheremany of Cyro’s ideas were coming from. I saw his folk tradition and it gave me a completely new perspective on myown.”

Ross continued asking questions, with an intention to “seek what they sought.” He began to reflect on his own rootsin the American South. This lead him to reconnected with sounds that he had once taken for granted or evendismissed. “Bluegrass doesn’t have the harmonic complexity of jazz. For a long time, I was so obsessed with thechords that I missed a lot of great sounds. But, when you look at it closely, there are so many details to this music.”Syncopation, virtuosity, and honest storytelling are all qualities that Ross could regard as he looked in on his culturefrom abroad. “Suddenly there seemed to be a whole new world of possibilities inside three simple chords.” Rossrealized this new world through his band and new album entitled, Matuto (Brazilian slang for “Hillbilly”).

Inspired by the “do-it-yourself” recording techniques of Indie Rock bands like Beirut and Elliot Smith, Clay beganrecording his songs at home and in informal studios around Brooklyn. “I was on the road, recording percussion inhotel rooms and tracking vocals in my closet. It was this big experiment, but I always had the intention to make it arecord. I knew it wouldn’t sound like one of the high-dollar studios, but I wanted it to have that kind of vibe.” Aphenomenal cast of instrumentalists participated on the albums 11 tracks. With seven originals and four heavilyreworked American folk standards, the album alternates between instrumental and vocal songs.

The opener, “Recife,” (named for the port city and hub of musical diversity in Brazil) features virtuosicimprovisations from Ross, fiddler Rob Hecht, and Israeli flautist Itai Kriss. On “What a Day,” Ross introduces hisconfident baritone voice and laments the hectic pace of NYC life over a frenetic samba rhythm. The song segues intoa humorous, but organic, blend of Telecaster twang and Batucada bounce. “Remember Calabash” features Ross ondreadnought acoustic guitar and builds to a climax of Frisell-inspired guitar effects. Next is an inventivereharmonization of the classic American murder ballad, “Banks of the Ohio” that gives Brazilian accordion wizardRob Curto (Lila Downs, David Krakauer) plenty of room to stretch. The character driven vocal delivery fuels theintensity of this tragic tale.

On “Zydaco Mondo,” Ross revisits the jazz inspired sounds of his earlier work and we are treated to anothersensational solo from Itai Kriss. Because of its cross-cultural mixture of styles the title was intentionally misspelled;as Ross states, “it’s not quite Zydeco, it’s something else.” Next is “Church Street Blues,” adapted to a Brazilian“Coco” rhythm from bluegrass guitar legend Tony Rice’s arrangement of this Norman Blake composition. Here wehear the rhythmic touch that makes Richie Barshay such an in-demand drummer for jazz legends like Herbie Hancockand Chick Corea. On “Maria’s Lullaby” we come to another example of Clay’s excellent songwriting and arrangingtalents. This intensely brooding ballad is propelled by a bed of forceful drumming. The song showcases a delicatestring section and multiple layers of vocal harmony.

“Home Sweet Home” brings us back to the unifying concept of the album. This simple and organic mix of Brazilianpercussion with American folk finds Clay’s flattop acoustic dueling with the thunderous sound of Scott Kettner’s(Nation Beat, Maracatu NY) Pandiero drum, a type of Brazilian tamborine. “John the Revelator” is another Kettnerfeature that delivers a choir of Maracatu (folkloric music found exclusively in the Northeast of Brazil) drumming.Here the Brazilian berimbau substitutes for a guitar drone, while Ross’ passionate growl recalls the moans of blueslegends like Howlin’ Wolf and Son House.

The album nears its end with “Dream of Life,” an upbeat anthem built on a wave of surf rock guitars. Here Rossshares an optimistic lyric in a fun and energetic set closer. The recording ends with its most tender moment. “Feel,like a song,” places a beautiful soaring flute melody on top of a harmonically rich woodwind arrangement. Here,Cyro Baptista joins his protégé, adding a barrage of exotic percussion effects as only he could deliver.

“This album represents a full circle for me in so many ways,” says Ross. “I’ve had this incredible opportunity toabsorb so many new influences. And through the experiences I’ve been reminded that at the root of these styles liesan undeniable connection. Be it Bill Monroe or Luiz Gonzaga, there is a fundamental element that connects all themusic I love. For me, that element is the pure joy of making music. That joy has carried me a long way and allowedme to connect with a lot of amazing people. I only hope that my circle continues to grow and that it continues to leadme back home.” If the music on Matuto is any indication, then this talented young artist seems on track for a fruitfulcareer, full of joy, not only for himself, but for his growing audience as well.

In addition to his work as a current member of Cyro Baptista’s Beat the Donkey, Clay performs with Brazilianaccordion virtuoso Rob Curto’s Forro For All, and Canadian fiddle phenomenon April Verch Band. With whom, inaddition to leading his own group, he currently maintains a busy schedule, touring worldwide.

Clay Ross – MATUTO

Ropeadope Records - Release date: August 25, 2009

For further information on this and other Clay Ross releases, visit www.clayross.com

www.ropeadope.com

For media information contact Brad Riesau at DL MEDIA WEST (p) 909-744-0704 (e) brad@jazzpublicity.com or Don Lucoff at DL MEDIA (p) 610-667-0501 (e) don@jazzpublicity.com