Saxophonist Matt Otto adds a modern flare to jazz standards in new album Kansas City Trio

Photo by Andy Newbegin

Kansas City-based jazz saxophonist and composer Matt Otto is set to release his new recording Kansas City Trio on June 30, adding to the seasoned performer’s collection of over 50 featured recordings. 

This will be Otto’s first jazz standards album, consisting of nine jazz and traditional standards with three original tunes of his own performed by a traditional saxophone trio. About 40 years into his jazz career, Otto now feels he is developed and experienced enough to put out an album that is more representative of what jazz musicians do on a daily basis at gigs—which is play standards.

To Otto, renditions of some of the greatest jazz standards—such as those of Charlie Parker, one of his most impactful inspirations—is key in keeping the tunes that shaped jazz alive.

Kansas City Trio cover art // Courtesy Matt Otto

“Life as a musician and artist is finite—we only live a certain amount of time,” Otto says. “These players that came before lived during a certain time period, which is very hard to replicate now. And these traditional players allow us to improve beyond our years by studying the music that they created and perfected in their lifetimes.”

The nine standards that made the album were selected from over 50 standards he recorded with his accompanying musicians, several of which he has been playing since he was young.

Otto adds a twist to tunes like “Segment” by Charlie Parker and “Blue and Green” by Miles Davis and Bill Evans by improvising and adding elements such as an ostinato pattern to contribute to a more groove tune.

Otto says the flare he adds is representative of his voice as a musician. In several areas of the album, Otto embraces more of an avant-garde tradition, straying away from bebop and traditional jazz sound.

“My instrument has become more integrated with my actual voice,” Otto says. “And I managed to connect pretty well on this recording with that process.”

His personal voice is further explored in three original pieces, one of which is dedicated to his father and stepfather who both tragically passed during the pandemic, titled “Thanks.”

With a family tree full of musicians, it was only natural that their influence be honored through his music. Reflecting on his childhood, Otto recalls his step-mom playing piano every single night while he would lie underneath the instrument, listening and feeling the vibrations of Bach and Mozart. Other times he sat by his dad as he jammed to folk songs on his guitar. And in fourth grade, he was gifted with his first alto saxophone by his grandfather.

“I didn’t really know what it meant because I was too young, but I wanted to be a jazz sax player in junior high,” Otto says. “That’s when I decided that’s what I was going to do, even though I had no idea what that was—I just wanted to be like my teacher.”

Years later, Otto would have to drop out of Berklee School of Music due to all of

Photo by Diallo French

his book gigs. After seven years playing in Japan, seven playing and finishing his BA in New York, and six in Los Angeles, Otto landed in Kansas City with his wife due to 2008 recession circumstances.

Otto has been teaching jazz at KU for ten years where he is currently an associate professor of jazz studies—though his teaching career started online with a small blog with free downloadable lessons and eventually Skype lessons. 

Along with mentoring jazz students at KU, Otto also continues online lessons through Zoom with students around the world. Otto is passionate about guiding young artists in becoming strong jazz musicians similar to his own influential mentor, Don Hawkins.

“You have to put systems in place, and you have to do them every day and for years and years, and then you start becoming a really advanced player,” Otto says. “It’s kind of like learning a very complicated language like Mandarin—music is a very complicated language.”

Otto has been playing in KC since he moved in his 30s, and can be found playing gigs at Ça Va in Westport every Thursday, Green Lady Lounge, Black Dolphin, and even in New York and LA. As an improviser and musician, his goals remain to keep doing what he is lucky enough to already be doing for a living—playing every day, jamming with friends and his community, and releasing music for other musicians to enjoy.

Produced by Otto himself, Kansas City Trio will be released through his own label June 30 on Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp. Otto is also set to release another recording with Origin Records at the end of August.