Masters has a remarkable voice. It soars over the
open Canadian prairie carried by the Chinook winds of
his native Alberta. It wanders, like a meandering
river, softly curving around a bend and then rises up
just as the Rockies spring from the foothills. A
powerful force with a clear tone, when Matt Masters
sings, the land listens.

Masters is a country and western singer in the
traditional sense. He is a storyteller and a myth
builder. A historian with a keen sense of the modern
era, Matt seamlessly intertwines his western heritage
with a forward-looking vision. A new traditionalist, a
21st Century troubadour, a charismatic performer and a
western gentleman, Matt Masters is the real deal.

His debut album, Centennial Swell, features an
all-star Canadian band, (Wendell Ferguson, Chris
Whiteley, Al Cross, Denis Keldie and more,) playing
off the floor, just as nature intended for country
music. You can hear songs like "Whiskey Business"
drifting out of that roadside honky-tonk while the
fiddle in "Smoke my Soul" welcomes you to join in a
western jig. From the cowboy's lonesome wail in "Blood
on the Saddle" and the hung over, heartbroken "Drunk
Blues," Matt brings the old west back to life by
taking the listener back in time.

Raised in Calgary, but born during a blackout in North
Battleford, Saskatchewan, Masters was delivered by his
father, as the doctor was flipping breakers in the
basement. His father had a big musical influence on
Masters, first by giving Matt his first guitar and
then teaching him the basics. Still, it wasn't until
age 22 that Matt truly took up the torch as a country
and western singer songwriter.

It was a winter night in Vancouver in 1997 that Matt
first penned a country song. That next morning he
performed it for his roommate who quickly dubbed him
"Matt Masters and the Gentlemen of the Rodeo." The
name stuck, and the songs and shows began to follow.
Early influences of Roger Miller and Ian Tyson were
combined with the a maturing musical palette as Matt
explored different genres, from the vocal harmonies of
the Mills Brothers to the psychedelic rock of the
Flaming Lips and the pained storytelling of Townes Van
Zant. Matt's growth as a songwriter was noted by his
inclusion in the 2003 Alberta Songwriters Sessions.

After completing a degree in history at the University
of Calgary, Matt relocated to Toronto where he worked
as the GM of the Toronto Blues Society, a position
that exposed him to a wider variety of styles and
encouraged him to step up to the level of
professionalism. Playing alongside luminaries of the
Canadian music scene, such as Jeff Healey and members
of Blue Rodeo and Prairie Oyster, Matt felt he was
finally coming into his own.

He confirmed his commitment to his craft when he
embarked on an ambitious 100-show tour of Alberta in
the summer of 2005. In celebration of the Alberta
Centennial Matt created an Alberta Music History
Revue, which he toured from Fort McMurray to Pincher
Creek. Travelling 25,000 kilometres alone in his van
and performing for tens of thousands of Albertans and
visitors alike, Matt was awarded an Alberta Centennial
Cultural grant from the Federal Department of
Heritage. His Centennial tour made national headlines
and concluded with Matt performing live broadcasts on
Alberta wide radio. Matt received praise from the
Mayor of Calgary, the Premier of Alberta and even the
Prime Minister for his work promoting traditional
Western Canadian music.

Matt Masters has been featured on CBC television's
"The National" and MuchMusic's "Going Coastal." He has
performed in venues from St. John's to Victoria and
been a featured performer in dozens of radio spots
nation wide. Matt has written soundtrack material for
film and television and performed at a number of major
Canadian festivals.
Matt frequently performs in an educational context
often working with schools and children's festivals.
He teaches lessons of song writing, history and the
importance of self-esteem.

Matt performs both as a solo performer and as a group
with his Calgary based band, the Gentlemen of the
Rodeo, (Greg Cockerill, Jeff Sulima, Rob Oxoby.)

A storyteller, a traveller, a songwriter and an
engaging performer is Matt Masters, the Alberta
Reporter.