After many years of performing and recording as part of other ensembles, Matt Scutchfield has stepped out on his own and released his debut solo project. Combining multiple genres and world cultures, Far Away Again is a unique release.
As reflected in the liner notes, the songs on this album were recorded at studios in the United States, Poland, and the Czech Republic, with many guest musicians contributing all throughout. The opening track, Shadows, is a tip of the hat to Scutchfield’s hero, Tony Rice, to whom this project is dedicated. Matt on guitar, violin and vocals, JD Williams on mandolin, Roger Williams on resophonic guitar, Joe Alterio on pedal steel guitar, Lukasz L. Pawlikowski on cello, and Loes Van Schaijk on bass, this is a nice rendition that should please any fan of Tony Rice or Gordon Lightfoot.
Blue Mountain Hop by Béla Fleck displays Matt’s prowess within the jazz realm. Recorded in Warsaw, Poland, this track features Matt on guitar, Fryderyk HD on piano, Tetyana Haraschuk on drums, Roman Chraniuk on bass, and Jarek Kaczmarczyk on saxophone.
Though Wait A Minute is a song that’s beloved by bluegrass fans, it’s highly doubtful anyone has heard a rendition of this nature. Leaning heavily into a country rock sound, this track features verses sung in English by Matt and in Ukrainian by Branislav Struk. It’s one of the neatest takes of this song you’ll ever hear! Along with Scutchfield on guitar and banjo, this song also features Rusty Humphrey on bass, Philadelphia Phil on vocals, Bohdan Borysov on electric guitar and drums, Gabe Janky on pedal steel guitar, and JD Williams on mandolin.
Anthem is a tune that showcases Matt on fiddle and banjo. Played in a style reminiscent of the classic fiddle and banjo duets by Earl Scruggs and Paul Warren, this track demonstrates Scutchfield’s strong multi-instrumentalism.
Over The Waterfall features Scutchfield on solo acoustic guitar. This great interpretation of this old time favorite captures the beautiful tone that Matt can pull out of his instrument.
The closing track, Three Children, is based on a composition by Manos Hadijidakis, and features Matt on fiddle, banjo, guitar, dobro, bass and mandolin. It’s a captivating tune which serves as even greater proof of Scutchfield’s creativity.
Far Away Again is a strong and intriguing effort. Not only does Matt Scutchfield combine ideas from other musical genres and cultures, but he does so flawlessly.
