Matthew Stevens releases “Who Does She Hope To Be?” today alongside the announcement of his forthcoming self-titled album, ‘Matthew Stevens,’ due May 8 via Candid Records. The new single is Stevens’ take on Sonny Sharrock’s 1991 original from ‘Ask the Ages,’ featuring guitarist Jeff Parker and drummer Terri Lyne Carrington. Stevens first encountered the song while playing it with ERIMAJ, the group led by Jamire Williams, and the piece has stayed with him ever since.
Stevens, Parker, and Carrington each bring something distinct to the recording. “On the original, Sonny layers a lot of guitars, so it felt like the perfect opportunity to have Jeff join me,” Stevens says. “I’ve always admired the breadth of his musicianship. Terri Lyne’s playing on this track is just as special to me. So few people play in a way that feels so directly connected to the originators of this music.” Parker, who calls ‘Ask the Ages’ an album central to his own musical development, says he jumped at the invitation. Carrington, who recently worked with Stevens on her GRAMMY-nominated ‘We Insist! 2025,’ describes the track as something that “soothes the soul and reminds us of the importance of hope.”
The response to the single has been immediate, with listeners drawn to the unhurried depth Stevens and his collaborators bring to Sharrock’s composition. It arrives as a clear statement of intent ahead of ‘Matthew Stevens,’ a ten-track album co-produced by Stevens, Josh Johnson, and Eric Doob that moves between acoustic and electric sonics across genre-blurring originals and personal covers. The full record features Joel Ross, Anna B Savage, Corey King, Chris Fishman, Kyle Miles, Paulo Stagnaro, Dylan Day, and Rich Hinman alongside Parker and Carrington.
Stevens is one of the most decorated and sought-after guitarists working in jazz today. He has toured and recorded with Esperanza Spalding, Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah, Harvey Mason, and Walter Smith III, and produced ‘I Am A Pilgrim – Doc Watson at 100,’ featuring Valerie June, Steve Earle, Nora Brown, and Dolly Parton. His production of Parton’s “The Last Thing on My Mind” earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Solo Performance in 2024, a testament to the range he brings to every project he touches.
‘Matthew Stevens’ arrives May 8 via Candid Records.
‘MATTHEW STEVENS’ TRACK LIST:
SIDE A
- “Take Heart”
- “Hazy (intro)”
- “Hazy”
- “SLMS”
- “1000 Times”
- “Edgewood”
SIDE B
- “Who Does She Hope To Be?”
- “Born of Silence”
- “Alberta”
- “The air is thick”