Matt Zebley is a composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist from Southern California who has built a distinctive body of original work across six albums and numerous ensemble projects. A magna cum laude graduate of Berklee College of Music in 1993, Zebley developed his compositional voice through studies in arranging, composition, and jazz performance. His debut album Live at Moondog, recorded in 1998, featured nine original compositions for an unusual three-horn, bass, and drums ensemble that established his signature textural approach. Zebley was a founding member of Kneebody, the electric quintet recognized as one of the most inventive groups in contemporary jazz. His writing draws on a wide harmonic and formal palette, ranging from bebop-rooted structures to more open and exploratory forms. Compositions on AllSolos include the blues-based Human Being, Being Human, the AABA-form Free Radicals, the lyrical Latham's Lament written in memory of a friend who died young, and the 16-bar New York Calling. His catalog also includes Eastbound, Will, and No Rain. Beyond his own projects, Zebley has contributed arrangements and compositions to settings led by artists including Brian Setzer, Adam Rudolph's GO:Organic Orchestra, and Dave Douglas. He also holds a doctorate and maintains an active career as a music educator.
