Biography
Mat Callahan
Mat Callahan was born and raised in San Francisco during the Sixties. Nourished by the musical and social turmoil of those crazy times, Mat’s own vision began to take shape with the band Red Rock, formed in association with the San Francisco Mime Troupe. This was followed by Prairie Fire, a militant duet that performed all over the U.S. in conjunction with innumerable campaigns and organizations fighting suffering and injustice. The 80’s witnessed the reactionary wave represented by Reagan and Thatcher. Mat’s response was to help build the Looters, a band in the forefront of the World Beat scene that provided inspiration for people all over the world. The Looters were the first U.S. group to perform in Nicaragua following their revolution. The success of the Looters led to the founding of legendary artists’ collective Komotion International. For more than a decade, this performance space/art gallery and recording studio was a center for opposition and creativity involving artists from every continent as well as publishing a widely read magazine. With the demise of the Looters and the closing of Komotion’s doors, Mat toured Europe with a new band, the Wild Bouquet. Several return trips led to offers of work producing recordings for Swiss artists. Fruitful collaborations included Mat’s solo album, San Francisco, the publication of his book “Testimony” and embarking on the musical and personal partnership with Yvonne Moore. In the following six years, Mat composed and produced three albums for Moore. Simultaneously he began writing the book “The Trouble With Music” which was published in 2005. At the time of publication, the CD A Wild Bouquet was released in the States. After three tours of the U.S. and the U.K. Mat returned to begin working on a new project: The duet, Mat Callahan and Yvonne Moore. Two outstanding qualities identify Mat’s 40 yearlong musical life: the songs and the singing. Whether in various bands or alone with his guitar, these key elements have been what audiences throughout the world have drawn inspiration from. The new duet provides the perfect setting for a closer connection to a repertoire especially composed to make use of the unique instrument of two voices together. What emerges with crystal clarity are the depth and emotional range of two great singers singing great songs. After an initial tour dates in Europe, it is abundantly clear that audiences are embracing this music with enthusiasm.
Yvonne Moore
Since she first took the stage more than 25 years ago, Yvonne has been hailed as the most powerful soul voice in her native land of Switzerland. In the last two decades, with performances in London, San Francisco, Johannesburg and throughout Germany and France, she’s taken her place among the great singers from anywhere in the world. Frequently, she’s been called on to sing backing and lead vocals on recordings and on television. Artists as diverse as Polo Hofer, Udo Jurgens and George Gruntz have asked her to join their studio and stage productions. She played a leading role in a revival of “The Three Penny Opera” and was invited to perform “Summertime” at a Gershwin night hosted by Porgy and Bess in Vienna. What makes Yvonne special, however, is that in addition to a glorious instrument, she is a creative artist with a penetrating vision. From her debut album, “Walking the Blues” to “Between You and I” and “Nomad”, she collaborated with musicians and writers who shared her commitment to quality and honesty. Her latest album, “Put Out The Trash”, is the next installment of a story she began telling years before. Always searching, she has grappled with personal and social conflict, sexuality and liberation, building community and the joy of music. “Put Out The Trash” takes this to new heights. Built on the timeless foundations of R&B, Soul and Funk, Yvonne leads her powerhouse band in a journey through the garden of earthly delights. When she grabs the microphone you know there’s a party going on. But this is not a call to “forget your troubles and dance”, it’s a passionate call to join in a celebration of life. Now, with the debut of Welcome with Mat Callahan, Yvonne has expanded her range once more. A new project, a new repertoire and a new approach to singing have begun.
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