By: Renea Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
The Fayette Opera House closed out its concert season with the return of Matthew Ball, known on stage and online as “The Boogie Woogie Kid,” for an evening of piano, song and rhythm-filled music at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 16.
The family concert featured New Orleans song, boogie woogie piano, Dixieland-style music and Swing Dance Era favorites, with Ball adapting those styles to songs ranging from George Gershwin to The Beatles.
The performance marked a return visit for Ball, who said he had previously appeared at the Fayette Opera House a few years ago and was grateful to be invited back after receiving a receptive response from the audience during his earlier show. He said it was nice to be part of the series again as the opera house wrapped up its season.
Ball said his music often reaches back to the 1930s and 1940s, when the Swing Dance Era and big band music were part of popular culture, while also extending into popular songs from the 1960s and early 1970s. The program included classic American songbook selections such as “In the Mood,” “It Had to Be You,” “Just a Closer Walk with Thee,” “Basin Street Blues,” “Glory of Love,” “Bumble Boogie,” and many more.
A graduate of Oakland University and a lifetime Metro Detroit resident, Ball trained classically at Oakland University under classical pianist Flavio Varani, a graduate of The Paris Conservatory and Manhattan School of Music. Varani’s own musical pedigree traced back to Chopin, giving Ball a classical foundation before he built a career around boogie woogie, blues, ragtime and early American piano styles.
Ball said he has been performing and teaching music full time for more than 15 years. He was drawn to boogie woogie and blues after attending a festival, explaining that while the music can fall under the broader label of jazz, it is not often heard in traditional jazz formats such as university programs, typical jazz festivals or jazz radio.
Because of that, Ball said the style stood out to him as something unique and different. He described the music as fun, upbeat and easily accessible to listeners, which has helped shape his performances and connect with audiences.
