“Like a freak brew of the Chicago post-rockers Tortoise and the famed tribute-album producer Hal Willner, [Mayhall] rolls his diverse skills into one untidy, rumbling package.” - Modern Drummer

“Mayhall’s drums burn with a self-contained fury; at other times, he develops a rhythmic chatter that accentuates the poetry of the beats… This album shows just how strong subtlety can resonate, and how nuance can be the driving force of creative vision.” - Bandcamp Daily

“What makes Mayhall’s music better than the average is his attention to a specific essence and a thoughtful sound, where mood rather than elaboration is all-important.” - Audiophile Audition

Matt Mayhall is a percussionist, composer, session musician and educator based in the Pacific Northwest. In a career spanning over two decades, he has worked with an eclectic range of world-renowned performers in jazz, improvised music, singer-songwriter, folk, indie rock, indie pop, American roots music and performance art.

On his 2020 self-released album Fanatics he led a trio with Jeff Parker on guitar and Chris Speed on tenor saxophone and clarinet. Stereogum named it one of the best jazz releases of February 2020. The album was produced, engineered and mixed by GRAMMY-winning producer Paul Bryan.

Mayhall’s debut album Tropes (Skirl Records, 2016) featured Parker, Speed, Jeff Babko on keyboards, and Paul Bryan on electric bass.

In addition to Parker and Speed, Mayhall has gigged with many internationally-known improvisers including Bennie Maupin, Brad Shepik, David Binney, Todd Sickafoose, Eyvind Kang, Anthony Wilson, Adam Benjamin, Ralph Alessi, George Colligan, Dan Rosenboom, Vinny Golia, Eric Revis and Tim Lefebvre.

Mayhall’s professional duties have also taken him outside the jazz world, touring with Aimee Mann in support of her GRAMMY-winning album Mental Illness, with The Both (a power-pop trio with Aimee Mann and Ted Leo), and with folk singer Dar Williams. He starred alongside Fred Armisen and Bill Hader in the IFC series Documentary Now! as a member of the Blue Jean Committee. He has performed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, CONAN, and Late Night with Seth Meyers.

Mayhall also spent several years in Josh Haden’s band Spain, appearing on three albums and a handful of European tours. He appears alongside the Haden Triplets on Spain’s The Morning Becomes Eclectic Session, and alongside legendary bassist Charlie Haden on Sargent Place.

Originally from Reno, NV Mayhall started his professional career while pursuing an undergraduate degree in percussion from the University of Nevada Reno. While in college he worked regular club dates as a jazz drummer in addition to gigging with punk, indie rock, and reggae bands. He also appeared regularly as a percussionist with the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra, Reno Chamber Orchestra, and Nevada Opera. He moved to Los Angeles after college and attended California Institute Of The Arts in nearby Valencia, where he earned an MFA in Jazz Studies. There he studied drums with Joe La Barbera, improvisation with Charlie Haden and Wadada Leo Smith, and West African drumming with Alfred Ladzekpo. He spent over a decade as a freelance musician in Los Angeles, appearing on dozens of recordings and becoming a regular sideman in the jazz, indie-pop and singer-songwriter scenes. Now, he primarily works and teaches in Portland, Oregon.

Mayhall has been a guest artist and instructor at Cal Arts, University of Southern California, Metropolitan State University Denver, Willamette University, and University of Nevada Reno. He has served on the faculty at Musicians Institute, Fresno State, and University of Nevada Reno.

Matt Mayhall is endorsed by Gretsch Drums, Sabian Cymbals, and Innovative Percussion Sticks and Mallets.