Skitzki
Matthew Skitzki
2009
Pianist Matthew Skitzki’s self titled 2009 solo release features ragtime, 60’s jazz, several standards, and some very good originals.Amongst the highlights are his ragtime original “Gnarled River Rage”; a good interpretation of Thelonias Monk’s “Straight, No Chaser”; and solid versions of “Moonlight in Vermont” and “Love for Sale” backed with Roger Hines on bass and Elijah Vazquez on drums.
Skitzki, who is a graduate student in music at Cleveland State, can be seen around town doing a variety of gigs, whether as a solo jazz pianist at a wedding to a recent recital of classical standards as part of his Masters program.
He is a part of the Tower PressFest! Cleveland Summer Music Series, which takes place the first Friday of every summer month at Cafe Artefino in the Tower Press Building, 1900 Superior Ave. He will be performing from 6PM-7PM on both Fri 5/7 and Fri 6/4. For more about Matthew Skitzki and his music visit http://www.MatthewSkitzki.com. For more about the Tower PressFest! visit http://www.TowerPress.com, and for more info on events at Cafe Artefino visit http://www.cafeartefino.com.
Greg Cielec is a local writer who covers mostly music and sports for a variety of publications and websites. He is also a full time English and creative writing teacher at Streetsboro High School; an adjunct professor at BGSU Firelands College and Lakeland Community College; and a football coach at John Carroll University.
He has published two books of fiction, My Cleveland Story (1998) and Home and Away Games (2006), and the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Michael Heaton has called him “the Mark Twain of Cleveland.” Check out his website and blog at http://www.GregCielec.com.