MATTHEW J CUTILLO: News / Videos

HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY TO ALL





Matthew Cutillo, GigMasters' current#1 National Top Acoustic Guitarist wishes:



May you be poor in misfortune
Rich in blessings
Slow to make enemies
Quick to make friends
But rich or poor,
Quick or slow,
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward




On the way to writing my latest Newsletter back in December
something happened...

Life got in the way.

Being a dad, musician and husband got in between me and the keys.
A new nephew named Soren I have yet to meet came along. I meant
well, I wanted to sit down and write for him, too, for quite some
time now, but there was always something that had to be done,
paid, talked about, taken notice of, purchased, recycled or
thrown in the garbage. Snow to shovel in droves and plenty of
gigs with interesting people to meet and new acquaintances to make.
Old friends & bandmates I have long wondered about from far away
countries (like Line8's Juergen F) came out of the woodwork and
thankfully made their whereabouts known once again.

A new recording studio has been under construction here so that
there will be plenty of new material to hear from me on a regular
basis. Write me about your favorite song(s), maybe I will record
a version or two for you and / or perform them at one of my many
live performances where you can come out and call me on my offer
in person.

One such stellar Long Island local venue you can hear me play
your requests at regularly is La Bottega Italian Gourmet, Massapequa
Park. I will be performing there again on St Patrick's Day, March 17
and 31 from 6-9pm. Enjoy some of the best pannini you will ever taste
in an elegant atmosphere, with me, at the Home of the Perfect Pannini:
http://www.labottegamassapequa.com/
Besides the usual endlessly-expanding Top 40 hits, there is now a
new selection of neo-classical music I am working on at present:
Edgar Cruz' The Queen Selections. These are highly-detailed solo
guitar versions of Queen classics; Bohemian Rhapsody, Killer Queen,
We are the Champions and Crazy Little Thing Called Love. The bass
lines, melodies and guitar parts are all painstakingly represented
(also painful to play) and reduced to these hand and finger-stretching
arrangements for solo guitar. These pieces are mind-bending and deepen
one's perception of the 6 string guitar, as well as rock harmonies.
These pieces are not quite the main focus of all I do, but learning
them definitely enables one to play other songs better than ever and
sure furthers the knowledge of chords and scales.

The Melting Pot Restaurant, Atlantic City's bartender extraordinaire
Casey and their very vibrant, vivacious staff have been stirring things
up for the New Year with weekly Thursdays from 6-10 with 30 incredible
5$ Martini specials, my live music and the finest fondue delights
fresh from their tables ! http://www.meltingpot.com
Now the recent wave of snowstorms and the latest hurricane-like whallop
dropped and uprooted a humongous tree in my yard, so the whole yard gets
a makeover. It certainly accerlerated the plans to change the face of our
entire property. We didn't plan on this ! But such is life. We make our
puny little plans and Mother Nature and Father Time give us a backhand
whenever they like. No telling what will be the next reminder of that
fact. Until then:

May the saints protect ye an' sorrow neglect ye
An' bad luck t' the one that doesn't respect ye
An' the top of the morning t' all that belong t' ye
An' long life t' yer honour
That's the end of my song t' ye!

Hope you have a St Patrick's Day to remember !!

I am looking forward to seeing you out on the road !

Sincere best always,
Matthew J Cutillo
www.mattcutillo.com 631.332.1976

May green be the grass you walk on
May blue be the skies above you
May pure be the joys that surround you
May true be the hearts that love you
May your home be bright with cheer
May your cares all disappear
May contentment come your way
And may laughter fill your day
Wishing you always
Walls for the wind
And a roof for the rain
And tea beside the fire
Laughter to cheer you
And those you love near you
And all that your heart might desire

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, POP !

Hello wayfaring life traveler,

Here we are on the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the year and
2009 is closing on us hard. Not that it's a bad thing, but it is definitely
coming to an end quickly and we'll soon be celebrating the end of yet
another year of happiness and tears.

Like Fiddler on the Roof's song "Sunrise, Sunset" best summarizes :

"sunrise sunset, sunrise sunset swiftly fly the years
one season following another laden with happiness and tears"

For one, this day marks the first time my family and I are confronted with
our Pop's Birthday without him. It's an odd feeling to say the least.
11/11/1940 is his date of birth and he had an acute preference for the time 11:11, both am and pm. We miss him all the time and I'm sure I speak
for the crowd when I say we feel incomplete without him around.

There are many things to be sad about and so many things to be happy
about in any given lifetime that upon introspection and further inspection
worry and sorrow seem pretty senseless. Life appears to be a journey, a
path on which we are finding our way, sometimes a struggle, sometimes a
pleasure. Like the story of the man with the son who grew up and
became a man. The father was proud of his beautiful son. His son
recieved news he was going off to war. His father was sad. Then his
son broke his leg horseback riding and couldn't go to war. The father was
happy. Then the old man's wife suddenly fell ill and died. The man was
very deeply saddened and grief-stricken. A younger lady came along and
took to caring for the man and he was happier again. This story goes on
ad infinitum and never ends so you get the point. There is no point.
Or isn't there ?

Reality is what the perceiver deems it and dreams it to be. At any given
time you can be, do or have whatever it is that you want to. Just say it
and you are that. No matter what you make or do you will have plentiful
opportunities for both joy and pain. What you repeatedly declare is what
you become and are swiftly surrounded by. James Allen's "As a man
Thinketh" says it best, I thinketh. That brings memories of the lisp that
Miss Sepe, Speech Teacher at Unqua School tried to help me out with,
but that's a story for another day. Allen postulated :

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

Am I just stealing this from him ? Well I guess, or rather borrowing, but
Allen himself took this quote directly from the book of Proverbs chapter
27 verse 3 of the King James Bible. The lyrics to the song "Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts" by Funkadelic are based on said concept, as
well :

"Mind is the Master power that moulds and makes,
And Man is Mind, and evermore he takes
The tool of Thought, and, shaping what he wills,
Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills: —
He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass:
Environment is but his looking-glass"

This type of stuff gets me all fired up and excited. The possibilities really
are endless unless believed otherwise by an individual. Some who have
received my newsletter in the past have responded :

WHO ARE YOU ?

I love that question. It's straight, to the point and bears some contempt.
I used to give a long answer saying all kinds of things like I am a musician,
a singer/songwriter, blah blah, but now I just send back my name. The
truth is I am who I say I am and even that changes from year to year.
In 1985 I was bassist of Crossfire, a heavy metal cover band from my little
neighborhood in Massapequa. In 1987 I was a Catholic School Kid at
St Anthony's in South Huntington, NY. In 2000 I was lead guitarist / vocalist
of Germany's Rex Richter Quintett and Mettwurst, Guitarist / Vocalist of
the fun powerpop band the "Gebrueder Wurst". These days I am a
husband and proud father of one exceptional, very beautiful child. I am a
squirrel trying to get a nut in this world. Like you, I carry my past and
present around like a suitcase doing the absolute best I can with it on a
given day to ensure a better tomorrow for myself and mine.

Musically, I am a soloist. Guitarist / Vocalist.

I work all week long maintaining a huge repertoire and learning and
repetitively practicing requests for all kinds of events people have me
provide musical accompaniment for. In the foreground remains a
yearning to understand more about life. I have been writing songs and
then shelving them for the events I do, promising myself and every person
interested in my material I will some day record and perfrom my own
material again, but for now I am focusing on the excellence of my services
as a soloist for hire. Classical, Pop, Rock, 80's New Wave, Easy Listening,
Lite, standards and classics are my current world, musically speaking.
I have extensively delved into creating lush instrumentals out of songs that
usually have lyrics - playing melody and rhythm simultaneously making classical-sounding versions of hit songs like The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love", G'nR's "Sweet Child O' Mine" and Modern English's "I Melt With You". I have recently recorded some new live solo demo material of the neo / classical and pop genres at Ultimate Sax and Sound Studios in Oceanside. Chris "Crispy Chicken" Laybourne, like me also from Massapequa, NY, again
manned the mixer as with my 2006 album Matt Cutillo "Death of a
Musician" and, as always, his work with my music brings through an
unprecedented beauty and shine. The quality of his equipment and the
length of his over 25 year resume' can not be easily topped. The
ambience of his rooms and perfectionism of his ear and work-etiquette
are not possible to compensate. When observing him, one quickly notices
he loves his work and that always shows through in the resulting sounds

Some of these live takes can now be heard at :
http://gigmasters.com/music/matthewcutillo
Thank you for your hard work and dedication, Mr. Laybourne.

Before I forget to mention the informational part about my whereabouts,
plans and performances - I'd like to mention the fact that besides playing
plentiful private celebrations, I'll be playing consistently weekly all through
the Winter at The Melting Pot Restaurant http://www.meltingpot.com/location.aspx?q=87 in Atlantic City, NJ for their "Three Olives Thursdays" .

I will be doing a weekly 4 hour acoustic solo performance to accompany
their over 30 $5 Martinis starting December 3rd. On November 19th I am
kicking off their Girls Night Out offering a pre-sampling of the Thursdays to
come at this classy and fine location.

Long Island Restaurants, such as :

On Three Restaurant http://on3newyork.com/ in Glen Head, Long Island have me appearing November 11, 25 and December 9th from 7-10pm strumming and fingerpicking away as they serve fantastic New American Cuisine in their original, romantic setting.

On December 19th I'll be "back home" playing a mix of originals & covers at the Massapequas' latest and greatest Massapequa Perk Cafe' ( located across from Massapequa Park Train Station ) where an astoundingly diverse melange of the most delicious coffees from all around the world and mouth-watering pastries are served up in a grand style starting at 7:30pm.

On December 26th I will do my annual Kwanza performance at The Spoon Coffeehouse & Eatery : http://www.myspace.com/spooncoffeehouse in Lindenhurst, NY starting also at 7:30pm. Come hungry and thirsty because as well as wine and beer, this 2007 News 12 Long Island #1 rated coffeehouse makes some of the most delicious homemade pizzas, salads and deserts you can imagine.

Time seems to be ever-accelerating into the holiday season so take out
the time to enjoy life and spread the love. If any of these thoughts
inspire you please let me know how as I'm always looking to learn
something new and gain new perspective. In the latest words from my
nearly 2 year old daughter : "Have a blessed day!"

HAPPY 69th BIRTHDAY POPPY

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely always,
Matthew J Cutillo
Amityville, NY
631.332.1976
www.mattcutillo.com www.gigmasters.com/music/matthewcutillo

Hello people !

It's been more than 2 months since my last newsletter and alot has changed since . Have you noticed that the time seems to pass faster and faster, too ? Here we are at the end of a sweltering August - sultry , steamy weather to keep us sweating - sometimes it seems like it will never end - until it does and then we'll miss these days . Somewhat of a conundrum.

co·nun·drum - n.
1. riddle in which a fanciful question is answered by a pun
2. paradoxical, insoluble, or difficult problem; a dilemma

Like our lives together and apart . We hear stories all the time about triumphs and tragedies , wins and losses . Someone always knows someone who ... we all have a cross to bear ; somehow no one is exempt and I reckon this is why it is so important to live , laugh and love . That's just the kind of guy I am , I search for deeper meaning in it all , I can't be satisfied with the outer facade face value . There's always been and always will be more beneath the surface ... my Pops always said :
" the more you look , the more you find " and it rings so true .

In the line of work I am in today I see alot of happiness - entertaining at Weddings, Celebrations , events of joy and good cheer , which is part of the reason I love what I do . At work I get to see new marriages born - children and family to follow , the parents of the newly-wedded couple looking on so proudly as their kids get hitched , it's really beautiful . Bittersweet . It's a privilege to be the observer of these budding lives and people's tomorrows taking shape on parade for all to see . At Anniversaries and Birthdays one can never really even begin to imagine the things that brought the celebrant(s) to where they are . There's alot more to it than meets the eye . Greater forces are at work , ones we'll never understand .

I have also signed on for some Fall public appearances at Soundview Restaurant on Glen Cove Golf Course in Glen Cove , LI offering ambient background music for finest dining and spectacular view over the Long Island Sound . The venue is warm and classy and the crowd is all ages . I will be appearing there :

September 4, 11 , October 9 , 23 , 30 and November 6
all from 6 - 10pm outdoors weather permitting ...

I started writing this newsletter last week during the HOT spell of weather and now it's a rainy weekend - the temperature has dropped considerably and here we are in a transitional phase . Everything is always changing - like us - this is all just a segue to the next passing moment . Every moment is ending and the clock keeps ticking . It could seem saddening, like the way I watch my daughter grow and don't see her nearly enough sometimes for days , then she's talking more and more , learning to draw and knows a name for everything under the sun . She's a testament to the expansiveness of all things natural . What an amazing person and so fragile, so delicate and so wonderful . Away on vacation this week she learned to pout - like Arnold Jackson from " Diff'rent Strokes " as if to say : "Whashu talking 'bout Willis ? " Priceless.


This season shall too pass and we will find ourselves confronted with yet another , ad infinitum. Will we focus on good things today ? They are the only things that put marrow in our bones and blood through our veins .

I am so grateful for the recent experiences I have had with my all-star clientelle at all events, including the Weddings , chronologically -

Arjun & Reya , Christine & Josh , Marcelo & Nicole
Dave & Leanne , Jay & Christina , Alex & Becky
Mike & Barbara , Matt & Abby


Each one has touched my soul in an ever more original way , thus altering my life along the way . I find myself asking , is this the right profession for me ? Am I up to this challenge ? And after hearing the couples' & families' reactions I guess I am , but I find myself a bit taken by the magnitude of the ceremony itself and what it means to everyone . I want to be 110% sure of their selections and play my fingers to the bone for weeks leading up to the event , often months .

It was unforgettable playing for a great & grateful audience at
Roger & Elaine's incredible, meticulously-planned 30th Wedding Anniversary as well as at a refined, vivacious Latina named Betsy's 75th Birthday recently both in Staten Island, as well as a simply awesome 50th Wedding Anniversary in Commack ( where unbeknownced to all parties the client was my sister's inlaws and we were all dumbfounded when they all arrived !! ) I have seen meaningful expressions of celebration for long lives of hard work and dedication .

Lou & Dolly with 50 years of Love & Devotion

Can you put a price on any of this ? Can I sufficiently express gratitude to these folks for having me play their music for them ? I try hard, always wishing I could do more , so I just show them my thanks with professionalism : an early start and a non-stop musical offering for longer than I'm booked without taking breaks or disappearing .

Just this week I had the last second honor of doing a
singing telegram for beloved wife Tecora from Dante
( rapper Mos Def ) just to say " You're the One "
( their song by the Black Keys ) . I learned it in 10
minutes , and sung it all the way to the recipient's
address through mad traffic to a sweet success
and a surprised sweetheart ...


Bottom line is every Event I get to play is an honor - a huge one - every Celebration is a positive event , sacred in some way ; that's the light I see it in which provides me with the ability to perform .

Thank you for your kindness and support along the way , I read all the emails I get and answer each one personally , though that may sometimes take a couple of days depending on the volume of responses .

Keep letting your light shine .

Respectfully Always ,
Matthew J Cutillo
Amityville, NY
631.332.1976
www.mattcutillo.com www.gigmasters.com/music/matthewcutillo

Just became available: THE PENGUIN PRESS:
Interview with Matt Cutillo from Nov 26, 2008
By Anthony Conklin

Matt Cutillo enjoys making Carman Road students happy with his music.

Matt told us that he taught himself how to play guitar and can now play over 1,000 songs. He has written over 200 of his own songs and also plays drums, bass and keyboards.

Matt's all time favorite song is the Coasters' Charlie Brown because Charlie does funny and silly things just as Matt likes to do.

Matt likes to play music and doing good things for others makes him feel good.

We wish Matt the best in his singing career and hope he returns to Carman Road School soon.

- Thanks so much to Anthony, Pam, Joanne H and all Carman Road School staff / pupils !!

Our dad may have passed away Wednsday, June 3, 2009 but he is far from forgotten. He leaves behind an unforgettable, unfading legacy of hard work and matchless integrity. Anyone who knew the man knows what a great father, brother, husband, sailor, framer and friend he truly was. If you knew the man, you know what I mean. His fight was a bitter one at the end and though our hearts still pain for our loss of our patriarch, I am sure the whole family and all our friends are relieved he need no longer suffer.

John Sr, or Pop as many people knew him was always either working, sleeping, or eating as long as I can remember. He was well known for his zest for life and an avid catamaran sailor. He could eat as much as 5 adults and wasn't shy to show it off. He could work like a 25 year old at 55, only difference is he didn't whine about it. Poppy was a loving and beloved grandad with 9 grandkids from his 4 children.

Last Valentine's Day our family was saddened with the news about our Pop's diagnosis. We all were sure if anyone could beat it, he could. We were also reminded of the grim reality by doctors and the loss of his brother William and father Daniel to the same adversary. In spite of this, Pop fought his fight with uncommon valor, keeping his chin up and not really telling anyone what kinds of rough times he was having. This is the way one expects he always lived, sparing others the sad information and joking alot.

If you so choose you can make a tangible difference in the fight against Pancreatic Cancer by making a donation, small or large to the:

Lustgarden Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research
1111 Stewart Ave, Bethpage, NY 11714

*Please write in memory of John D Cutillo in check memo*

They are on the net at http://www.lustgarten.org/
On behalf of the Cutillo family, many thanks to all those near & dear & far & missed for their continued support. Thanks for reading and I hope you are well and thriving !!
Yours sincerely,
Matthew J Cutillo
631.332.1976
www.mattcutillo.com

Booking dates sure are filling fast!

Please see calendar and book now or view http://www.gigmasters.com/music/matthewcutillo for exact calendar stats.

Please remember I can play up to 4 gigs in one day depending on the time / duration / location so
please let me know your date and book it ASAP.

Thanks,
Matthew

Please rate & comment !!

Please don't forget to give it 5 stars and leave a positive comment ! THANKS -

I'm back posting videos - new collage type stuff to new recordings, covers up til now for marketing purposes. Keep your eyes peeled and SUBSCRIBE to www.youtube.com/matthewcutillo
See you around! MC xoxo

Wishing you a Happy, Healthy, $UCCE$$ful
and Peaceful New Year.

May all your Dreams come true...

Yours sincerely
Matthew

This week I was privileged to play at the BOCES Nassau School on Carmans Rd in Massapequa. This is a school which facilitates for the handicapped kids around town. I was referred to play here by an angelic old friend Joanne H from Grover Dr W also from Massapequa. Now, people had told me to "be prepared" and such things frightened me a bit, so I "prepared myself" but nothing could have prepared me properly for the happiness this experience would bring those kids - but forget them ;-) this was one of the coolest gigs yet for ME. Over 200 people in a GP Room with a theater type stage, mostly kids in wheelchairs in every possible situation you could imagine from wearing headgear and silent/still to shaking, singing, bopping and everythingin between! As I had always done in Nursing Homes before, I playedwith no setlist strolling through the audience and 'felt out the mood'and we went from Somewhere over the Rainbow to Bye Bye Miss American Pie for around 50 minutes, the kids putting hands on the acousticguitar to feel vibration and get their hands on the experience... Reason I inform you of this is not that I feel like a hero nor do I want a medal or a monument; I was told I helped those kids (I was repeatedly thanked by the real heros - the school administrators), but THE KIDS HELPED ME MUCH MORE THAT DAY. Their innocence and beauty was not scary in any way. Yes, no one wants to be in a wheelchair, orhave a child born as such, but look around in the world today. "Normal" people act "retarded" and the handicapped are very beautiful, special servants in society if they are given a chance to work their magic, they are much better off than the rest of "us". WE ARE ALL RETARDED, SOME OF US MORE THAN OTHERS !!! Just look around...

I am thankful to Joanne for giving me the chance to meet those kids and I am looking forward to going back for a repeat performance this Wednesday at 1pm. What are you thankful for today ?

I'd love to know if you'd like to share it with me !

I also am encouraging random acts of kindness with this mail, maybe someone you know needs a hug or a visit, or just a call.
Tell someone you love 'em. Tell two.

Be well and Happy Harvest Matthew
www.mattcutillo.com 631.332.1976

Thanks again and again to Darryl D. in Lewes, DE - now after a three day tour from 10/17-19 I'm pooped and still practicing : Friday afternoon I played a picturesque Norsk wedding at the Norwegian Seamen's Church NYC, then an exceptionally cool annual fest Saturday night at the DDD Woodworking Shoppe in Lewes, DE and lastly on Sunday I had the honor of rocking a truly super Fall Fest 2008 at Deerkill Day Camp in Suffern, NY all the live-long day - I was very impressed and pleased with an awesome all-star clientelle worth remembering... now I'm going on a little vacation to enjoy Big Eric & Allyson's wedding in Northern CA - still telephone and email available...now, go sign the guestbook!!! Thanks SO much to you for stopping by and to those clients and ALL their audience members for making my work fun and easy, their bookings and well-thought out and hard-earned client feedback !!! Matthew xoxo

I am now advertising in www.danshamptons.com - there are a few big adverts of mine over there. Check it out...

Here comes the Fall! See www.gigmasters.com/music/matthewcutillo for updated presskit, setlist, photos...

Check the calendar for openings and have me as your unique live entertainment touch for that special event...

Best
MC xoxox

A very intense Summer season is winding down and I would like to once again THANK ALL of YOU who continue to support my mission to music! This year has seen hundreds of new covers, a triple album 38 song demo recorded + demos of 2 more albums on the way...
The gigs have been truly fantastic and my clientelle has been stellar! Please keep your input coming, I am so thankful to all my fans, foes, friends and family for your gracious words & generosity of spirit. The remaining Summer shows will be no less focused on than previously and I can not wait to come out your way to sing and play for you...
Please call on me anytime!
Yours truly
Matthew