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Matthew Shell

Matthew Shell is a versatile music producer, audio engineer, and multi-instrumentalist specializing in the genres of rock, R&B, pop, soul, and jazz.

About Me

Shell's production, mixing, and engineering credits include working with multiple platinum selling artists, Grammy winners, and nominees. Matthew's work on his own jazz albums and for various artists have been featured over 80 times on TV, radio and in press articles, including the Billboard Top 10 charts, GRAMMY.com, FOX 5 News DC, AllAboutJazz.com, WPGC 95.5, WTOP News, WPFW 89.3, Trish Hennessey's Hybrid Jazz Radio, The Tony Kornheiser Show, and on The Maggie Linton Show on Sirius XM.

Shell’s work on the production for Marcus Johnson’s album “Flo: Chill” reached #7 on Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Chart in 2009. Later in 2009, Shell's work as engineer on O.A.R.’s album “Rain or Shine” reached #5 on the Independent Albums Chart and #7 on the US Alternative Albums Chart. In 2011, Shell's work on Grammy Nominee Carolyn Malachi’s “Beautiful Dreamer” was featured on FOX 5 DC Morning News.

In 2012, Shell's album “Freedom”, his collaboration with Trey Eley was launched by the Recording Academy via a Worldwide Exclusive First Listen at GRAMMY.com in 2012.

​​In 2013, Shell collaborated with GRAMMY nominated Arun Shenoy on “Genesis”, a jazz instrumental that became the lead single on the full length album, “Victorious”. The video for “Genesis” was released via Steven Slate's YouTube channel, SlateTV, in a cross-promotion for the Raven MTX control surface.

In 2015, Shell released the album “Spiritual Relationship: The Deeper Meaning” that saw media coverage from Sirius XM's Maggie Linton, WPFW 89.3 FM's Keanna Faircloth, WPGC 95.5's DJ Flexx, Hybrid Jazz Radio's Trish Hennessey, and more, thanks to the lead single “My Baby” which Shell produced and co-wrote as a gift for his wife. The music on the album was conceived by Shell over a period of 15 years. During this process, over 200 songs were created and scratched before this final version of 11 songs were picked to be recorded and released as part of this project. Shell’s wife, Terra, inspired the completion of this concept album which goes from two destined souls being alone, to meeting, to growing in love, to protecting each other, to finding true love that lasts a lifetime.

​In 2017, Shell released an hour-long jazz opus titled “First Light”. This complex arrangement features 17 key changes and 20 tempo changes. It was created by Shell in a single twelve hour session, and has been brought to life on the recording by Vahagn Stepanyan on the piano and upright bass, Kenny Wesley on vocals, Kenny Darby on keys, Curtis McCain on percussion, Nicolas Laget on flute and sax, Yoed Nir on cello, and Shell himself on guitar.

In 2018, Shell's team co-wrote and produced 13 year old artist Drew Olivia Tillman's first single ”Places” and produced the music video. With this song's growing success, Drew and her family met with record label executives, moved to Los Angeles, CA, and Drew has been featured on Netflix's ”Roxanne Roxanne” and on NBC's #1 hit show “This Is Us”.

2019 marks the release of multiple jazz singles by Shell and Arun Shenoy in the group The Groove Project. Their first release “Pilot” is off to a strong start, with growing radio play and blog exposure.

Over the years, Shell has produced for several other artists including Kenny Wesley, Gerald Albright, Marcus Johnson, Greg Adams, Paul Jackson Jr. (GRAMMY winner), Wouter Kellerman (GRAMMY winner), Rocio Marron (GRAMMY winner), Vicu Schek, Lana Lubany, Kenny McNeil, Collin Brooks, Substantial, Sydni Alexander, Jake Elmendorf, Gabby Pisani, Tiffany Alvord, Lana Lubany, Gabby Nguyen, Jeyhan Turker, Kathy Sanborn, Rafael the Drummer, D2D, Kolten Perine, Javier Starks, and Trey Eley, among others. As a freelance audio production engineer, Shell has engineered for O.A.R., remixed for Selena Gomez, assistant engineered for Philip Lawrence (GRAMMY winner with Bruno Mars), and mixed for Free, Jeff Lorber, Marcus Mitchell, and Ricky Kej (GRAMMY winner), among others.

​Shell is currently based in Rockville, MD, as the CEO of MTS Music Productions, a publishing house and production company founded on integrity with the goal to provide the highest quality services and products. To learn more, visit http://MTSmusic.net

My Jazz Story

I love jazz because... I was first exposed to jazz... I met [musician name]... The best show I ever attended was... The first jazz record I bought was... My advice to new listeners... Or whatever else you have in mind.

My House Concert Story

My favorite person to perform jazz guitar at their house party is my friend Juana. She always has great friends, and I end up chatting with everyone while I play. It makes for a fun and informal performance.