Sharing his birthday with Fred Astaire, Matt Tolentino was born May 10, 1985. Some say he was born 80 years too late, but he’ll argue this is not the case. He works tirelessly to perform and preserve ragtime, hot jazz, and the roots of swing for today’s modern audience, and has made it his life’s mission to keep this wonderful music going for years to come.
A true multi-instrumentalist, he plays accordion, piano, clarinet, saxophone, banjo, guitar, tuba, and vibraphone. As a vocalist, Matt has been praised for capturing the flavor and spirit of the 1920s and 1930s with sincerity and authenticity.
His ensembles include small combos and multiple large ensembles including Matt Tolentino and his Orchestra and The New Liberty Dance Orchestra – both specializing in the music of 1895 to 1935. Some recent performance highlights include the Transatlantic Ragtime Romp aboard the Queen Mary 2, wherein he took a ten-piece ragtime orchestra on the high seas for seven days of music, song, and dance, as well as featured vocalist with the Maui Pops Orchestra (coming March 2024). He also founded the Jazz Age Sunday Social in his native Dallas, a lawn party centered around the wonderful music of the 1920s.
Matt also works as an archivist – with a collection of over 6,000 band arrangements, hundreds of 78 rpm records, and notable artifacts including Adrian Rollini’s bass saxophone, he has completely dedicated himself to his craft and to the preservation of classic jazz and pop. Matt makes his home in Cincinnati, Ohio, sharing his 1890 Victorian with his wife Danielle,
heir Chihuahua Doo-Dad, a 1952 Kaiser Deluxe and a 1949 Chrysler Windsor. For more information on Matt, his bands, and his music, please visit www.MattTolentino.com. If interested in hearing Matt’s fantastic music in your home, car, or office, please consider purchasing his CDs. www.MattTolentino.com/buy-CDs