Matt Konfirst: News

Never start a preposition with a sentence.

Are you reading this?

Ja, das soll ein Witz sein. Alles klar?

Some of you have heard rumors that I've made the leap into vegetarian mode. It's simply not true. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against vegetarians. I think it's a wonderful thing if you have the discipline to follow that lifestyle. However, I am a carnivore and plan on staying that way for some time. After all, a pork chop is not a cigarette!

From September of this year to July 2009, I'll be in a small German town on the coast of the North Sea called Bremerhaven. The US State Department has decided to support my interest in climate change by granting me a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue my own research during the upcoming year. More details can be found at

http://www.daily-chronicle.com/articles/2008/05/15/news/news02.txt
and

http://www.niu.edu/northerntoday/2008/may12/fulbright.shtml

Many of you know that aside from music I'm also interested in climate change and global warming. I'm currently down in Antarctica working with a project called ANDRILL, which is attemping to understand climate change in the highly sensitive polar regions of our planet. Check out the photos page for images of my stay "on the ice"!

Andrew Bordoni & Friends is in stores now! Check out the "Buy CDs" page for links.

The new CD from Chicago based British guitarist ANDREW BORDINI called simply “Andrew Bordoni & Friends” will be released June 2007.

The entirely instrumental album will feature guest appearances from some of today’s best metal and rock guitarists including:

Michael Angelo Batio
Chris Caffery (Savatage, Doctor Butcher, Trans-Siberian Orchestra)
Kee Marcello (Ex- Europe - K2)
Dave Weiner (Steve Vai Band)
Lars Eric Mattsson
Matt Konfirst (Independent Artist)
Will Scarlett (One of Andrew’s 16 year old students)
Ryan Richko (Independent Artist)

Featuring 12 songs ranging from soft rock to full on metal, anyone who loves guitar will find something they’ll enjoy on this album.

“Andrew Bordoni & Friends” will be released independently and will be available at the following websites:

http://www.andrewbordoni.com http://www.andrewbordoniandfriends.com http://www.cdbaby.com http://www.guitar9.com
The profits of the CD will go into supporting the “Beyond Music - Creative & Interactive Music School” created and founded by ANDREW BORDINI.

I received a call over the weekend about making a guest appearance on the new Andrew Bordoni CD. More news later, but this promises to be an over-the-top guitar extravaganza!

It's finally done! The long awaited follow-up to "An Effigy of Solitude" is available for sale online. The working title for this album was: "A condensed history of western influence on the North American continent from the 15th century to the present and the challenges that precident poses to future generations", however, that title didn't seem very catchy so I shortened it to "War of Righteousness". The title track of this CD contains some of the most emotionally intense lead playing I've ever done. The motivation for the piece was a video clip I saw one day on CNN of an Iraqi mother whose home had been destroyed by an errant US "smart" bomb. At the time of the attack her youngest son was in the house. From that day on, her life was different. Did we win a heart and mind that day Mr. Bush?
The final track "The Edge of Tomorrow" is a challenge I pose to the next generation of the United States (and the free world in general). Where will you take us? Can you lead us to a better place with innovative thinking and high ideals or will you continue to drive nails into the coffin of democracy with outdated technology (gasoline instead of hydrogen fuel?! and why drill for it in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge while we're at it), economic terrorism (against our own country if you consider the case of prescription drugs imported from Canada), and petty name calling (Freedom Fries anyone?) Guest guitarist Andrew Bordoni makes a stunning, shred-style appearance in this track. Other guest artists include Christopher Konfirst (trumpet) and Vreny van Elslande (guitar)on "Majesty". Check out the photo gallery if you're wondering where the inspiration for this track came from. Thanks to all the guest musicians for helping make this an exciting CD to produce.
Overall I was going for a bigger sound on this one with as many sonic colors as I could squeeze onto one CD. As I was recording I kept thinking of vivid color schemes like those found in cartoons. Bright almost unnaturally real colors that are all around us every day if we just take the time to look at them. Know what I mean?

Unexpected delays in the CD manufacturing process are temporarily holding up release of War of Righteouness, so I've decided to put some samples up online to tide everybody over until they can get the full effect!

Hi JT! Hope you're still practicing!

Hello fans, friends, family and former students! Some of you have been asking about the new CD. When is it coming out? Originally it was due out at the beginning of the year, but some new developments have pushed that date back a couple of months. Look for my new CD- War of Righteouness in July. I promise it'll be worth the wait. The guitars are huge and the bass is going to knock you on the ground. At the moment I'm doing a little traveling. Right now I'm in Wyoming near Yellowstone learning a little about the mountains. At some point in the near future I will post pictures of the area. It's beautiful out here.