Matt Zarb: News

Izaac Zarb is one of my nephews and a very amazing young fellow..He can make his eyes do funny stuff and knows alot about science and has invented his very own space ship that he flies over Krambach.You will see the lights if you be patient. He is a member of the local "Wombat Racing Club" along with his brother James Zarb who licked a chickens eyeball to pass initiation into the club.He is a real nice kid and lives on a farm wtih his other brothers and one sister Zoe Zarb..The others are Oliver Zarb, Alexander Zarb, Ryan Zarb,Caleb Zarb, Gabriel Zarb...
So my nephew Izaac is one lucky young fella.. We all love him alot!!!

I want to start a line about a man I am sorry has passed this life but am very happy that I knew him and got to play lots of music with him...His name is Rick Cecil...I first met Rick in Bardstown Kentucky when Pauly took me there and introduced me...I took an instant like to this man and his befuddled amazing mind and incredible musical talent. I loved his bass playing as I did his funny dry professor sence of humour.
Always dreaming about the cosmos and getting you backstage just before you went on to tell you that Jupiter was having a windstorm that night at 3am or something to that effect. Always cracked me up..I named him FESS!!!!
He could stink out any hotel room and laugh at everyone running but we all loved him and still do...He was such a great bassist and rarely missed a note.
I was litening to the tracks on my myspace and listening to him play and was remembering some fantastic moments with that man.There's been alot happen since I met him and since he passed.

I have posted a great song on my website from the 'Chameleon" recording that we did in Kentucky.
I have not let it be downloaded as I do not own the song and its not my right to do that...
However when you listen to it imagine this crazy Hippy man that could write such a tune!!! Its called
"FOUR STAGES"

He has two school age girls Beth and Emily and I know they would miss there Daddy. I am proud to have known the man and shared a stage with him. I want everyone who reads this to take a listen to this song and think about my old mate Fess!!!
He would love to know his song got a good listen!!! He was a great song writer. As you know I generally only record songs I have written but every now and then along comes a song you just gotta do...Thankyou FESS!!!

I will add some funny road Fess stories soon!!!
Peace!!!
Hope you like his song!!!
TAKE THE BLUE MYSPACE LINK FROM THE FRONT PAGE!!!!

Hey all...
Just a note to say HI!!!
I have not put much in here recently because I have been wide open busy playing music and staying creative on the island..

The new project
"If I were a Swagman" is shaping up to be my favorite recording to date in that it's falling together so easily and the production with Nick Dallas /Producer at the helm is fantastic..

I am so looking forward to getting out on the road next year and will be touring most of next year with the new CD and book....

OH!! the book!!!

I get alot of emails about when this book will be out..Its been an amazing thing to write so far as it puts the puzzle of my life a bit clearer in my head...We all got a puzzle to work out!!!
The story will tell the tale of a wore out old Maton the songs that went down on it and the marraiges and the crazy stories on the road that have shaped who I am...The huge stages, the tiny stinky back bars, the struggles to pay the rent and keep going your craft...It's a colourful story but I have been sure to keep it real and honest...Messed up stuff but true life stuff that we all have to deal with in different ways.

But all in all thankyou all for all the kind emails and comments on my guest book.I love to play music as you all know and appreciate all your ears...
I am sorry to all the people if I havent answered your mail but bit bit I get to them all but I really appreciate the support..

If anybody is going to the "Tamworth Country Music Festival" next January I will see you there...As soon as the dates and venues are confimrmed I will put them up on the calender...

I am very happy and well and playing loads of guitar and love living back here on this island...If you get a wild hair and think you may wish to come for a visit there is a link from the calender page to the island where you can take a virtual tour or just check out some pics on my photo's page and you will get an idea of where I am living...

ONE MORE THING!!!!!!

Independance is really important to me and I must thank the company VOYAGES for thier constant support of my music in that they support all the recording happening here and the players that are playing on the project..

So with that everyone hope all is well...
Peace love and the happiest tune to all...

Matt

Hello everyone....
Life is a crazy journey as we all know. As some of you will know as you get older you look back at your life like chapters.There are the good and bad times of course but every door leads to the next. My life has been so far an incredible road to say the least.As I have let you all know I have been writing a book about how I have worn my old Maton out and where all these songs came from. I never understood much about songwriting except that my childhood favorite singer/songwriter John Denver used to say he would reach up high and pick one down from the universe..
It amazed me back then but amazes me more now in that my songs are living proof of that to me.

As many would know now I living back here permanently in Austrlalia.
I am well and happy and playing lots and lots of guitar and writing and painting and recording and I am happy about that.

I learned alot living in Kentucky and have countless stories of kindness shown to me by people all over the United States. I certainly came back with alot of amazing stories and experience. I learned alot about my instrument and life in general. I am glad to be home though as I am Australian and I love Australia. Our multicultural melting pot is where I want to be...I love to be able to be where you know you are on your own..I love this Brampton Island for that in that I can walk all day and not see a soul, human that is...Its been really good for me to be off the road and living here.
I look forward to when all this new CD is finished and I get back out on the road again in the Australian festival scene.
I am happy parked up here though until all is done and I am in no rush at the moment.
I am enjoying the gig here, its like a little festival everynight and the company VOYAGES looks after me very well and I thank them for the support of my craft both here and off the island.
I will just type bits in here as we get along but know that I do thank all the wonderful people who support my music and me.I thankyou for all the kind emails although I do have trouble getting to everything like replying but I eventually get to it all.
Its great being independant but you gotta do your homework so to speak.
To be continued!!!

Peace love and a happy tune to you all...

Matt

to be continued.......

On the 28th of March I will be recording a new live CD.
With the help of my old mate guitarist/producer extraordinair Nick Dallas we will record a live show here on Brampton Island.I am so looking forward to getting this one down as it has been a long time coming.It will feature alot of my old favorite songs lost in discontinued recordings and alot of new songs unreleased. I have been really enjoying the new songs I have writtien of late and cant wait to press the red button!!!
I am also writing an autobiography which I will be out this year..Its an honest warts and all look at my life and the songs that have come from my experiences heartaches and triumphs. I look forward to this being finished..I think Everyone should write a book about what they did in thier life good and bad...Puts heaps of things in context and gives you a good look at the bloke in the mirror so to speak..

Would you dance with me darling this evening..
Would you lay your head close to my chest..
We can make space right here in the kitchen..
Cause the memories made here are me best..

I’ll hum you a tune we can dance to..
123 round on the floor..
I remember the first dance I went to..
On a Saturday night in the hall..

I’ll never forget when I saw you..
In your best Sunday dress by the wall..
I thank God for the day that I met you..
So dance with me darling once more..

I can see in your eyes that you’re tired..
But your skins still as smooth as the silk
As the ribbons that tied back your hair dear..
On that Saturday night in the hall..

I hope that you think I’m still handsome..
Though the years have put lines on my face..
But these old feet are still good for dancing..
And waltzing all around this old place..

I’ll give you a daisy a day dear..
I’ll swing you right round on the floor..
And thank God for the first time I kissed you
On that Saturday night in the hall..

I’ll hum you a tune we can dance to..
123 round on the floor..
I thank God for the day that I met you..
On a Saturday night in the hall..
In your best Sunday dress when I kissed you..
On that Saturday night in the hall..

Copyright Matt Zarb March 4, 2008

“If I were a Swagman”


If I were a swagman I’d camp by a billabong under the shade of a coolabah tree
And I’d play my guitar and the critters could sing along we’d sing
You come a waltzing Matilda with me.

If I were a swagman I’d sit by the fire and look at the stars until I would tire
And lay my head down and dream I could see
Dear Rosey Matilda is dancing with me…

If I were a swagman I’d wander away far from the cities and towns I would stray
Far away from the highways and do everything my way and wait for my billy to boil

If were the squatter and the jumbuck were mine, I’d call off the troopers
And be far more kind to the swaggie that wanders alone on the land
But sometimes he just don’t understand
That the swagman that jumped in the old billabong and waltzed his Matilda and sang his own song to the tune of the magpie and old currawong in the shade of a coolabah tree..
He may have been looking at me….

I’m somebody’s daughter and somebody’s son with nowhere to hide and nowhere to run.
In this crazy old world that’s come all undone…
So pack up your swags and come waltzing Matilda with me….

I think of the swagman camped under his tree boiling his billy and drinking his tea.
He whistles the tune to his favorite song and stares in the old billabong.
The water is still and reflecting the sky the grey in his beard and the tear in his eye
For a life thats behind him will always remind him that yesterday’s no place to be.
In the shade of a coolabah tree while you’re boiling your billy of tea..

That waltzing Matilda and singing your song and watching the sky in an old billabong
And chasing a rainbow to dance in the rain to wash away all of the pain..
And the story will always remain of the swagman without a name
You come a waltzing Matilda with me…

Come sit in the shade of a coolabah tree cause yesterday surely is no place to be.
The swagman that sits there just could have been me and there’s none so blind that cannot see that the jumbuck should always be free…
Come dance your Matilda with me…


Copyright Matt Zarb 2008

Hey its good to see you..
I can't believe you're here.
Standing right infront of me, I see you cut your hair.It seems like only yesterday but seven months have passed
Alot has changed but you're still the same
It's good to see you smile.

Give me your bags, lets get out of here
I want to hear you talk and tell me all the things you've done and whats your latest book?

Iv'e got so much to tell you , now where do I begin
I've missed you so girl through everyday, its crazy in my head........

Lets chuck these bags in the hotel room and get on off to bed...
And then we'll get to talking about that book you read.
We'll sing and dance and play guitar and talk about the kids and laugh about that crackshack where we nearly hit the skids...

About that trip to Kansas,Wakeeney KOA..
Six months on an interstate just so we could play.
Then up to Colorado for a drink with Johnny V, then back to old Kentucky to your Momma's home made tea, Makes me crazy in my head.......

Hey dear girl take a look at me, let me take a look at you.
I've missed you so and all we know and all the things we do.Up and down and round and round, we'll laugh more than we cried cause you're standing right infront of me a sight for my sore eyes...

You're my best friend until the end, until the day I die, we'll laugh more than we cried, give me your bags...Lets get out of here, I want to hear you talk and tell me all the things you've done and whats that latest book?

Copyright Matt Zarb
10/10/2007

Just to let you all know particularly any pickers out there that I am now the proud owner of my very own Graham Bird guitar....I am so enjoyning it..I just happened to be up visiting my two brothers Johnny and Anty and their families up in Krambach N.S.W about 20 miles from Grahams and I happened to ring Graham to catch up and he says "Matty your guitar is ready"...Well what could I say it was hard to believe that this man had built me this guitar...I did not know what to expect until I arrived at his home and he took me to this instrument sitting up on the workbench...Its beautiful..then I immediatley picked it up tuned it down to D where I felt like being and played Amazing Grace and Summer Rain and I could not tell you how it felt...This instrument was huge in my ears and I want to thank Graham for the huge support that has been given by him and his family in the gift of this instrument.Being the perfectionist as has sent me out on the road with a monster acoustic guitar. .I am proud to play this instrument and I will continue to tell pickers about it evrywhere I go....In the world of luthiers there are some huge names as we all know but I must say that its a great thing to be able to play an instrument made of such fine Australian timbers and attention to detail...I can't wait to bring it back Kentucky and show it to the great players of the world over there ....Please take a trip to his myspace account through our front page link

Leave him a note if you are a guitar player
Matty