Spotlight on Matt Fink, Another Link to the Salute to Bob Dylan

Musicians come in all shapes and forms. There’s the grass roots style of down-home, and there the full production Hollywood style. Matt Fink is from the latter school, cutting his teeth as Dr. Fink, a keyboardist, record producer and songwriter. His involvements as a member of Prince’s backing band The Revolution gained him a Grammy for the album Purple Rain, a record that has sold over 18 million copies since its release.

After a dozen years with Prince he continued to perform in with a number of groups producing jazz fusion and other sounds. In 2001 he released an album called Ultrasound. Today Matt Fink owns and operates StarVu Studio and is one of more than two dozen musicians who will be performing in mid-May at the Sacred Heart Music Center in a show titled A Salute to the Music of Bob Dylan. Based on history, his modus operandi and the photos he sent me Matt Fink is a character and will add another dimension to an already exciting show.

EN: When did you first take an interest in music as a career?

Matt Fink: I was around 12 years old when first taking an interest in a career in the music business. I was playing in my first band at that time and as soon as we got paid for our first gig playing at one of our friends' Bat Mitzvahs I knew that I wanted to be a professional musician.

EN: Who have been your biggest influences or mentors in the music scene?

MF: I studied jazz and classical piano with 5 different teachers while growing up in St. Louis Park MN and one of my favorites was Tom Weeklund who was Herb Wigley's partner, both of whom I thought were the best in Minneapolis at the time. I was also influenced by many of the great pop and jazz artists from the 1940's, 50's, 60's and 70's. Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Nat King Cole, Sinatra, The British Invasion, ie; Beatles, Stones, The Who. Dylan of course. The jazz fusion artists like Herbie Hancock, George Duke, Chick Corea, Joe Zawinul and Steely Dan. Billy Joel, Elton John, and prog rock groups like Yes, Genesis, Emerson Lake and Palmer. There are too many to mention. Many of those were introduced to me by my parents who were avid listeners of most genres of music. Both of them had also majored in theatre arts at the U of M and were highly active in theatre productions around the Twin Cities. Musical theatre was also a big influence on me as well and I performed in plays growing up thanks to my parents.

EN: How did you first come to take an interest in the music of Bob Dylan?

MF: My first interest in Dylan emerged because I was hearing his music on the radio and found it to be very compelling.

EN: Do you have any especially favorite Dylan songs?

MF: Blowin' in the Wind, Tamborine Man, Like a Rolling Stone to name a few. Again, too many to list here.

EN: What instruments do you play and what is that white keyboard called in your FB backdrop foto?

MF: I am primarily a keyboardist. I also play and program drums in the studio. The picture of the white keyboard on my FB page is an Alesis Vortex Keytar midi controller that my son Maxwell was playing at a program at his high school last year. It has no sounds on board and is used to trigger other synthesizers nearby.

EdNote: This blog entry and others like it have the aim of raising awareness for the upcoming Salute to the Music of Bob Dylan concert which will kick off the 2014 North Country Dylan Celebration in Duluth and Hibbing. Sacred Heart Music Center, May 17, 2014. For tickets to this great event visit dulutharmory.org/events.

If you wish to help, visit the Salute Facebook page and share with your friends by clicking the Invite button. 

A Salute to the Music of Bob Dylan is a presentation of the Armory Arts and Music Center and Magic Marc Productions.

For more information on Dr. Fink visit doctorfink.com .