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Please join us Friday, November 20, 2026 at 7:30pm for the next Jazz Sanctuary concert featuring the music and extraordinary talent of Matt Greenwood, a highly inventive, genre-blurring contemporary jazz guitarist and composer representing the vanguard of the modern Boston jazz scene.
Born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwe, before spending six years refining his craft in Toronto, Greenwood holds a Master’s degree from the prestigious Berklee Global Jazz Institute. His musical voice is defined by a deeply cinematic, atmospheric aesthetic that masterfully bridges the gap between intense jazz improvisation, traditional African rhythms, and modern production textures.
For this concert, Matt will be joined by tenor saxophonist Gregory Groover Jr. and bassist Max Ridley. Together, they will explore Greenwood’s original music shaped by his years in Zimbabwe, Canada, and the US. Blending delicate compositions, cinematic soundscapes, improvisation, and echoes of Zimbabwean musical traditions, the trio brings together a range of influences that is both grounded and exploratory.
With melody as the guiding star, guitarist and composer, Matt Greenwood, creates cinematic musical landscapes where composition and improvisation intersect. Having first lived in Zimbabwe and then in Canada and now the United States, Matt’s music is inherently nomadic, and pushes against the confines of genre and geography. Matt has had an extensive career as a sideman, working with legendary Zimbabwean artists including Oliver Mtukudzi, Gemma Griffiths and Forward Kwenda as well some of Canada’s most acclaimed jazz musicians such as Robi Botos, Brian Dickinson and Mike Downes. Matt’s debut album ‘Atlas’ was released in January 2023, receiving critical acclaim from Downbeat Magazine, The WholeNote and countless other publications and he has just released his follow up album, ‘Daybreak’.
Praised by saxophonist Walter Smith III as a “thematic musician” who leads with heart, energy, and direction, Gregory Groover music is rich with narrative and spiritual depth. Rooted in the lineage of jazz while boldly pushing its boundaries, his artistry seamlessly bridges tradition and innovation. Pianist Kevin Harris, is known for his deeply interactive, exploratory performances that blend tradition with contemporary expression, drawing on Black Gospel and Afro-Caribbean influences. A sought-after collaborator and international performer, Harris brings a profound sense of conversation, curiosity, and play to his musical performances.
Max Ridley is a Boston-based musician, composer and teacher has shared the stage with renowned jazz musicians, Kenny Werner, Ingrid Jensen, Bob Mover, Jason Palmer, George Garzone, Terri Lyne Carrington, Ra-Kalam Bob Moses and Perico Sambeat. He has performed in venues such as the Blue Note, Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center and the Umbria Jazz Festival. He has toured domestically and internationally and has also spent some time living in Valencia, Spain and considers it his second home as well as the other artistic community to which he belongs. Today, he is active in the musical community as sideman, leader and co-leader of groups in and around Boston.
Admission is “pay what you can,” eliminating financial barriers to ensure that our concerts remain open and accessible to all members of the community. Jazz Sanctuary is a community-driven cultural initiative that transforms a historic sacred space into a vibrant hub for live music, art, and human connection in the heart of Brookline. Audience contributions support the performing artists and United Parish’s magnificent sacred space as a haven for live music, community gatherings, and worship.
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“Jazz has exemplified all that is most admirable about the country that created it – freedom, inclusiveness, individualism and a willingness to sacrifice one’s own interests for the greater good.” – Duke Ellington