Jumping Matt & His Combo - Forward album release

Mátyás Pribojszki, otherwise known as Jumping Matt, is one of Hungary’s – and Europe’s – best-known harmonica players, singers and songwriters, having toured Europe both as a solo artist and with various groups and remaining one of the most active performers in the Hungarian concert scene as well. He first emerged in the ’90s as a member of the Blues Fools, then later attained prominence in the Hungarian blues scene with his own band, Jumping Matt & His Combo. After a six-year hiatus, he and his band will now present their new album, Forward, at the House of Music Hungary.

It would be difficult to classify Pribojszki’s unique musical style under a specific genre: essentially it is fun, atmospheric, positive, high-quality live music full of improvisation and blues, swing, boogie-woogie and rock and roll elements, all carefully tinged with soul, jazzy and funk moods. A fixture of the Hungarian and international music scene for more than 30 years, he has released 16 LPs and several DVDs with his various line-ups, as well as numerous educational materials, live music videos and official promotional video clips. His 2007 LP How many more? went gold, and the band went on to receive the Budapest Fringe Festival’s Special Award (in 2007) and Professional Award (in 2009). In addition to making numerous successful appearances both in Hungary and abroad, in 1997, Pribojszki received the top rating at the World Harmonica Championship in Germany, which is one of the highest possible international recognitions awarded by a professional jury made up of the world’s finest masters of the instrument, and, 12 years later in October 2009, he himself was invited to serve as a jury member and performing artist at the Trossingen World Harmonica Championship. Since 2009, he has served as the official endorser and international ambassador of the German harmonica manufacturer HOHNER. More than a few times, Pribojszki and his band have been invited as a guest or backing band at international festivals, including opening for former Rolling Stones member Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings, Vaya Con Dios, John Cleary, Ruthie Foster and, most recently, legendary international icon Tom Jones, who, along with his band and the crowd, enjoyed their performance so much that he invited Pribojszki to jam with them, a great honour that had never been bestowed on anyone on previous Tom Jones tours.

With their latest album, Dressed Up, they have once again managed to attract the attention of the international music press, receiving interview requests from media outlets ranging from BBC2 to Blues Blast Magazine, with many positive reviews of the album appearing in both European and American periodicals. Two Jumping Matt & His Combo LPs – My Stories (2016) and Dressed Up (2018) – made it onto the Top 200 Blues Albums of the Past 20 Years list published in 2020 by the American-based Blues Junction Productions.