The John Lennon Education Tour Bus

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Berkshire Eagle - Cusson hits the big time

Jenn Smith


PITTSFIELD—It was one of those nights that Matt Cusson will never forget.

The Berkshire County native, who lived in both Pittsfield and Adams and who has been touring as a keyboardist for R&B star Brian McKnight, had no clue what to do when McKnight, his mentor, called him out to the front and center of the Morton Meyerson Symphony Center stage in Dallas, Texas.

“It was just before Brian sings his hit ‘Back at One,’” Cusson said in a phone call late Tuesday night from an airport terminal. “I remember thinking, ‘What is he doing? We have to play “Back at One.”’ And then it happened.”

McKnight presented Cusson a check for $20,000, the coveted Maxell Song of the Year prize from the 12th annual John Lennon Songwriting Contest at the July 8 show. Cusson also earned thousands of dollars worth of music engineering equipment and music services.

“I just lost it,” said Cusson, who was standing not only before thousands of audience members but also contest officials, Maxell President Masaru Kamemoto and Kurt Yanagawa, vice president of sales support; his fellow bandmates; and his mother.

“Matt has an incredible gift,” said McKnight of the 30-year-old musician/songwriter.

Cusson’s success in the international Lennon contest started when his original composition, “One Of Those Nights,” was selected as a grand prize winner in the jazz category. Another song of Cusson’s, “Every Step,” was also one of three finalists in the R&B category. Both songs appear on the artist’s self-titled, self-produced solo album which came out in December.

The song “One of Those Nights” then went on to receive the contest’s Lennon Award, making him eligible to win the Maxell Song of the Year award. He is only the second artist in the jazz category to win this award.

The judges, by the way, are no slouches. The 10-person review panel includes names like The Bacon Brothers, Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas and Grateful Dead co-founder Bob Weir.

A graduate of Berkshire Community College and a student of the Berklee College of Music, Cusson has shared stages with Christina Aguilera, Babyface, and James and Livingston Taylor, to name a few.

And though he’s had national and international gigs, from the television talk show “The View” to Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater, Cusson said he still can’t get a gig in his hometown.

“I’m still working on The Colonial or Barrington Stage,” he said.

But if anyone’s thinking about booking this guy locally, they better do it quickly.

In between news and magazine interviews, Cusson’s been writing songs for up and coming artists, working on a second record and getting ready for a domestic 14-city gig with The musicheck Live Across America Tour.

Cusson will perform at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center in New York City on Sept. 8 and Boston’s John Hancock Hall on Sept. 15.


On the Web:

About Matt Cusson: http://www.mattcussonfans.com,

http://www.matt-cusson.com; also on MySpace, Facebook and Twitter.

About the John Lennon Songwriting Contest:

http://www.jlsc.com

SOURCE:  http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_12839155?source=most_viewed

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