With his modern keyboard and vibraphone project Multiplayer, Matt Williams has started to attract attention in the Northwest jazz community, but it’s just a small part of his musical personality.

The new project found Williams focused on shorter singer/songwriter structures for his music. “I wanted to make an improvised album with the production qualities of pop music, catchy and sing-able melodies short enough that people can identify with them,” he said.

Multiplayer’s concise songs vary between two and five minutes of catchy hooks with odd meters, adventurous chord changes and solo improvisations. Many songs have the bright, pop sensibilities of modern jazz-adjacent groups like Vulfpeck and DOMI & JD Beck.

—ABE BEESON

Matt Williams is a Seattle-based, Phoenix-bred, Kansas City-born pianist and vibraphonist who has worked with a seemingly endless amount of names in multiple jazz communities, many of which might only be familiar to niche jazz aficionados but carry a heavy mantle of respectability. His latest project Multiplayer is an improvisational project that feels both modern and nostalgic.

Our Song of the Day, “Cosmic Quest,” comes from his recently-released debut self-titled album and very much feels like one searching the galaxy for something more. With a sparse synth-fueled start, the song's unhurried build feels like a floating object just searching for some purpose. Things tighten up quickly, as the target is acquired and, while we may not feel like we’re moving at the speed of light, we’re still boldly going where no man has gone before.

—JASMINE ALBERTSON