by Chris True The leader of the Matt Schofield trio (obviously) and a well traveled and talented blues guitarist, Matt Schofield was born in Manchester, England on August 21, 1977. Spurred into the world of the blues guitar by legends such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King, and Albert Collins, Schofield took his curiosity to London after graduating college, and started to jam with various musicians in the scene. Catching the ear of one Dana Gillespie -- after a successful stint as part of the Lee Sankey Group -- Schofield won a spot in that blues diva's London based band. From there, Schofield eschewed the quick road to fame, instead choosing to work as part of the house band at festivals all over Europe. Eventually, through this rather unglamorous gig, the trio that would bear his name eventually came together, and Schofield became a bona fide solo presence. His first album, a live affair entitled The Trio, Live, was released in 2004, and was a critical success. The unique vibe that Matt and his trio captured was due in part of their use of organ for bass lines rather than a bass guitar -- somewhat of a rarity in the more traditional electric blues rulebook. Comprised of Schofield, keyboardist Jonny Henderson and drummer Evan Jenkins, the trio went on to record a studio record, Siftin' Thru' the Ashes after releasing the second live collection Live At the Jazz Cafe -- both in 2005. In 2007, Schofield returned to the shelves with studio album number two, Ear To the Ground.