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JUSTIN MATLEY

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A SONIC JOURNEY INSPIRED BY AND DEDICATED TO RENA SHEBESTA;
HER LIFE, SPIRIT, MEMORY, AND FAMILY.














PRODUCED BY JUSTIN MATLEY

FEATURING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM:
TALL HEIGHTS, MICHELLE WILLIS, YE VAGABONDS†, HANNAH NAPIER ROSENBERG, JOSH
DION, EVERETT BRADLEY, KHYLIE RYLO, JERRY JEAN, MATT & ATLA DECHAMPLAIN, CONNIE
MARTINO, ROMAN ZEITLIN, JAMES LOWE, AND JUSTIN, JOSIE & CAROLINE MATLEY

ORIGINAL ARTWORK BY FILIZ SOYAK
"CARIBBEAN NO KIOKU" MIXED MEDIA ON WOOD PANEL, FROM THE PASSAGES SERIES

MIXED BY JUSTIN MATLEY & NIC HARD
EXCEPT WHERE NOTED †

MASTERED BY RANDY MERRILL AT STERLING SOUND
EXCEPT WHERE NOTED †

PRODUCED IN
CONNECTICUT, MASSACHUSETTS, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK,
SCOTLAND, IRELAND, AND SPAIN 


TRACKLIST & PRODUCER NOTES:

THIS PROJECT HAD A HIGHER CALLING; MORE THAN REWARDING, IT FELT NECESSARY. I'M
SO GRATEFUL TO THE ASSEMBLY OF PEOPLE THAT CONTRIBUTED. IT IS MY HOPE THIS ALBUM
HELPS GIVE RENA THE LASTING LIFE EARTH DIDN'T OFFER HER, AND CREATES A TIMELESS
KEEPSAKE FOR HANNAH, CHRISTIAN, PETER, THE FAMILY, AND THOSE CLOSE TO THIS
STORY. MOREOVER, I HOPE IT RESONATES WITH ANYONE WHO HAS SUFFERED THE GREATEST
OF TRAGEDIES AND IS LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO CALL HOME. THE STRENGTH TO MEND. THE
WILL TO REMEMBER. THE PURPOSE TO MOVE FORWARD. 

IT'S ALSO AN ODE TO THE SIDEMAN AND SIDEWOMAN. THE PEOPLE HERE ARE THE TALENT
THAT MAKE OTHERS THEIR BEST. YOU MAY NOT KNOW THEM ALL, BUT YOU'VE HEARD THEM
AND KNOW WHO THEY PROP UP - AND THEY'RE HERE TO DO JUST THAT. TO SOLIDIFY THE
GROUND BENEATH OUR FEET. EVERY CREATIVE CHOICE; EVERY ARTIST, ARRANGEMENT, AND
LYRIC WAS MADE WITH RENA'S SOUL DEEPLY IN MIND; A SOUL PROVEN PROFOUNDLY
INSPIRATIONAL.




1
UNTIL I THOUGHT OF MYSELF AS THE SEA
WRITTEN & PERFORMED BY HANNAH NAPIER ROSENBERG, ARR. JUSTIN MATLEY
HANNAH NAPIER ROSENBERG (@HANNAHROWRITES) IS AN INCREDIBLE, WELL KNOWN POET WHO
WRITES AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL POEMS AND PROSE ON WOMANHOOD, MARRIAGE, FRIENDSHIP AND
MORE RECENTLY, MOTHERHOOD. I LOVE HER WRITING. IT IS UNADULTERATED AND DEEPLY
OBSERVATIONAL IN A WAY THAT IS EASY TO READ AND RELATE TO. THIS PARTICULAR POEM
RESONATED INTENSELY WITH OUR HANNAH (SHEBESTA), AND THE POET HERSELF GRACIOUSLY
AGREED TO READ IT FOR THIS PROJECT. 

2
AVE MARIA
WRITTEN & PERFORMED BY JUSTIN MATLEY, FEAT. EVERETT BRADLEY WITH ROMAN ZEITLIN,
LYRICS ARE THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF POPULAR VERSIONS OF THE SONG, LOOSELY
BASED ON THE SIR WALTER SCOTT POEM, 'THE LADY OF THE LAKE' AND THE HAIL MARY
PRAYER
THIS PIECE IS MEANINGFUL TO THE FAMILY, AND I WANTED TO TRY A SIMPLE, MEANDERING
VERSION THAT WILDLY DEPARTS FROM TRADITIONAL VERSIONS STYLISTICALLY,
MELODICALLY, AND SOMEWHAT LYRICALLY, BUT KEEPS ITS AESTHETIC OF LOVE AND PEACE
WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING OUR PLACE IN TIME. IT FEATURES THE KINDEST FRIEND, LEGENDARY
GRAMMY-NOMINATED EVERETT BRADLEY (@EVERETTBRADLEY) WHO YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN OUT
TOURING WITH BON JOVI AND BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN'S E-STREET BAND, OR AS HIS HOLIDAY
ALTER-EGO, PAPADELIC. LIKEWISE, MY GOOD FRIEND: COMPOSER AND
MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST ROMAN ZEITLIN, FORMER MUSIC DIRECTOR FOR INGRID MICHAELSON
AMONG OTHER INCREDIBLE WORK, ADDS THE ATMOSPHERIC PEDAL STEEL.

3
I WANDERED LONELY AS A CLOUD
WRITTEN & PERFORMED BY MICHELLE WILLIS, LYRICS BASED ON THE POEM OF THE SAME
NAME BY WILLIAM WORDSWORTH
I'VE ADMIRED MICHELLE'S WORK FOR SEVERAL YEARS, PARTICULARLY HER SOLO WORK AND
CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH DAVID CROSBY. A TOUR DE FORCE OF CRAFTY, NUANCED
SONGWRITING WITH A DEEPLY EMOTIVE VOICE, I'M THANKFUL MICHELLE WILLIS
(@BOUTWILLISMUSIC) - NOW A NATIVE OF SCOTLAND - WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE HER SINGULAR
TALENT AND HEARTFELT EMPATHY HERE ON THIS ORIGINAL SONG. THE LYRICS ARE PURE
WILLIAM WORDSWORTH. A GIANT OF THE ROMANTIC AGE IN ENGLISH POETRY, HIS WORK IS
IDENTIFIED BY ITS ACCESSIBILITY TO "COMMON PEOPLE" AND REGULARLY EXPLORES
SPIRITUALISM AND HUMAN'S RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE.

4
NIGHT OWL
WRITTEN & PERFORMED BY TALL HEIGHTS WITH LIZ VAUGHAN
SINGER/GUITARIST TIM HARRINGTON AND SINGER/CELLIST PAUL WRIGHT FORM THE HERALDED
DUO, TALL HEIGHTS (@TALLHEIGHTS). THE BAND HAILS FROM MY FORMER HOME STATE OF
MASSACHUSETTS AND WERE INTRODUCED TO ME BY A MUTUAL FRIEND. KNOWN BOTH FOR THEIR
OWN STELLAR WORK AND COLLABORATIONS WITH ARTISTS SUCH AS BEN FOLDS AND RYAN
MONTBLEAU, THEIR MUSIC TOUCHES IMMEDIATELY ON THE SOUL; WITH POIGNANT LYRICISM
AND HARMONIES THAT RESEMBLE THE BEST OF THE ELECTROFOLK GENRE. HAVING THEM WRITE
THIS SONG WAS A GIFT.

5
BUBBLES
(FEAT. RENA SHEBESTA)
WRITTEN & PERFORMED BY KHYLIE RYLO
KYHLIE RYLO (@KHYLIERYLO) HAS BEEN A FRIEND FOR MANY YEARS, STARTING WITH AN
ALBUM WE COLLABORATED ON NEARLY TWO DECADES AGO. NOT ONLY IS KHYLIE ONE OF THE
MOST PROLIFIC BASSISTS IN THE WORLD, BUT THEIR PLAYING AND COMPOSING HAS
TRAVERSED GENRES ON COLLABORATIONS WITH MEXICAN-AMERICAN LGTBQ ICON RENEE GOUST,
PUBLIC ENEMY, AND MANY, MANY MORE. THIS ORIGINAL SONG, IN TRUE KHYLIE FORM,
FEATURES OUR LITTLE RENA HERSELF.

6
THE WORLD IS WAITING FOR THE SUNRISE / BLUE SKIES
LYRICS BY EUGENE LOCKHART, COMPOSED BY ERNEST SEITZ / WRITTEN BY IRVING BERLIN,
ARRANGED & PERFORMED BY ATLA AND MATT DECHAMPLAIN
MATT AND ATLA DECHAMPLAIN (@MATTLA_MUSIC) ARE DEAR LOCAL FRIENDS WHO REPRESENT
THE BEST OF TRADITIONAL JAZZ. ATLA, A PROTÉGÉ OF THE RENOWNED SINGER JON
HENDRICKS, AND MATT NOT ONLY ARE ILLUSTRIOUS PLAYERS, BUT HUMANS TO BOOT. FOR
TWO DECADES THEY HAVE PERFORMED ON THEIR OWN AND WITH A WHO'S WHO LIST OF LIVING
JAZZ LEGENDS ACROSS THE WORLD. TWO MOST APPROPRIATE JAZZ CLASSICS IN ONE, THE
DECHAMPLAINS ADD THEIR SIGNATURE SPIN ON THEM HERE.

7
WE SHALL ALWAYS BE
WRITTEN & PERFORMED BY JOSH DION
THEY AREN'T MANY PEOPLE LIKE MY FRIEND JOSH DION (@JOSHDION). THAT'S BECAUSE
PEOPLE AREN'T OCTOPUSES. JOSH STARTED AS (AND REMAINS) A GENERATIONAL-TALENT
DRUMMER, BUT WITH A VOICE REMINISCENT OF MICHAEL MCDONALD MEETS HOWLIN' WOLF, HE
ADDED SINGING AND KEYBOARDS TO HIS ARSENAL - ALL AT THE SAME TIME. AND HE DOES
THIS ALL, INCLUDING AS A BANDLEADER AND SONGWRITER, WITH HIS OWN DUO, PARIS
MONSTER, AND WITH SOME OF THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE TALENT WORLDWIDE. IMMENSELY
GRATEFUL FOR HIS OCTOPEAN CONTRIBUTION HERE.

8
TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE STAR
LYRICS BY ANN TAYLOR, ARRANGED & PERFORMED BY JUSTIN MATLEY FEAT. CONNIE MARTINO
WITH JERRY JEAN, JAMES LOWE, JOSIE MATLEY & CAROLINE MATLEY
THE PEOPLE REPRESENTED ON THIS SONG ARE SOME OF THE CLOSEST IN THE WORLD TO ME.
MY DAUGHTERS, FOR STARTERS, ARE MY HEART AND SOUL AND IT WAS IMPORTANT I FOUND A
PLACE ON THIS PROJECT FOR THEM. CONNIE MARTINO, A BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
CHORALIST, AND JAMES LOWE, AN ACCOMPLISHED BASSIST ACROSS JAZZ AND INDIE ROCK,
ARE TWO DEAR PERSONAL FRIENDS FROM SCHOOL DAYS. JERRY JEAN (@JERRYJEANMUSIC), MY
FORMER ROOMMATE IN NYC, IS A VERSATILE PRODUCER, COMPOSER, SINGER, PIANIST, AND
VIOLINIST WHO NOT ONLY IS FEATURED REGULARLY WITH ARTISTS LIKE FLORENCE & THE
MACHINE AND BOYZ II MEN, BUT HAS HIS OWN PROLIFIC SINGER-SONGWRITER REPERTOIRE
TO BOOT. THIS ARRANGEMENT, ADAPTED FOR THIS PROJECT, WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN FOR
THE YOUTUBE SERIES, HEALTHY FEELS.
 
9
FOR RENA
WRITTEN & PERFORMED BY HANNAH NAPIER ROSENBERG, ARR. JUSTIN MATLEY
HANNAH WROTE THIS POEM ESPECIALLY FOR THIS PROJECT AND THE SHEBESTAS. IT
PERFECTLY DESCRIBES THE JOURNEY FORWARD WITH, NOT AWAY FROM, THE TIMELESS
PRESENCE OF RENA. I'M, AGAIN, SO THANKFUL FOR HER CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS PROJECT.
SHE'S BEEN A BEACON.

*BONUS PLAYLIST TRACK*
†BLUE IS THE EYE
(FOR PETER)
WRITTEN, PERFORMED, & PUBLISHED BY YE VAGABONDS, PRODUCED & MIXED BY JOHN
MURPHY, MASTERED BY NOEL SUMMERVILLE
THIS IS THE ONLY PIECE THAT WAS PRODUCED AND RELEASED PRIOR TO THIS PROJECT, ON
YE VAGABOND'S (@YEVAGABONDS) STELLAR 2022 ALBUM 'NINE WAVES'. THE BAND,
FEATURING BROTHERS BRIAN AND DIARMUID MAC GLOINN, HAIL FROM IRELAND, AND WAS
RECOMMENDED TO ME EARLY ON BY MICHELLE. THE BAND AND THEIR LABEL WERE MOVED BY
RENA'S STORY AND WELCOMED THE USE OF THE PIECE AS PART OF A SPECIAL FOR RENA
PLAYLIST. THE SONG IS A LYRICAL MASTERPIECE AND WAS AN ENORMOUS INSPIRATION FOR
THE CREATIVE DIRECTION OF THIS PROJECT. IT IS DEDICATED TO RENA'S BLUE-EYED BIG
BROTHER, PETER: WHOSE BLUE EYES WATCH OVER THE SEA AND FOREVER LOOKS AFTER THEE.
†THIS TRACK ONLY AVAILABLE ON "FOR RENA" SPOTIFY PLAYLIST AND ON THE ALBUM 'NINE
WAVES' BY YE VAGABONDS, AVAILABLE ON ALL STREAMING SERVICES

I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES:

FILIZ SOYAK (@FILIZSOYAK) IS A WORLD-RENOWNED, INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTIST WHO
EXPLORES THEMES OF CONSCIOUSNESS, MEMORY, AND TIME. A FRIEND AND FORMER CLIENT
FROM A PREVIOUS LIFETIME, SHE GRACIOUSLY DONATED USE OF HER ORIGINAL ARTWORK FOR
THIS PROJECT. HER PIECE USED, 'CARIBBEAN NO KIOKU', WAS AN EARLY INSPIRATION FOR
THIS PROJECT FOR ITS AESTHETIC, TRANSLATION, AND MEANING AS A REFERENCE TO THE
LAST TIME I SAW RENA PREDIAGNOSIS.

A NEWER FRIEND, THE THOUGHTFUL AND TALENTED NIC HARD (@NIC.HARD) HAS AN
IMPECCABLE REPUTATION AS A GRAMMY-WINNING CRAFTSMAN BEHIND THE BOARD, WORKING
WITH ARTISTS SUCH AS SNARKY PUPPY, THE BRAVERY, BECCA STEVENS AND MORE. GRATEFUL
FOR HIS EXPERIENCED, SECOND SET OF MIX EARS ON THIS PROJECT.

AND NOT TO BE FORGOTTEN, MY FRIEND FROM QUEENS DAYS, RANDY MERRILL
(@RANDYMERRILL_STERLING) OF STERLING SOUND, WITH HIS ATTUNED EARS AND HEART, HAS
BECOME PERHAPS THE SINGLE MOST PROLIFIC MASTERING ENGINEER IN THE WORLD. AND
KNOWING HIM, HE PROBABLY WOULDN'T WANT ME TO LIST OFF HIS KING'S RANSOM OF
CREDITS. THAT'S WHAT GOOGLE IS FOR.





ALBUM OUT JUNE 27, 2024

35

Days



:

21

Hours



:

26

Minutes



:

17

Seconds








© 2020 MATLEY PRODUCTIONS, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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