Matt The Dawn is the third recording by the SwissBorn/French trumpeter Erik Truffaz. Recorded back in 1997 and is a mixture of Jazz with Hip Hop.Patrick Muller plays piano and Fender Rhodes. Marcello Giuliani is doing Bass and Marc Erbetta on Drums and the vocals are done by "Nya".Acid Jazz that is for sure with this fairly short prduction containing 8 tracks around 27 to 28 minutes in length only. It was not released at full price by Blue Note because of that factor.

"Bukowsk-Chaptwer" begins proceedings and is a short piece but really the album does not find any groove till the next track "Yuri's Chapter "with Nya providing vocal along with some nice piano and that snappy beat behind,Erik comes in on Trumpet and then back to Nya. By far the best track is next and that is the title "The Dawn" We get some lovely playing from Erik who has that low Miles Davis tone. No Hip Hop in this one and although the beat underneath is moving along Erik holds his own solo over it.Patrick Muller comes in on Fender as well for a short solo.Track 4 "Wet in Paris" does not quite do it. I feel more trumpet and no Hip Hop would have been preferable."Slim Pickings" is next and is straight Hip Hop unaccompanied which leads to track 6 Round Trip once again with the omission of vocals just the band with Erik and this one is the other real highlight in the album.Great atmosphere with this tune.There are 2 other tracks to go and both have vocals."The Mask" and "Free Stylin" and the title is ample description for the last track.

While I find nothing wrong with the vocalist it at times is outright annoying in places and even seems dated but yet it is the brief unaccompanied track "Slim Pickings" that I like mostby him. Erik is a lovely trumpet player and if you like the sound of Acid Jazz this is a great little album to hear in the quiet late at night and yes it does have a great feel in places but only in places.