Matt Charles - Highland Avenue (2024)

Matthew Charles Prozialeck primarily plays in the blues style but has crossed over into progressive rock, reggae funk, country, & folk music. He was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1989 and grew up near Chicago, Illinois. He played trumpet as a kid and he took up the harmonica at age 18 after hearing Howlin’ Wolf, The Yardbirds, Muddy Waters & Paul Butterflied on the radio. He started playing professionally in college. Mostly self-taught, he learned quickly with local blues groups. He played around the Chicago clubs for a few years in various bands and did some session work while mastering blues playing. Matthew first got turned onto Seydel harmonicas in 2011 after meeting Charlie Musselwhite who suggested he try them. He uses the Seydel Session Steels and 1847 classics they have been his harps of choice ever since.

In August of 2015 Matthew relocated to Boston, Massachusetts to join the band Erin Harpe & The Delta Swingers. He also has played in the dance rock band Lovewhip and with classic blues project GA-20. The Delta Swingers tour nationally and were semifinalists in the International Blues Challenge in 2017. At the age of 27 he was the second youngest harmonica player in the competition and the youngest to reach the semifinals that year. His first album with the Delta Swingers, Big Road was released on Vizztone in October of 2017 to positive reviews and chart performance. Matthew played in excess of 150 gigs a year with Erin Harpe & The Delta Swingers.

In January 2019 Matthew left Erin Harpe & The Delta Swingers to work on various solo projects. In August 2019 he appeared as a guest on GA-20's Debut 45 single "Naggin On My Mind" on Karma Chief records, singing backing vocals and playing harp on the "B-Side Sit Down Baby". In October of 2019 he was also a guest on GA-20's debut album singing backing vocals on the opening track "Naggin' On My Mind" and playing harmonica on "You Know I'm Right" The album charted art number 2 on the billboard blues albums chart.

In October 2019 he co-founded the Boston based blues band The Wandering Ones. The Wandering Ones' first release appeared on The Rum Bar Records compilation Rabble Rousers. Prozialeck took a hiatus from performing during the COVID Pandemic. The Wandering Ones performed at the final Viva East Rockabilly festival in 2022.

In April of 2024 he relocated to the Western Chicago suburbs.