Matt Dusk
With a voice that channels the cool of mid-century crooners, he brought jazz standards and swing back into the mainstream pop conversation in Canada.
Born 1978 (age 48)·Canadian jazz vocalist·Birthday: November 19·Generation X
Biography
Matt Dusk didn't just study jazz; he embodied its suave, timeless attitude. Emerging from Toronto in the early 2000s, he stood out in a pop landscape by doubling down on the Great American Songbook and the smooth, intimate delivery of artists like Frank Sinatra and Chet Baker. His breakthrough wasn't an accident of trend-chasing, but a result of focused craft, studying at York University and the prestigious St. Michael's Choir School. Dusk's success, marked by multiple gold and platinum records, proved there was a hungry audience for well-executed classic jazz and swing. He became a fixture on Canadian television and in major venues, not as a nostalgia act, but as a contemporary artist insisting on the enduring power of a well-turned phrase and a swinging band.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Matt was born in 1978, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Matt Was Born
The biggest hits of 1978
#1 Movie
Grease
Best Picture
The Deer Hunter
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Matt's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1978Born
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1983Started school
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1991Became a teenager
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Could drive
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1996Could vote
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Turned 21
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2008Turned 30
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 40
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 48 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Achieved four certified gold albums in Canada: 'Two Shots', 'Good News', 'Old School Yule!', and 'JetSetJazz'.
- Earned two certified platinum albums for 'My Funny Valentine: The Chet Baker Songbook' and 'Just the Two of Us'.
- Hosted his own national television music specials in Canada, including 'Matt Dusk: The Christmas Special'.
- Performed as a headliner at major jazz festivals internationally, including the Montreal International Jazz Festival.
Did You Know?
He was a semi-finalist on the CBS reality television show 'Star Search' in 2003.
Dusk is an avid poker player and has participated in professional tournaments.
He studied music under Canadian jazz pianist and composer Don Thompson at York University.
His album 'My Funny Valentine' is a dedicated tribute to the troubled trumpeter and vocalist Chet Baker.
“A microphone, a spotlight, and three minutes to tell the truth.”
