Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, Matthew Clinkenbeard grew up around instruments and formally began studying the guitar at age nine. Initially drawn to his parent’s musical tastes (1960s rock-n-roll, country, bluegrass, etc.), Clinkenbeard discovered jazz via Django Reinhardt in middle school and studied it all through high school, ultimately being named 2nd in the state of Missouri in the 2012 All-State tryouts, and participating in the Kansas City area’s All-District jazz bands three times.

Clinkenbeard continued his jazz studies in college at the University of Miami throughout 2012-2016, studying with John Hart, Brian Russell, Tim Jago, and Luke Franco. Clinkenbeard continues to play other genres extensively, including country, blues, and acoustic guitar. Clinkenbeard has also been lucky enough to study with Gonzalo Bergara, Dan Wilson, Brent Mason, Randy Vincent, Charlie Hunter, Jim Campilongo, Julian Lage, Lorne Lofsky, Ted Ludwig, Rod Fleeman, and Danny Embrey.

In 2015, Clinkenbeard performed with Grammy winner and Country Music Hall of Famer Charlie McCoy in Ft. Myers, Florida. In 2016, both the Kansas-City-based Matt Cook Collective and Miami-based Big City Folk Band released EPs featuring Clinkenbeard’s work, and Clinkenbeard performed throughout southern Florida and the Midwest with both groups. The Matt Cook Collective released their debut full-length album, Along Those Lines, (featuring several of Clinkenbeard’s compositions) on June 21, 2017, and Clinkenbeard released his own debut record, Aces, in September 2017.

Matthew Clinkenbeard toured with country singer Derryl Perry throughout 2017 and 2018, performed at the Smoky Mountain Opry in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee in 2018 and 2019, and has been actively gigging in the Nashville area since relocating there in 2017. Clinkenbeard’s guitar playing can be heard on recordings such as Cullen Wade and the Waters’ eponymous album released in 2023, Brina Kay’s Dandelion, Ivy Ryann’s A Nonaggressive Extreme Violation of Boundaries, and other recordings by Amanda Raye, Jessica Terrell, EASHA, and others, as well as upcoming releases by Caleb Christopher Edwards and All Vibe. Clinkenbeard has also been touring with Grammy Winner and Grand Ole Opry member Crystal Gayle since 2022. Clinkenbeard has given guest lectures on the music of Django Reinhardt at Vanderbilt University in 2022, 2023, and 2024.