Mat Mathews

Throughout his career, Mat Mathews fought an uphill battle to get the accordion accepted in bop-oriented jazz. He learned to play music during the Nazi occupation, and after the war ended, Mathews was inspired to play jazz when he heard a radio broadcast of <a href="spotify:artist:1fZTpSUFhwWdafzC2RJ1ob">Joe Mooney</a>. He worked locally in Holland including most notably with the Millers from 1947-50. After moving to New York in 1952, he put together a quartet that for a time featured (and introduced) the young <a href="spotify:artist:6ycoXr0Ayd89vFUT6BOiWo">Herbie Mann</a> on flute and tenor. <a href="spotify:artist:2ewzwWzUbQwOBnfWRfEbQr">Mathews'</a> other sidemen included <a href="spotify:artist:4L9xEztn5PKQIO5WnI5W3u">Art Farmer</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0HthAxjeS1Ce3X62Gqh6Iq">Julius Watkins</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2cIGexdIxCkbVXd9dg9aQW">Joe Puma</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3DuKJapiJ2AUvoIJq1ZJFb">Oscar Pettiford</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0vKbTTNdtagd8xiERj6Szb">Percy Heath</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:7xwlN7fhoOwNgDmRTwYZOa">Kenny Clarke</a>. In addition to making records as a leader, Mathews also recorded with <a href="spotify:artist:2E3nXyfocf7qfHAIFNbBuj">Carmen McRae</a> from 1954-55. By the end of the decade he was mostly working as a studio musician, and in 1964 Mathews returned to the Netherlands. His importance to jazz greatly lessened as he has primarily worked in the studios as a player, arranger and producer, but <a href="spotify:artist:2ewzwWzUbQwOBnfWRfEbQr">Mathews'</a> performances in the 1950s made a strong case for the accordion in jazz. Mathews recorded as a leader for the Dutch Van Wouw label (four titles in 1944), Brunswick (1953-54), Dawn (1956), Savoy (a 1957 date with four French horn players), Verve (live at Newport in 1957), JJM, Design and, back in the Netherlands, Ariola (1975). ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi