This post is a tribute to the eminent jazz accordionist Mat Mathews, who passed away last month. Mathews, born in the Netherlands, came to the US in 1952, and quickly began making records.
I first encountered him on some of Carmen McRae's earliest records. He made quite a few under his own name as well, and four with the New York Jazz Quartet. That group also included flutist Herbie Mann, guitarist Joe Puma, and bassist Whitey Mitchell.
The NY Jazz Quartet recorded this Latin-inflected record in 1956, under the vaguely distasteful title "Goes Native." A less likely group for this concept could hardly be found (see photo below). And in truth the results are not nearly as loose as they might have been. But the results are unusual and enjoyable - as are all Mathews' recordings that I have heard.
16 comments:
Many thanks for this. I'm a big accordion fan and any MM I don't have is a real treat.
I love your blog but this was a real non-starter for me. Just left me cold. Maybe too much playing by the rules. Thanks anyway. Always a pleasure to hear your music AND read your well-researched notes.
A sem sinatra,
I don't disagree with you about the playing being a little timid. (Also - and I didn't mention this - I don't care for Herbie Mann at all). I chose a record I hadn't seen shared elsewhere.
Thank You, I'm a big Puma fan.
Thank you very much. I search continuously for Mat Mathews and it has been a long time since I found one I did not already have. If jazzman would re-up his MM posts I would have two more!
Sadly, the record industry was not positioned to foster an iconoclast like Mat Mathews. They couldn't get their heads around the idea of a Dutchman with a button accordion playing slash-and-burn be-bop (or Latin or anything else). I think the producers poured cold water on a lot of what he would have done had he been given the freedom he deserved.
@ 2bad,
Quite correct - I am an admirer of Mat. Let me know what else you need - I may have it.
Thank you so much for this rare Mat Mathews album!!!
Do you know per chance of an album he made with singer Donna Brooks? If it exists she probably sings only a handful of tunes of it...
For more info (if interested) see the Donna Brooks post at the jazzman's place
j.
@ jeronimo - Thanks for your note. Sorry, but I don't have that particular Mat Mathews record, which does sound very interesting!
I admire very much Mat Mathews and his discs are very rare.
Unfortunately this one seems not be be available.
The post was erased from rapidshare.
Can you post it again? Pleaaaaase?
Just for this time...
I thank you very much
Marcos
from Brasil
Until now, since February 2013,
I could not make the download of this record...
Can you post again, just for this time? Please?
Or, ate least, reply me if there's any problem
and will not bore you again...
Thanks!
Marcos
from Brazil
Marcos - Sorry, did not see your first note. I'll report this if I can find the files. May take a little time.
Thanks for the re-up Buster really appreciated.
Aaargh !! Another dead link !!!
New link (Apple lossless):
https://mega.nz/#!aNUCTIwT!PQSVEwalCNTWrXpz4TrpUjan2Pxq2tjRgbAbkPaFpw8
Thanks for the new link Buster
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