Ron Mathewson

Ron Mathewson (* 19th February 1944 in Lerwick as Rognvald Andrew Mathewson ) is a British jazz bass player . After Martin Kunzler, he is the least known to the audience among the European bass players of international renown.

Live and act

Mathewson, who comes from a family of musicians, took piano lessons as a child and then switched to the double bass at the age of 15 . He has been a professional musician since 1962, when he toured Germany with a Scottish Dixie band . Between 1963 and 1966 he worked in rhythm and blues bands. He was then a permanent member of the Tubby Hayes band with drummer Spike Wells until 1973 ( Grits, Beans and Greens: The Lost Fontana Studio Sessions 1969 ), but also played with Gordon Beck and Phil Woods in the USA and at the Montreux Jazz Festival ( LP 1972). He also worked as a sideman of Ray Nance , Kenny Wheeler , Philly Joe Jones , Stan Getz , Stan Sulzmann , Charles Tolliver , Carmell Jones , Oscar Peterson , Bill Evans , Randy Brecker and the Kenny Clarke / Francy Boland Big Band . With the Spontaneous Music Ensemble and with Chris McGregor he explored the new territory of free jazz, with Ray Russell , Ian Carr and Neil Ardley ("Mike Taylor Remembered", 1973) rock jazz . Between 1975 and 1990 he was part of Ronnie Scott's quartet , but also worked with his own sextet (with Alan Skidmore and John Taylor ) and in a trio with Gordon Beck and Daniel Humair (LP “Jazz Trio”, 1979). He also worked with Charlie Watts and his orchestra, but also with Rollercoaster , Dick Morrissey , Johnny Griffin , Bud Shank and Joe Henderson .

His brother is the jazz pianist Mat Mathewson.

literature

• Martin Kunzler : Jazz Lexicon. Volume 2: M – Z (= rororo-Sachbuch. Vol. 16513). 2nd Edition. Rowohlt, Reinbek bei Hamburg 2004, ISBN 3-499-16513-9 .

Web links

• biography
• Discography (Discogs)