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{{Short description|Dutch jazz accordionist}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Refimprove|date=March 2009}}
{{Copy edit|date=March 2017}}
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{{Infobox musical artist
{{Infobox musical artist
|name= Mat Mathews
| name = Mat Mathews
⚫
| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
|image =
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| birth_name = Mathieu Hubert Wijnandts Schwarts
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| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
|birth_date= {{Birth date|1924|06|18}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1924|06|18}}
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| birth_place = [[The Hague]], [[Netherlands]]
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|birth_name= Mathieu Hubert Wijnandts Schwarts
⚫
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2009|02|12|1924|06|18}}
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|birth_place = [[The Hague]], [[South Holland]], [[Netherlands]]
| death_place = [[Clarence Center, New York]], U.S.
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|death_date = {{Death date and age|2009|02|12|1924|06|18}}
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| genre = [[Jazz]]
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|years_active = 1947 - 1993
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| occupation = Musician, arranger, record producer
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|genre = Jazz
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| instrument = Accordion
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|occupation = {{hlist|jazz accordionist|musician|arranger| record producer}}
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| years_active = 1947 – 1993
|label = Brunswick Records Dawn Records
| label = [[Brunswick Records|Brunswick]], [[Dawn Records|Dawn]]
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|instrument = Accordion
| associated_acts =
|death_place =Rotterdam in a Nursing home
| website = {{URL|www.matmathews.com}}
|website =
|origin= Netherlands
}}
}}


'''Mat Mathews''', born '''Mathieu Hubert Wijnandts Schwarts''' (June 18, 1924 &ndash; February 12, 2009),<ref>[http://www.nrc.nl/kunst/article2155033.ece/Accordeonist_Mathews_overleden nrc]</ref> was a [[Netherlands|Dutch]] [[jazz]] [[accordion]]ist.
'''Mat Mathews''', born '''Mathieu Hubert Wijnandts Schwarts''' (June 18, 1924 &ndash; February 12, 2009),<ref>[http://www.nrc.nl/kunst/article2155033.ece/Accordeonist_Mathews_overleden nrc]</ref> was a Dutch jazz accordionist.


== History ==
==Early life==
Mathews was born in [[The Hague]] and learned to play accordion while the Netherlands was under [[Nazi]] rule during [[World War II]]. After hearing [[Joe Mooney (musician)|Joe Mooney]] on a radio broadcast after the war, he decided to begin playing jazz. Mat's first wife was from the Netherlands and they were married in 1947 and they had a son Peter. From 1947 to 1950 he played with [[The Millers]] in the Netherlands. He then moved to [[New York City]] on March 1, 1951 with wife, [[Paulette Girard]]. They were married in Tripoli North Africa at the consulate. They were there performing for the troops from 1950 - 1951. He moved into Paulette's mother's home at 10 Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn NY and lived there with Paulette. Owl Eyes was their one of their co-writes which they gave to [[Jazzbo]]. He was a disc jockey who played late night jazz. Mat performed on the Arthur Godfrey Hour and played at Carnegie Hall.<ref>{{YouTube|pIsq6YuBct0}}</ref>
Mathews was born in [[The Hague]] and learned to play accordion while the Netherlands was still under the [[Nazi]] rule during World War II. After hearing [[Joe Mooney (musician)|Joe Mooney]] on a radio broadcast after the war, he decided to play jazz.<ref name="Yanow">{{cite web|last1=Yanow|first1=Scott|title=Mat Mathews|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/mat-mathews-mn0000862361/biography|website=AllMusic|accessdate=8 June 2017}}</ref>


==Later life and career==
He formed a quartet which included [[Herbie Mann]]; he also played with [[Art Farmer]], [[Julius Watkins]], [[Joe Puma]], [[Oscar Pettiford]], [[Gigi Gryce]], [[Dick Katz]], [[Percy Heath]], and [[Kenny Clarke]]. He played with [[Carmen McRae]] in 1954-55 who was signed to Coral records after Paulette bet Mat that she could get Carmen signed because she listened. In 1956, he played in the group The 4 Most with [[Al Cohn]], [[Gene Quill]], [[Hank Jones]] and [[Mundell Lowe]] and they recorded the track Ooh Baby It Scares Me by Paulette Girard. Paulette and Mat then divorced.
Mathews moved to New York in 1952 and formed a quartet which included [[Herbie Mann]].<ref name="Yanow" /> He also worked with [[Kenny Clarke]], [[Art Farmer]], [[Percy Heath]], [[Carmen McRae]], [[Oscar Pettiford]], [[Joe Puma]], Milt Jackson and [[Julius Watkins]].<ref name="Yanow" /> He worked mainly as a [[session musician]] in the late 1950s, and returned to the Netherlands in 1964, where he worked as an arranger, session musician, and record producer.<ref name="Yanow" /> In the 1970s, he worked in the US with [[Charlie Byrd]], Doug Duke, [[Marian McPartland]], and [[Clark Terry]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.walterdixon.com/dougdukelanding.html|title=Doug Duke|website=www.walterdixon.com|access-date=2017-04-17}}</ref>


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==Discography==
In 1957 Mat Recorded a several records in Toronto Canada where he met, Wilhelmina (Billie) Bailey. Billy was a beautiful runway model and also performed on several radio shows in Canada. Billy and Mat moved to New York and got married in 1958. They settled in Fairlawn, New Jersey and sortly thereafter they had twins, Karen and Bryan. In 1959, Mat and Billie had another child Jennifer. Mat continued playing, recording and traveling. However Mat found it very difficult to balance a career in Jazz with the demands of being father and husband. The music world was also changing quickly and Jazz was being eclipsed by the pop/rock music scene. Playing the accordion was also less mainstream in the North American Jazz scene which made it more challenging. Peter, Mat's first son moved to New Jersey to be with the family. However, in 1964, Mat and Billy had their fourth child, Melissa (Liesje) and they moved back to The Netherlands where he worked primarily as a studio musician arranger and producer. He and recorded less as a player but continued to perform local gigs in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and France. During the 1960s in the Netherlands Mat had commercial success which was necessary to help support his large family. Mat's parents, were from Den Hague and they also encouraged Mat to play the accordion from an early age.
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* ''Mat Mathews'' ([[Brunswick Records|Brunswick]], 1953)
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* ''The Modern Art of Jazz'' ([[Dawn Records|Dawn]], 1956)
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* ''Accordion Solos'' (Brunswick, 1956)
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* ''[[Eddie Costa, Mat Mathews & Don Elliott at Newport]]'' ([[Verve Records|Verve]], 1957)
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* ''Swingin' Pretty and All That Jazz'' (1959)
* ''Meditation'' (Jazz World, 1995)
* ''Live at Music Room'' (1996)
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* ''The Gentle Art of Love'' (2004)


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===As sideman===
In 1971, Mat and Billie decided to move back to the United States as Mat had several opportunities to record. They moved to Rochester NY where Mat played and recorded with Doug Duke, Charlie Byrd, Clark Terry, Marion McPartland in Doug Duke's Music room. http://www.walterdixon.com/dougdukelanding.html. After several challenging years, Billie and Mat split up and Billie moved back to Toronto and Mat went back to the Netherlands to be with his mother whose health was failing. During these years he played local gigs in Europe and spent the summers in Norway playing in Christiansand. In 1979 Mat and Billie moved to Atlanta, Georgia where Mat had a recording contract with Delta Air Lines for in-flight music to Europe. He also played regularly at the Westin Peachtree plaza and in Hilton Head. Mat was always on the move and was happiest when traveling. Mat and Billie split and got together several times before Billie died in 1989. Billie built a very successful advertising agency in Toronto and Atlanta specializing in University Related publications. In 1993, Mat was living in Rotterdam. He recorded Meditation at that time in Los Angeles, California. www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7058863Cached. This is a beautiful CD that really captures the very best of Mat's playing and is a great final tribute to his life's work. In the late 1990s Mat's health began to fail and he started to have cognitive issues related to dementia. Mat lived in a Nursing home in Rotterdam and was being cared for by his beloved granddaughter Tamar and her mother Jopie until he died in 2009.
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'''With [[Carmen McRae]]'''

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* ''[[Carmen McRae (1954 album)|Carmen McRae]]'' ([[Bethlehem Records|Bethlehem]], 1955)
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==Discography==
<!-- please help fill in the gaps! -->
*Four albums for [[Van Wouw]], 1944; titles unknown
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*''Accordion Solos'' ([[Brunswick Records]], 1953)
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*''Mat Mathews'' (Brunswick, 1953)
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*''The Modern Art of Jazz'' ([[Dawn Records]], 1956)
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*''The Gentle Art of Love'' (Dawn, 1956)
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*''[[Eddie Costa, Mat Mathews & Don Elliott at Newport]]'' ([[Verve Records|Verve]], 1957)
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*''Swingin' Pretty and All That Jazz'' ([[Design Records]], 1959)
*Record for [[Ariola Records|Ariola]], 1975
*Mat Mathews Sextet Meditation 1994
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;As sideman
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'''With [[Carmen McRae]]
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*''[[Carmen McRae (1954 album)|Carmen McRae]]'' (Bethlehem, 1955)


==References==
==References==
'''Footnotes'''
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

'''Sources'''
*[[Scott Yanow]], [{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p9133/biography|pure_url=yes}} Mat Mathews] at [[Allmusic]]
*http://matmathews.com/


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:1924 births]]
[[Category:1924 births]]
[[Category:2009 deaths]]
[[Category:2009 deaths]]
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[[Category:Dutch accordionists]]
[[Category:Dutch jazz musicians]]
[[Category:Dutch jazz musicians]]
[[Category:Jazz accordionists]]
[[Category:Jazz accordionists]]
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[[Category:Savoy Records artists]]
[[Category:Musicians from The Hague]]
[[Category:Musicians from The Hague]]
[[Category:20th-century accordionists]]

Latest revision as of 00:39, 11 July 2024

Mat Mathews
Birth nameMathieu Hubert Wijnandts Schwarts
Born(1924-06-18)June 18, 1924
The Hague, Netherlands
DiedFebruary 12, 2009(2009-02-12) (aged 84)
Clarence Center, New York, U.S.
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)Musician, arranger, record producer
InstrumentAccordion
Years active1947 – 1993
LabelsBrunswick, Dawn
Websitewww.matmathews.com

Mat Mathews, born Mathieu Hubert Wijnandts Schwarts (June 18, 1924 – February 12, 2009),[1] was a Dutch jazz accordionist.

Early life

[edit]

Mathews was born in The Hague and learned to play accordion while the Netherlands was still under the Nazi rule during World War II. After hearing Joe Mooney on a radio broadcast after the war, he decided to play jazz.[2]

Later life and career

[edit]

Mathews moved to New York in 1952 and formed a quartet which included Herbie Mann.[2] He also worked with Kenny Clarke, Art Farmer, Percy Heath, Carmen McRae, Oscar Pettiford, Joe Puma, Milt Jackson and Julius Watkins.[2] He worked mainly as a session musician in the late 1950s, and returned to the Netherlands in 1964, where he worked as an arranger, session musician, and record producer.[2] In the 1970s, he worked in the US with Charlie Byrd, Doug Duke, Marian McPartland, and Clark Terry.[3]

Discography

[edit]

As sideman

[edit]

With Carmen McRae

References

[edit]
  1. ^ nrc
  2. ^ a b c d Yanow, Scott. "Mat Mathews". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  3. ^ "Doug Duke". www.walterdixon.com. Retrieved 2017-04-17.
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