Ron Mathewson

Rognvald Andrew Mathewson[1] (19 February 1944[2] – 3 December 2020)[3] was a British jazz double bassist and bass guitarist. During his career, Mathewson performed with Ronnie Scott, but also recorded with Stan Getz, Joe Henderson, Joan Armatrading, Ben Webster, Philly Joe Jones, Roy Eldridge, Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans.

Ron Mathewson
Born(1944-02-19)19 February 1944
OriginLerwick, Shetland, Scotland
Died3 December 2020(2020-12-03) (aged 76)
GenresJazz
Instrument(s)Double bass
Bass guitar

Biography

Mathewson was born in Lerwick, Shetland Islands, into an unusually musical household. At eight years old he was studying classical piano.[2] He continued to study and perform classical piano until he reached sixteen, having started playing bass guitar a year earlier.[2] His talent was noted and encouraged by the Shetland musician, Peerie Willie Johnson.

In 1962, Mathewson was in Germany, playing professionally with a band that played Dixieland music. In London, he also performed with various jazz and R&B bands throughout the early 1960s. Around this time he was also a member of The Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band.[2] In 1966, Mathewson became a member of the Tubby Hayes band, with which he performed until 1973.[2] From 1975 on in to the 1990s, he was frequently a participant in Ronnie Scott's recordings and concerts.[2] In 1983, he appeared on his old friend Dick Morrissey's solo album, After Dark, with Jim Mullen, John Critchinson, Martin Drew and Barry Whitworth.

On 11 February 2007, a benefit concert was held for Mathewson, who was reportedly recovering from two broken hips, a broken wrist and a ruptured artery.

The newsletter of the Vortex Jazz club reported on 4 December 2020, that Mathewson died the day before after suffering from COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in England.[3]

Discography

With Tubby Hayes

  • For Members Only (Live) (Miles Music)
  • Mexican Green (Fontana)

With Philly Joe Jones

With John Taylor

  • Reverie (Vinyl Records)

With Gordon Beck

  • Seven Steps to Evans w/ Tony Oxley & Kenny Wheeler (MPS)
  • All in the Morning (Jaguar)
  • Jazz Trio (Musica)
  • Gordon Beck's Gyroscope: One, Two, Three....Go! (Jaguar)

With Ronnie Scott

  • Live At Ronnie Scott's (CBS)
  • Serious Gold (Pye)

With Phil Woods and His European Rhythm Machine

  • Live at Montreux 72 (Les Disques Pierre Cardin)

With John Stevens

With Terry Smith

With Kenny Clarke

  • Rue Chaptal (MPS)

With Kenny Wheeler

With Acoustic Alchemy

  • Early Alchemy (GRP)

With Ian Carr

With the Spontaneous Music Ensemble

  • The Source: From and Towards (Tangent)
  • Live Big Band and Quartet (Vinyl)

With The Chitinous Ensemble

With Stan Sulzmann

  • On Loan with Gratitude (Mosaic)

With Rollercoaster

With Ray Nance

With Charles Tolliver

References
  1. "Ron Mathewson". Discogs.com. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  2. Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 279. ISBN 0-85112-580-8.
  3. "RIP Ron Mathewson (1944–2020)". London Jazz News. 4 December 2020.
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