David Matthews (keyboardist)

David Matthews (born March 4, 1942), is an American keyboardist, pianist, and music arranger.[2]

David Matthews
Birth nameDavid Richard Matthews
Born (1942-03-04) March 4, 1942
Sonora, Kentucky, U.S.
GenresJazz, jazz fusion, jazz-funk
Occupation(s)Instrumentalist, arranger
Instrument(s)
  • Keyboards
  • piano
Years active1966–present[1]
LabelsCTI, Electric Bird
Websitedavidmatthewsjazz.com
Alma materUniversity of Cincinnati

Early life and education

Matthews was born David Richard Matthews in Sonora, Kentucky. He earned a bachelor's degree in composition from the University of Cincinnati.[2][3]

Career

Matthews has composed television soundtracks as well as albums with the Manhattan Jazz Orchestra. He is the leader of the Manhattan Jazz Quintet.[3] Matthews was also the leader of the musical group the Grodeck Whipperjenny.

In 1970, he began working as both an arranger and bandleader for James Brown.[3] Matthews has worked with various musicians, including Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Rich, Idris Muhammad, and the Starland Vocal Band. He was staff arranger for Creed Taylor's CTI Records label during the mid-1970s, working on albums for artists such as George Benson, Esther Phillips, Grover Washington Jr., Hank Crawford, and Idris Muhammad.[3]

In 1977, he became one of the first artists to dedicate an entire composition to Frank Herbert's Dune, publishing an album that went by the same name.[4][5]

In 1978, Matthews arranged strings and orchestra and played piano on Nina Simone's album Baltimore.[6]

Matthews music has been heavily sampled by many hip-hop artists such as The Notorious B.I.G., Nas, MF DOOM, Method Man, Redman and Large Professor and others.[7]

Discography

As leader
  • The Grodeck Whipperjenny, People – rec. 1970
  • Big Band Recorded at the Five Spot (Muse, 1975)
  • Shoogie Wanna Boogie with Whirlwind (Kudu, 1976)
  • Dune (CTI, 1977)
  • Digital Love (Electric Bird, 1979)
  • Cosmic City with the Electric Birds (King, 1980)
  • Grand Cross (Bellaphon, 1983)
  • Delta Lady (Electric Bird, 1983)
  • Super Funky Sax (Electric Bird, 1984)
  • Billy Boy (King/Paddle Wheel, 1986)
  • Waltz for Debby (Paddle Wheel, 1987)
  • Speed Demon with the First Calls (Electric Bird, 1989)
  • Tennessee Waltz (King Records, 1989)
  • Jazz Ballads with Strings (Sweet Basil, 1991)
  • Super Trombone (Sweet Basil, 1995)
  • Watermelon Man (Sweet Basil, 1997)
  • Furuhata Jazz in N.Y. (WEA, 1997)
  • Mambo No. 5 (Sweet Basil, 1998)
  • Back to Bach (Milestone, 2000)
  • Girl from Ipanema with N.Y. Friends (Videoarts Music, 2002)
  • Impressions with N.Y. Friends (Videoarts Music, 2002)
  • Hey Duke! with the Manhattan Jazz Orchestra (Milestone, 2002) – rec. 1999

Appears on
  • James Brown, Sho' Is Funky Down Here, (King, 1971)
  • James Brown, "I Cried/World Pt. 2", (Starday King, 1971)[7"]
  • Vicki Anderson, "I'll Work It Out/In the Land of Milk and Honey", (Brownstone, 1971)[7"]
  • James Brown, "I Got a Bag of My Own", (Polydor, 1972)[7"]
  • Lyn Collins, Think (About It), (People, 1972)
  • James Brown, "Sexy, Sexy, Sexy", (Polydor, 1973)[7"]

Production
With Patti Austin
  • End of a Rainbow (CTI, 1976) - Arranger
With George Benson
  • In Concert-Carnegie Hall (CTI, 1975) - Arranger
  • Good King Bad (CTI, 1975) - Arranger
  • Benson & Farrell with Joe Farrell (CTI, 1976) - Arranger
With Jim Hall
With Ron Carter
  • Anything Goes (Kudu, 1975) - Arranger
With Hank Crawford
  • I Hear a Symphony (Kudu, 1975) - Composer and Arranger
  • Hank Crawford's Back (Kudu, 1976) - Composer and Arranger
With Art Farmer
  • Something You Got (CTI, 1977) - Arranger & Piano
  • Big Blues with Jim Hall (CTI, 1978) - Arranger
With Grant Green
  • The Main Attraction (Kudu, 1976) - Arranger
With Urbie Green
  • The Fox (CTI, 1976) - Arranger
  • Señor Blues (CTI, 1977) - Arranger & Piano
With Yusef Lateef
  • Autophysiopsychic (CTI, 1977) - Arranger

With O'Donel Levy

  • Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky (Groove Merchant, 1974) - Arranger
With Blue Mitchell
  • Many Shades of Blue (Mainstream, 1974) - Composer, Arranger and Conductor
With Idris Muhammad
  • House Of The Rising Sun (Kudu, 1975)
  • Turn This Mutha Out (Kudu, 1977)
  • Boogie to the Top (Kudu, 1978)
With Nina Simone
  • Baltimore (CTI, 1978) - Arranger & Piano
With Jeremy Steig
  • Firefly (CTI, 1977) - Arranger & Piano

References
  1. "DavidMatthewsJazz.com Biography". davidmatthewsjazz.com. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  2. Allmusic
  3. Feather, Leonard; Gitler, Ira, eds. (1999). The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz. Oxford University Press. pp. 444–445. ISBN 9780199729074. Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Google Books.
  4. Calloni, Simone (June 1, 2022). "MITOLOGIA, LETTERATURA E METAL - #10 – La musica tra le Dune (Parte prima)". Metallized.it (in Italian). Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  5. "David Matthews "Dune" at discogs.com".
  6. Cohodas, Nadine (2012). Princess Noire. University of North Carolina Press. pp. 292–294. ISBN 9780807882740. Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Google Books.
  7. "DavidMatthewsJazz.com". davidmatthewsjazz.com. Retrieved May 11, 2022.

Interviews
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