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Ron Mathewson
Ron Mathewson
Ron Mathewson
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Key Information

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.

Biography

[edit]

Mathewson was born in Lerwick, Shetland Islands, into an unusually musical household. At eight years of age, he was studying classical piano.[2] He continued to study and perform classical piano until he reached the age of 16, 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 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 into the 1990s, Mathewson 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 had died the previous day, after suffering from COVID-19 in London during the pandemic in England.[3]

Discography

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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

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Ron Mathewson

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from Grokipedia
Ron Mathewson was a Scottish jazz double bassist and bass guitarist renowned for his virtuosic technique, powerful rhythmic drive, and influential presence in the British jazz scene from the 1960s onward. Born on 19 February 1944 in Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland, he began playing professionally in his teens, working in Germany and Scotland before settling in London in 1964, where he quickly established himself as one of the most respected and versatile bassists of his generation. Mathewson's career spanned traditional, mainstream, and freer forms of jazz, marked by long-term associations with British luminaries such as Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott, John Taylor, and Stan Sulzmann, as well as frequent collaborations with visiting American artists including Stan Getz, Ben Webster, Joe Henderson, Philly Joe Jones, and Roy Eldridge. He was a key member of Ronnie Scott's quintet for many years and contributed to the development of the UK jazz scene through his work with groups like the Clarke-Boland Big Band and his quartet with Sulzmann, Taylor, and Tony Levin. His playing was celebrated for its elegant yet unorthodox approach, melodic inventiveness, and ability to seamlessly blend disciplined support with explosive creativity. Mathewson retired from public performance in later years and passed away on 3 December 2020 in London at the age of 76. His legacy endures through his recordings, the admiration of fellow musicians, and his lasting impact on British jazz.

Early Life

Childhood and Family Background

Ron Mathewson was born Rognvald Andrew Mathewson on 19 February 1944 in Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland. He grew up in the Shetland Islands, where his early musical talent was noted and encouraged by local musician Peerie Willie Johnson. This support from the Shetland musical community helped shape his formative years.

Introduction to Music

Ron Mathewson initially studied classical piano before switching to bass after substituting for a friend on the instrument. He received encouragement from Shetland fiddler Peerie Willie Johnson. He left Shetland around age 17 to play professionally in Germany with a Scottish Dixieland band in 1962.

Jazz Career

Early Professional Engagements

Ron Mathewson began his professional music career in 1962, when he joined a Scottish Dixieland band for performances in Germany. Born in Lerwick on the Shetland Islands and initially trained in classical piano, he had switched to double bass as a teenager before embarking on paid work. In 1962, he recorded with the Clyde Valley Stompers in London. He moved to London in 1964 and worked with various jazz and R&B bands in the city during the early to mid-1960s, gaining experience amid London's active music scene. He also became a member of the Kenny Clarke–Francy Boland Big Band, appearing on recordings such as the 1969 live album at Ronnie Scott's and 1976 studio sessions.

Major Band Associations

Ron Mathewson had an early entry into the professional jazz scene through engagements with Dixieland groups and later the Kenny Clarke–Francy Boland Big Band. He then embarked on one of his most prominent and sustained associations by joining Tubby Hayes' band in 1966, where he served as the primary bassist until Hayes' death in 1973. This seven-year tenure placed Mathewson at the heart of British modern jazz during a period of significant creativity for Hayes' groups, including quartet and larger ensembles. Mathewson began a long and regular involvement at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club starting in 1975. He participated frequently in concerts and recordings at the venue through the 1990s (with mainstay membership in Ronnie Scott's quintet from 1977 to 1992), accompanying both visiting American musicians and leading British performers. This extended role cemented his status as a fixture of London's premier jazz venue.

Key Collaborations and Recordings

Ron Mathewson established himself as a highly sought-after sideman in the British and international jazz scenes, performing and contributing his virtuosic bass playing to numerous recordings alongside leading artists. He accompanied prominent figures including Ronnie Scott, Stan Getz, Joe Henderson, Joan Armatrading, Ben Webster, Philly Joe Jones, Roy Eldridge, Oscar Peterson, and Bill Evans. Among his notable contributions are his work on Tubby Hayes' Mexican Green (1967), where he provided bass support on the tenor saxophonist's exploration of modal and hard bop material. He also featured prominently on Philly Joe Jones' Trailways Express, recorded in 1968 and released in 1971, showcasing his rhythmic precision in a quartet setting alongside the legendary drummer. Mathewson participated in Kenny Wheeler's Song for Someone (1973), adding his distinctive tone to the trumpeter-composer's innovative large-ensemble work. His collaborations extended to projects with pianist Gordon Beck, including various recordings that highlighted his versatility across modern jazz contexts. In 1983, he appeared on Dick Morrissey's After Dark, contributing to the saxophonist's late-career session that blended straight-ahead jazz with contemporary influences. These selected recordings exemplify Mathewson's role as a reliable and creative collaborator who enhanced the work of many leading musicians through his technical skill and musical sensitivity.

Media Appearances and Contributions

Television Performances

Ron Mathewson made notable on-camera television appearances as a jazz double bassist, primarily in British programs that captured live or studio jazz performances during the late 1960s and 1970s. His earliest documented televised performances occurred in the 1969 BBC series Jazz Scene at the Ronnie Scott Club, where he appeared as himself playing acoustic double bass (or simply bass) across three episodes. These broadcasts featured performances at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London, aligning closely with Mathewson's extensive live work at the venue during that era. Later, in 1979, Mathewson appeared as Self - Acoustic Double Bass in The Jazz Series, a Scottish Television program that presented various jazz groups and performers. These appearances underscored his role in bringing jazz bass playing to broader audiences through broadcast media.

Documentary and Soundtrack Credits

Ron Mathewson's contributions to documentaries and soundtracks are limited and primarily involve the use of archival recordings or existing compositions rather than original scores created specifically for visual media. His music appears in the 2015 documentary Tubby Hayes: A Man in a Hurry, directed by Lee Cogswell, which explores the life and career of saxophonist Tubby Hayes. Mathewson is credited as a performer on the soundtrack using archival recordings from his work with Hayes. These selections reflect his role as the bassist in Hayes' groups during the 1960s rather than newly composed material for the film. IMDb identifies Tubby Hayes: A Man in a Hurry (2015) among the projects for which Mathewson is known, underscoring the archival and retrospective nature of most media uses of his work. No additional soundtrack or documentary credits appear in reliable sources, consistent with his primary career focus on live jazz performance and studio recordings.

Personal Life and Challenges

Injury and Recovery

In early 2007, Ron Mathewson sustained life-changing injuries from a bad fall, forcing his sudden retirement from the professional London jazz scene. To support him during this period, prominent UK jazz musicians organized a marathon 12-hour benefit concert on 11 February 2007 at the Bull's Head in Barnes, West London, featuring the leading figures of the British jazz community. The event raised funds for Mathewson, who was unable to attend but sent his regards via a message read to the audience, expressing his hope that everyone was enjoying themselves. The concert was recorded and preserved by fellow musician Paul Burnett-Kirk. Following his recovery, Mathewson remained retired from professional performance but lived for many more years.

Death

Circumstances and Immediate Aftermath

Ron Mathewson died on 3 December 2020 at the age of 76 in London, England, after contracting COVID-19 during the pandemic. He had been admitted to hospital with the virus in mid-November 2020 and passed away shortly before midnight on the day of his death. The news of his passing was quickly shared within the jazz community, with London Jazz News reporting the details on 4 December 2020 and describing him as "the very great Scottish bassist." Immediate tributes highlighted his influence and artistry, including from bassist Dave Holland, who stated that Mathewson's playing had been an inspiration and that his inventive approach to the bass and exploratory soloing would be remembered through stories and anecdotes for years to come. Saxophonist Stan Sulzmann called him a real jazz player with great character and an individual voice, while pianist Liam Noble described him as one of the most phenomenal bass players in the music's history. These responses reflected widespread recognition of his formidable contributions among fellow musicians.

Legacy

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