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Onzy Matthews

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Onzy Matthews
Onzy Matthews, 1976
Onzy Matthews, 1976
Background information
Birth nameOnzy Durrett Matthews, Jr.
Born(1930-01-15)January 15, 1930
Fort Worth, Texas,US
DiedNovember 13, 1997(1997-11-13)(aged 67)
Dallas, Texas
GenresJazz,bebop,soul,R&B,hard bop,jazz fusion
Occupation(s)Musician, composer,arranger,actor
Instrument(s)Piano,singer
Labels
Formerly of

Onzy Durrett Matthews, Jr.(January 15, 1930 – November 13, 1997) was an Americanjazzpianist, singer,arranger,composer,and television and movie actor. He is best known for thebig bandarrangements done for theLou RawlsalbumsBlack and BlueandTobacco Road,as well as arrangements for several ofRay Charles' 1960s releases. He had his own big band for many years and recorded numerous tracks forCapitol Records,including two albums released under his own name. He later had a close relationship with theDuke Ellingtonorchestra, working as a pianist, arranger and conductor through the late 1960s and 1970s.

Biography

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Early days and move to Los Angeles

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Onzy Durrett Matthews, Jr. was born on January 15, 1930, to Onzy Matthews and Leola Jones in Fort Worth, Texas. He grew up in Dallas until his early teens when his mother moved toLos Angelesseeking better-paying work. His early exposure to music was through singing in a churchgospelchoir.[1]

Matthews knew early on that he wanted to be a musician: "music was his calling."[2]He graduated from high school early, at the age of 16, and primarily wanted to be a singer. "I taught myself to accompany myself on piano and then I found out you had to have arrangements."[1]In the early 1950s, he enrolled in the Westlake College of Music inHollywoodand studied voice, ear training and harmony; much likeBerklee School of Musicthey were proponents of theSchillinger System.He auditioned for band leaderLes Brownas an arranger; Brown helped Matthews focus on what to keep in an arrangement that works, and what to discard.[1]

First breaks with Dexter Gordon and Curtis Amy

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In 1959, Matthews contactedDexter Gordonwho was active in the Los Angeles jazz scene at the time. Matthews' firstbig bandwas started with the help of Gordon and fellow saxophonistCurtis Amy.The group started with a book of 21 charts from Matthews, and rehearsed on Wednesday nights for 5 months until they finally booked gigs in the area. The group was a conglomerate of all-star Los Angeles jazz/studio artists who immediately took a liking to playing Matthews' inventive,blues-based orchestrations; the first players coming through his band included Gordon, Amy,Sonny Criss,Jack Sheldon,Carmell Jones,andRed Mitchell.[3]Curtis Amy included two of Matthews' original tunes on hisPacific JazzalbumsMeetin' HereandWay Downin 1961 and 1962 respectively. Dexter Gordon recorded Matthews' original tune "Very Saxily Yours" for hisGettin' Aroundalbum onBlue Note,but the track was not released until 25 years later on the CD re-issue.[1]Matthews became known around Los Angeles as an adept arranger and musical director; his first professional arranging assignments came at this time withLionel Hampton,Della Reese,Ruth Price,andGene McDaniels.The first tune of Matthews to be commercially recorded was in 1956, when clarinetist Maurice Meunier, who had played withLionel Hampton,recorded in France. Meunier had got a copy of Matthews' "Blues for the Reverend" through his association with the Hampton band the year before.

Racial discrimination and problems with recording companies

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Much like otherblackjazz artists of that time, it was particularly difficult for Matthews to break prejudice and color barriers.[4]He said at the time: "They said the band was too mixed, a couple of whites or a couple ofNegroeswould be O.K. but not 50/50. "[4]He was confronted by an agent who hired an all-white group for aLas Vegasshow rather than Matthews' mixed band. His frustration extended toA&Rrepresentatives forDecca,Columbia,andCapitol,who liked the sound of the band and his music but expressed concern after seeing the racially mixed band in person.[5]

Onzy Matthews Big Band

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Matthews' group in the early 1960s was finding work as a big band in Los Angeles; most of his players were shared, alternating withGerald Wilson's big band (another integrated big band) every other weekend at the Metro Theatre in Los Angeles.[1]The group also had a long running gig on Monday nights at the Virginia Club in Los Angeles.[5]

Players for Matthews' big bands and recordings in Los Angeles includedBud Brisbois,Curtis Amy,Bobby Bryant,Dick Hyde,Teddy Edwards,Earl Palmer,Jay Migliori,Conte Candoli,Richard 'Groove' Holmes,Horace Tapscott,Gabe Baltazar,Joe Maini,Ollie Mitchell,Herb Ellis,Carmell Jones,Sonny Criss,andJack Nimitz.These included bothblackand white studio musicians, which continued to present a problem until Matthews worked with the much younger producerNick Venetafter he signed toCapitol.[5]Singers that Matthews featured and wrote for, on their regular live gigs, includedRuth Price,Jimmy Witherspoon,Big Miller,and June Eckstine.[5]

Breakthrough with Lou Rawls and Capitol Records

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Lou Rawls and Onzy Matthews in the early 1960s

Lou Rawlswas signed toCapitol Recordsin early 1961 and had a breakthrough set of hits withLes McCannand the albumStormy Monday.Nick Venet was in charge of Rawls, and introduced him to Matthews. In August 1962, they recorded 13 new charts arranged by Matthews that featured Rawls' resonatingbaritonevoice.[1]Eleven of those charts would comprise Rawls' LPBlack and Blue,which charted for three weeks inBillboardmagazine from April 1963, reaching no.130. Both men were back in the studio at Capitol in July and August 1963 to record more tracks, which made up Rawls' albumTobacco Road.Both albums were re-issued in 1969 on a Capitol release,Close-Up,which charted for three weeks inBillboardstarting in August 1969, peaking at no.191. The band for the two Rawls LPs is essentially the personnel of the Onzy Matthews big band from that time.[6]Matthews' arranging style was a perfect fit for Rawls, but the pair did not re-unite for any other releases for Capitol.[1]Two other sets of singles sessions with Rawls from 1963 have never been issued. Matthews' band continued to back Lou Rawls on live concerts and events during the late 1960s.[7]

A second high-profile Matthews arranging assignment during this time was forJac Holzman,who used him to arrange the traditional jazz ensemble tracks forJudy Henske's 1963 debut album forElektra Records.[8]

Matthews was finally signed to Capitol by Venet, and his first LPNon-Stop Jazz Sambawas recorded in February 1963.[1]However, the album was not released. It has three different instrumentations of ensembles, with his big band as the core. Matthews showed his adeptness at a wide range of writing; the tracks are somewhat likeQuincy Jones' 1962 albumBig Band Bossa Novareleased byMercury Records.There are other unissued jazz sessions that Matthews arranged from this time withDupree BoltonforPacific Jazz,and tracks withRichard 'Groove' Holmesrecorded at Capitol. Later, Holmes had Matthews arrange all the tracks for his own releaseBook of Blues: Volume Iin 1964 forWarner Bros. Records,backed by Matthews' big band. Matthews wrote more charts and supplied the same band on Holmes' November 1966 releaseA Bowl of Soul,also with Warner Bros. Records.

In January 1964, Matthews recorded his first commercially released LP under his own name for Capitol:Blues with a Touch of Elegance.Though not a financial success, the LP is widely known by musicians and music critics as a masterpiece of jazz composing and arranging.[1]The initialBillboardreview was extremely positive putting it in the "Jazz: Special Merit" category.[9]Lefty Louie/Blues Non-Stop,a quartet backed by voices, was also recorded during these sessions and was released as a single on the Capitol label.

Onzy Matthews, 1966
Sounds of the '60s!

July 1964 saw the next Matthews' Capitol album recorded,Sounds of the '60s,but it was not issued until spring 1966.[10]The album is not as cohesive a project as the first release and did not achieve the same fame asBlues With a Touch of Elegance.

In October 1966, Matthews was assigned to write forEsther Phillips.His charts were recorded live in 1970, and appeared on theAtlanticreleaseConfessin' the Blues,one of Phillips' best recordings.[1][11]The Phillips release has frequently been miscredited as having been recorded in 1976, due to its repackaging as a compilation; again Matthews' big band backs the primary artist. His other arranging assignments for recordings included work forHerb Alpertand Curtis Amy's 1965 LPThe Sounds of Broadway/The Sounds of Hollywoodfor Palomar Records. He did some writing forLloyd Price's big band and also theJazz with SteveKTLAT.V. show from Los Angeles in 1963.[1]From then on there were no more releases by Matthews as leader for Capitol or any other recording label; much was recorded with Capitol and finally released for the first time on theMosaic Select 29CD set in 2007.[1]

Matthews was known as a singer, but the only documentation of this is on the 2007 Mosaic set. ProducerMichael Cuscunafound three tracks Matthews recorded during this era in July and October 1964, where he overdubbed his singing while fronting his big band. These had never been issued before the Mosaic set was issued.[1]The Onzy Matthews big band was recorded far more on other artists' releases, primarily backing singers, than under his own name.[12]

Ray Charles and other writing

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During the mid-1960s, Matthews was able to parlay his earlier arranging success into being offered numerous arranging assignments with singerRay Charles.All these tracks were recorded forABC-Paramount.In March and June 1965, two arrangements by Matthews were recorded for Charles' albumCountry & Western meets Rhythm & Blues.[1]He had one arrangement on the 1966 albumRay's Moods,and three more on Charles'Cryin' Time.Both these 1966 albums charted withBillboard.One last chart completed for Ray Charles was done for thesingle"That's All I Am To You". Matthews arrangement ofDriftin' BluesonCryin' Timeis noted as a standout that features a guitar solo by Ray Crawford.[1]More writing assignments during this time include arranging for television shows such as the June 29, 1965CBSspecial,It's What's Happening, Baby!featuring numerous contemporary pop acts.[13]

Acting career

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Matthews first worked in Los Angeles night clubs as a singer in the 1950s, and became known as a personality. He had his first television appearance on theKLAC-TVshowHollywood On Televisionhosted by Al Jarvis, where he sang in duet with co-hostBetty White(her first T.V. work). He also broke into acting around Hollywood; Matthews was tall, handsome, and very well spoken.[1]He appeared in the July 1965NBCKraft Suspense TheatreepisodeConnery's Hand[14]and also the February 14, 1966, episodeIn Search of AprilfromRun for Your LifestarringBen Gazzarawhich also ran onNBC.[1]

Duke Ellington, Paris, last move to Dallas

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Matthews and his band went on a three-week tour in 1966 for Capitol Records to promote his second album for the label (Sounds of the '60s!). During a stop in New York City, he metMercer Ellingtonand as a result became a piano substitute forDuke Ellington.He undertook several collaborations with theDuke Ellington Orchestrathrough the 1970s as an arranger.[15]He co-wrote an unrecorded composition with Ellington,Just a Gentle Word from You Will Do.[1]Several years after Duke Ellington died, Matthews had a disagreement in 1979 with Mercer Ellington, and later had to settle a pay dispute with Ellington's son arising from Matthews' uncredited arrangements on the 1996 Musicmasters Records CD releaseOnly God Can Make A Tree.[15]

During the 1970s, Matthews arranged music for albums byEarl HinesandRoy Ayers;he also worked on television music forPaul Anka.At that time, he moved around between New York,DallasandSeattle,and at one point worked forSheraton Resortsin theVirgin Islands,Aruba,andCuraçaoas solo pianist and singer. Disenchanted by much of the musical scene, in 1979 Matthews moved toParisand started another jazz orchestra. Working from there as a composer, arranger, and actor, he appeared in the movieDingo(1991) playing the trumpeter Caesar alongsideMiles Davis.[1]

Matthews returned to New York in 1993 after a financially devastating operation forprostate cancer.Mercer Ellington offered Matthews work on his father'sSacred Concert musicas an arranger. Matthews also contributed string arrangements forVanessa Rubin'sI'm Glad There Is Youalbum done forRCA Novusduring this time. Prompted by his mother's death, in 1994 he moved back to Dallas to be with his father; his father died on May 26, 1995.

Onzy Matthews had a last set of tours and concerts in Europe and Dallas, conducting his own music and that of Duke Ellington in 1996–1997; an interview by theDallas Observerthree months before his death outlined his musical career.[15]Matthews died at the age of 67 on November 13, 1997, in his Dallas apartment, of heart failure brought on byarteriosclerosis.

Musical legacy

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In 2007Michael Cuscunaproduced a set of recordings forMosaicdocumenting the music from Onzy Matthews'Capitolrecordings.[1][16]This set comprises the two albums he released with hisbig bandplus all the other unissued material recorded at Capitol by Matthews with his band. The first LP, thebossa novaproject from 1963, was not put on the market at the time, despite its writing and playing being equal to anything happening during that time in jazz and pop music.[1]Matthews' big bands recorded much more on other artists' LPs than under his own name. He was in demand as an arranger for numerous singers, and the band had a level of success that translated into being a very good live "club date" band and "studio" orchestra. His music and his band never got a real opportunity to stand on its own.[1]

He was an important part of several different musical and cultural movements on theWest Coastduring the 1950s and 1960s. Matthews was part of theCentral Avenuemusic scene in the 1950s and grew musically from interaction with important jazz musicians such as Lionel Hampton, Dexter Gordon, and Curtis Amy. He also trained at the Westlake College of Music with great composers and arrangers such asBill Holman,Gary Peacock,Bob Cooper,andBob Graettinger.[17]Matthews is enigmatic and a hard person to pinpoint; in many ways he did not get nearly the credit he deserved in comparison with big band leaders or musical directors such asOliver Nelson,Gerald Wilson,orHarold Wheeler.[1][15]

Discography, television, film

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As leader

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  • [1963]Non-stop Jazz Samba(Capitol)[1]
  • 1964Blues With A Touch Of Elegance(Capitol)
  • 1964Lefty Louie/Blues Non-Stop(7 ", Single) (Capitol)
  • 1966Sounds For The '60s!(Capitol)
  • 2007Onzy Matthews: Mosaic Select 29(Mosaic)

As composer, arranger, and/or conductor

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Television and film (actor)

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  • 1965 Kraft Suspense Theatre:Connery's Hands
  • 1966 Run for Your Life:In Search of April
  • 1991Dingo

See also

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References

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  1. ^abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxCuscuna, Michael.Mosaic Select 29: Onzy Matthewsliner notes. Mosaic Records, Stamford CT. 2007
  2. ^Brumley, Al.Dallas Morning Newsinterview with Onzy Matthews, 1996
  3. ^Britt, Stan.Dexter Gordon: A Musical BiographyDaCapo Press, London. 1989. p. 80
  4. ^ab"L.A. Band Leader Says Record Firms, Nightspots Nix Mixed Bands" 'Jet,May 31, 1962. pp. 60–61
  5. ^abcd"Tough Times For Mixed Band in Los Angeles",Down Beat,April 26, 1962, p. 11
  6. ^Tapscott, Horace.Songs of the Unsung: The Musical and Social Journey of Horace TapscottDuke University Press, 2001. pp. 231
  7. ^Garneau, Theo.If It Swings, It's Music.University of Hawaii Press. 2012
  8. ^Houghton, Mick.Becoming Elektra: The True Story of Jac Holzman's Visionary Record Label,Jawbone Press, 2010. pp. 116
  9. ^review,Billboard,June 20, 1964. p. 25
  10. ^Album review (spotlight),Billboard,April 23, 1966, pp. 42 and 51
  11. ^Confessin' the Blues,Esther Phillipswith the Onzy Matthews Jazz Orchestra, CD. Atlantic Records, New York, NY ©1976. Recorded at Freddie Jett's Pied Piper Club, Los Angeles, California, on January 31, 1970.OCLC19550492
  12. ^Refer to discography section: the Matthews big band backs Lou Rawls, Richard Holmes, and Esther Phillips on numerous recordings
  13. ^Terrace, Vincent.Television Specials: 5,336 Entertainment Programs, 1936-2012McFarland Publishing, 2013. p. 201
  14. ^""Kraft Suspense Theatre" Connery's Hands (TV Episode 1965) ".IMDb.com.
  15. ^abcdSchuller, Tim."Bandleader at bay: Arranger-conductor Onzy Matthews proves that only the strong survive"The Dallas Observer:Music Section. August 7, 1997
  16. ^review of Onzy Matthews Mosaic set,New York Times,August 19, 2007
  17. ^"Home".The Schillinger Society.

Bibliography

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  • Cuscuna, Michael.Mosaic Select 29: Onzy Matthews3 CDs and extensive liner notes.Mosaic Records,Stamford CT. 2007.OCLC166272818
  • Garneau, Theo.If It Swings, It's Music: the Autobiography of Hawaii's Gabe Baltazar Jr.University of Hawaii Press. 2012.OCLC767806923
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