Ronnie Mathews (December 2, 1935 – June 28, 2008) was one of the most prestigious pianists of the past 40 years and yet one of those essential contributors to the puzzle of jazz history who has not received due recognition. It seems Ronnie Mathews would be more a household name than it is, for his lofty investment into jazz.
His years of touring and his many albums, both as leader and sideman, are overwhelming in number. Critics have showered accolades upon his name and affectionately compare him to fellow pianists Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell, with a sprinkle of McCoy Tyner. Not that Ronnie ever imitated them, but rather, that he is in league with these jazz greats.
Ronald Albert Mathews was born in New York City. He studied piano, theory and composition at Brooklyn College and Manhattan School Of Music where he gained his BM in 1959. After brief periods with Kenny Dorham and Roy Haynes he worked with Max Roach (1963-68) and Freddie Hubbard (1964-66). By thirty, he began teaching jazz piano and led workshops, clinics and master classes at Long Island University in New York City. He was also a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers (1968-69, 1975) making tours of Europe and Japan with both Roach and Blakey.
He played with Louis Hayes (from1972) and Clark Terry, then joined Hayes and Woody Shaw to accompany Dexter Gordon when the saxophonist returned to the USA from Europe in 1976. One of the highlights of his career, and one of his longest associations, was with the Johnny Griffin Quartet. For almost five years (1978-1982) he was an integral part of this band and forged lasting relationships with Griffin, Kenny Washington (drums) and Ray Drummond (bass). The New York Times described Mathews as "a constant and provocative challenge to Mr. Griffin. He is the energizer of the group". One of the few Johnny Griffin recordings that features Mathews' original compositions is "To the Ladies" (Galaxy).
Here’s “Linda” from above album.
In the 1980s, Mathews began honing his role as a front man. He performed as a leader in duo, trio and quartet configurations around the world (from New York City to Genova, to the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands, and more). He also toured with Freddie Hubbard and Dizzy Gillespie's United Nations Band. Mathews was also involved in cross-media projects: he was pianist for the Tony Award winning Broadway musical, Black and Blue in 1989, and, in 1990, he was one of the artists who recorded for Spike Lee's movie, Mo' Better Blues.
After a stint touring and recording with the Clifford Jordan Big Band in the early 1990s, Mathews joined T.S. Monk for eight years of touring and recording. The Chicago Tribune stated that "The soul of the band is pianist Ronnie Mathews, whose angular romanticism provides the horn players with a lush and spicy foundation for their improvising". Three albums were recorded with the T.S. Monk, Jr. Band, including Charm. In 1998, Hal Leonard Books published his collection of student arrangements: "Easy Piano of Thelonious Monk".
His most recent work was in 2008, as both a mentor and musician with Generations, a group of jazz musicians headed by veteran drummer Jimmy Cobb. He contributed two new compositions for the album that was released by San Francisco State University's International Center for the Arts on September 15, 2008.
Ronnie Mathews passed away in Brooklyn on June 28, 2008 at the age of 72 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
(Edited from Wikipedia & New Grove Dictionary of Jazz)