David Matthews (keyboardist)

{{For|other people named David (or Dave) Matthews|David Matthews (disambiguation){{!}}David Matthews}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = David Matthews

| image =

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| birth_name = David Richard Matthews

| alias =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1942|3|4}}

| birth_place = Sonora, Kentucky, U.S.

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| genre = Jazz, jazz fusion, jazz-funk

| occupation = Instrumentalist, arranger

| instrument = {{hlist|Keyboards|piano}}

| years_active = 1966–present{{Cite web |title=DavidMatthewsJazz.com Biography |url=http://davidmatthewsjazz.com/bio.html |access-date=2022-05-10 |website=davidmatthewsjazz.com}}

| label = CTI, Electric Bird

| associated_acts = Manhattan Jazz Quintet, Dave Matthews' Big Band, David Matthews & N.Y. Friends, David Matthews & the Super Latin Jazz Orchestra, David Matthews Orchestra, David Matthews Trio, J-Funk Express, Manhattan Jazz Orchestra, Manhattan Jazz Quintet, New York Liner, The Grodeck Whipperjenny

| website = {{URL|http://davidmatthewsjazz.com/}}

| module = {{Infobox person

| alma_mater = University of Cincinnati

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David Matthews (born March 4, 1942), is an American keyboardist, pianist, and music arranger.[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p44846/biography|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic]

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.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ma1BpsFE1WoC&pg=PA444 |title=The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz |editor1-first=Leonard |editor1-last=Feather |editor2-first=Ira |editor2-last=Gitler |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780199729074 |pages=444–445 |date=1999 |access-date=2023-06-25 |via=Google Books}}

Career

Matthews has composed television soundtracks as well as albums with the Manhattan Jazz Orchestra. He is the leader of the Manhattan Jazz Quintet. Matthews was also the leader of the musical group The Grodeck Whipperjenny, a psychedelic funkband in the seventies.

In 1970, he began working as both an arranger and bandleader for James Brown. 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.

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.{{cite news |last1=Calloni |first1=Simone |title=MITOLOGIA, LETTERATURA E METAL - #10 – La musica tra le Dune (Parte prima) |url=http://www.metallized.it/articolo.php?id=3743 |access-date=28 June 2022 |work=Metallized.it |date=1 June 2022 |language=Italian}}{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/master/248445-David-Matthews-Dune| title=David Matthews "Dune" at discogs.com| website=Discogs}}

In 1978, Matthews arranged strings and orchestra and played piano on Nina Simone's album Baltimore.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jRoy0ZDBRwAC&pg=PA292 |title=Princess Noire |first=Nadine |last=Cohodas |publisher=University of North Carolina Press |isbn=9780807882740 |pages=292–294 |date=2012 |access-date=2023-06-25 |via=Google Books}}

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.{{Cite web |title=DavidMatthewsJazz.com |url=http://davidmatthewsjazz.com/scrolls/scroll_bio.html |access-date=2022-05-11 |website=davidmatthewsjazz.com}}

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"]