Here is the first album By Mat Mathews and his All-Stars. Great — great musicians... but, at first sight a weird instru- mentation for jazz. At first sound and every sound thereafter, a delight to the ear, because here, you have a 'pretty’ jazz, sometimes driving, sometimes subtle sounds, but always pretty. Mat Mathews is going through his musical career looking for a sound that is both truthful and simple, yet still retaining that quality known as "healthy" jazz. He has tried it before with other groups and the answers were always "this is the one" — until he does his next long playing record. Here, however, he and the musicians on the session all voice the same feelings, "this one has that something nice, . . . that pretty swingin’ sound."
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Mat Mathews was born in The Hague, Holland in 1924. His first interest in music started during World War II. After the war he heard a Joe Mooney recording of "Tea For Two" on the American Armed Forces radio program. His mind was made up and he decided to play jazz on the accordion. After many successful engagements in Europe with his greatest triumphs in London, Mat came to the United States in 1952. He has worked all the great jazz spots, appeared on TV with Garry Moore, ]ack Paar, Arthur Godfrey, etc., and of course, has been a featured soloist at the Newport ]azz Festival. Coupled with the dexterity of his playing, the identifying sound is from his specially constructed Hohner accordion...
(from the original Liner Notes)
Mat Mathews
Swingin' Pretty
and All That Jazz
Tracks
1 One, Two, Button Your Shoe (Johnston, Burke) 4:44
2 My Devotion (Napton, Hillman) 2:58
3 The Moon Got in My Eyes (Johnston, Burke) 3:38
4 Oh What it Seemed To Be (Benjamin, Carle, Weiss) 2:48
5 Honeysuckle Rose (Razaf, Waller) 4:59
6 East Of The Sun (Bowman) 4:29
7 The Music Goes 'Round and 'Round (Hodgson, Furley, Riley) 4:45
8 My Foolish Heart (Young, Washington) 3:24
9 It's the Talk Of The Town (Symes, Neiburg, Levison) 2:51
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Personnel
Mat Mathews - ac
Gunnar Hansen - vl
Gene Bianco - hrp
Bucky Pizzarelli - g
Vinnie Burke - b
Ted Sommer - dr
Recorded ca 1960