Ron Mathewson facts for kids

Ron Mathewson (born February 19, 1944, died December 3, 2020) was a talented musician from Britain. He was known for playing two cool instruments: the double bass and the bass guitar. These instruments are super important in jazz music, helping to create the rhythm and feel. Ron played with many famous musicians during his career, like Ronnie Scott, and even recorded music with big names such as Stan Getz and Oscar Peterson.

Ron's Early Life and Music Journey

Ron Mathewson was born in a place called Lerwick, in the Shetland Islands of Scotland. His family loved music, so it was a big part of his life from the start. When he was just eight years old, Ron began learning to play the classical piano. He kept playing the piano until he was sixteen. A year before that, he also started playing the bass guitar. A local musician from Shetland, Peerie Willie Johnson, noticed Ron's amazing talent and encouraged him to keep going.

Playing Music Around the World

In 1962, Ron traveled to Germany. There, he played music professionally with a band that performed Dixieland music. Dixieland is an early style of jazz that's often lively and fun. After that, Ron moved to London. Throughout the early 1960s, he played with many different jazz and R&B bands. R&B is a popular music style that mixes rhythm and blues.

Ron also became a member of a famous group called The Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band. A "big band" is a large musical group, usually playing jazz. In 1966, Ron joined the Tubby Hayes band. He played with them for many years, until 1973. From 1975 onwards, and into the 1990s, Ron often played at Ronnie Scott's famous jazz club. He also recorded many albums with Ronnie Scott.

In 1983, Ron played on an album called After Dark. This album was by his old friend, Dick Morrissey. They played with other great musicians like Jim Mullen and John Critchinson.

Later Years

In 2007, Ron faced some health challenges. His friends and fellow musicians held a special concert to help him. This showed how much he was loved and respected in the music world.

Sadly, Ron Mathewson passed away on December 3, 2020, after an illness. He was a truly important figure in British jazz music.