Dan Matrazzo

Dr. Dan Matrazzo is a jazz, jam, rock, and fusion American keyboardist and pianist. He started playing piano at the age of three in 1962 and performed classical recitals growing up in Tokyo. His uncle was a very well known big band leader and bassist Ono Mitsuru. Dr Dan was the co-founder and co-producer of the Fiji Mariners featuring Col. Bruce Hampton and Joseph Patrick Moore. He was also a member and composer for legendary Grammy winning blues artist Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown.

Dr Dan's recordings with The Allman Brothers^[1] and Widespread Panic^[2] are available via various sources on the internet, and the album "Timeless," which he recorded with Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, was nominated for a Grammy Award.^[3] Matrazzo's piano can also be found on Brown's album "Real Life."^[4]

Dr. Dan has also played shows and/or tours with James Cotton and Taj Mahal,and has appeared on stage with Russell Malone, Lew Soloff, Phish, Blues Traveller, John Scofield, Michael Brecker, Les Claypool, Gov’t Mule, Ween, Lowell Fulson, George Porter Jr., Stanton Moore, Morphine and others.^[5] His professional journey began in 1975 as a teenager playing sold-out arenas with Japanese guitarist Hisato "Char" Takenaka.^[6] In 1981 Matrazzo was a part of the album Cloudland/Pink Cloud on VAP Records with Nobuki Yoshinaga, Masayoshi Kabe, Hisato "Char" Takenaka.^[7] From there he went on touring the US, Europe, Asia and the Mid-east with Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and numerous other musical outfits, including several appearances at all major European Jazz festivals.

Matrazzo was a member of the band Life Force in part of the 80s and 90s^[8] and played the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Northsea Jazz Festival with the group.^[9]

In 1992 to 1994 Dr. Dan and Char reunited with the band, the Psychedelix, and toured extensively in Japan and also concerts in Los Angeles and New York City.^[10] They released one album together "Live At NHK Hall" and other DVDs. They performed on March 20 at the SHIBUYA Public Hall TOKYO.

In 1996 Matrazzo performed with Jimmy Hall of Wet Willie, recording the tracks for his album "Rendezvous With The Blues" on Hammond B3.^[11]

He also recorded on Gregg Allman's album on Chrysalis Records in 1996.

His 2000 solo release “Dan on the Moon,” produced by David Z (Prince’s “Parade:Music From Under the Cherry Moon”), was released by Terminus Records and featured Sam Sims (Joe Sample, Crusaders) on bass, Lil’ John Roberts (George Duke) on drums, and Warren Haynes(Allman Brothers) on guitar.^[6] “Dan on the Moon” was considered by many to be the defining album of a new genre which jam fans immediately dubbed “Space Funk,”^[3] though it explored many styles from fusion and funk to soul, blues, prog rock, and even classical piano.

From 2005 to 2011 Dr. Dan focused mainly on traditional and post-bebop jazz music, but then began touring with [The Looters],^[12] who are also known for backing Blue Note Records' Kristina Train, Rosa King, and Saskia Laroo.^[12]

In 2013 Matrazzo reunited with John Scofield as well as Gov't Mule at the 25th annual Christmas Jam in Asheville, North Carolina. ^[13] In that year Matrazzo also released an album of jazz originals and standards entitled "Firefly" with drummer Stanton Moore of Galactic.^[14]

In 2015 Gov't Mule released the album "Sco-Mule" with Dr Dan Matrazzo on keys, John Scofield on guitar, and a host of other musicians including Jimmy Herring and Allen Woody. Recorded at the Georgia Theatre and the Roxy in Atlanta. This was the last recording made by bassist Allen Woody of the Allman Brothers Band. Additionally on October 6 of 2015, Matrazzo released a collaborative album with The Looters entitled "Dr. Dan Matrazzo and the Looters," also distributed by the Homegrown Music Network ^[15]

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