Ray Barbee and the Mattson 1
My brother Jared and I have always been around music. When we were toddlers my dad said we used to dance to Ornett Coleman records in our playpen. I started playing music when I was twelve-first guitar, than bass, than finally drums. My brother Jared stuck with guitar while I branched off and experimented on different instruments. We soon became interested in jazz music because of the expressiveness and the immprovisation. It wasn’t until a couple years ago that multi talented Artist/Filmmaker Thomas Campbell discovered our music. The name of our two-piece alternative jazz band became “Mattson 2”. Though the music remained our own Thomas helped in producing our music and helping us develope our own originality. We than began playing for Thomas’s Art shows in LA and the showings of his movie “Sprout” in New York City, New Jersey, and Virginia. And it wasn’t until recently that we got signed to Thomas’s and partner Greg Lamson’s record label Galaxia. We’ve had the experience of playing countless shows and venues. We’ve recently recorded an album with professional skateboarder/musician Ray Barbee. Mattson 2 has also had the honor to perform at an art event called Beautiful Losers, which thousands attended. The art at the event featured art by famous artists and skateboarders some of which are- Jean-Michel Basquiat, Thomas Campbell, Shepard Fairey, Barry McGee, Ed Templeton, Keith Haring, Mark Gonzales, Spike Jonze, Andy Jenkins, Geoff McFetridge and Evan Hecox-to name only some. In March of 2006 my brother and I had the honor of being recorded in Chicago by Chicago’s greatest John McEntire (plays for Tortoise/The Sea And Cake) and that album recorded there was produced by Thomas Campbell. In March 2006 Mattson 2 also had the experience of playing the west coast music festival Noise Pop; held each year in San Francisco. This year the noise pop festival we played featured music by The Flaming Lips, Feist, Wolfmother, Sam Prekop and Archer Prewitt, to name just a few. The audience we play for is not only Jazz appreciators but also appeals to the mainstream that may not even have a taste for Jazz.
