MATTHEW GARRISON
Genres: Eclectic Fusion, Dub, Ska, Reggae • United States

Through the '90s, bassist Matthew Garrison established a reputation in jazz circles after hitting the road with such high profile bands as Joe Zawinul's Syndicate, Steve Coleman's Five Elements, John McLaughlin's The Heart Of Things, and the John Scofield Group. His remarkable speed and facility on electric 5-string fretted and fretless basses easily impressed the bass community, but it was Garrison's sophisticated chordal approach on the instrument that clearly set him apart from other chopsmeisters on the scene. The son of Jimmy Garrison -- longtime bassist with tenor sax legend John Coltrane, and sideman to a host of jazz greats through the '60s and '70s -- Matthew grew up with the bass as a prominent presence in his life. Born on June 2, 1970, he spent the first six years of his life immersed in a community of musicians, dancers, visual artists, and poets. (His mother Roberta Escamilla Garrison is an read more...