[Dixielandjazz] Emmett Matthews

[ROBERT R. CALDER]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k_vqnom_ro&feature=related

The mysterious disappearance of Matthews has disappeared, although whether he was a pioneering R&B tenor player must remain as subject to question as many of the idle speculations of an unfortunate repackager of on-line references. 
He became one of a vocal quartet called the Red Caps, with Steve Gibson, a sort of fashion-matching sequel to the Mills Brothers with Nat Cole connections (between guitar and amplifier) amd removed from jazz about as much as Cole. 

One of the YouTube items by versions of this ensemble (a pastiche boogie woogie thing) does feature the novelty of Matthews on soprano doing a merry musical impersonation of Illinois Jacquet making almost the same noises on tenor. 
There are more horns and there is more soprano on the item linked to. 
Some musical sequels to early jazz careers did to some extent resemble the Jazz Musician's Christmas as described by Jack Sheldon. 

Happy Year to all good musicians!

Robert