Cosimo Vincent Matassa (April 13, 1926 – September 11, 2014) was an American
recording engineer and
studio owner, responsible for many
R&B and early
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm ...
recordings.
Life and career
Matassa was born in
in 1926.
[Komorowski, Adam. Liner notes. ''The Cosimo Matassa Story'' (CD).] In 1944 he began studies as a chemistry major at
Tulane University, which he abandoned after completing five semesters of course work. In 1945, at the age of 18, Matassa opened the J&M Recording Studio at the back of his family's shop on
Rampart Street, on the border of the
French Quarter in New Orleans.
In 1955, he moved to the larger Cosimo Recording Studio on Gov. Nichols Street, nearby in the French Quarter.
As an engineer and proprietor, Matassa was crucial to the development of the sound of R&B, rock and soul of the 1950s and 1960s, often working with the producers
Dave Bartholomew and
Allen Toussaint. He recorded many hits, including
Fats Domino’s "
The Fat Man" (a contender for the
first rock and roll record),
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...
's "
Tutti Frutti", and records by
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...
,
Lee Dorsey,
Dr. John
Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B.
Active as a session musician from ...
,
Smiley Lewis,
Bobby Mitchell
Robert Cornelius Mitchell (June 6, 1935 – April 5, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a halfback and flanker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns and the Washington Redskins. Mitchell becam ...
,
Tommy Ridgley, the
Spiders and many others. He was responsible for developing what became known as the New Orleans sound, with strong drums, heavy guitar and bass, heavy piano, light horns and a strong
vocal lead. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Matassa also managed the successful white New Orleans rock-and-roll performer
Jimmy Clanton.
Matassa is interviewed on screen in the 2005 documentary film ''
Make It Funky!'', which presents a history of
New Orleans music and its influence on
rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...
,
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm ...
,
funk and
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
.
Matassa retired from the music business in the 1980s to manage the family's food store, Matassa's Market, in the French Quarter.
He died on September 11, 2014, aged 88, in New Orleans.
[ Spera, Keith. "Cosimo Matassa, New Orleans Recording Studio Owner, Engineer and Rock 'n' Roll Pioneer, Has Died"]
''Times-Picayune'', September 11, 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
Awards and honors
In December 1999, J&M Recording Studio was designated as a historic landmark.
In October 2007, Matassa was honored for his contributions to Louisiana music with induction into the
Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. In the same year he was also given a
Grammy Trustees Award.
On September 24, 2010, the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum designated J&M Recording Studio a
historic Rock and Roll Landmark
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
, one of 11 nationwide.
In 2012, he was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...
as a nonperformer.
He was inducted to the
Blues Hall of Fame in 2013.
See also
*
Italians in New Orleans
Italians have had a presence in the New Orleans area since the explorations of the Europeans. Many Sicilians immigrated to New Orleans in the 19th century, traveling on the Palermo-New Orleans route by ship.Maselli and Candeloro, p7Maggi, Lau ...
References
External links
*
*
*
"Cosimo Matassa" by Matthew Sakakeeny, 2003 at ''Roll With It''
J&M Recording Studio curated by Ponderosa Stomp Foundation
Oral History Interview with Cosimo Matassaa
The Historic New Orleans Collection
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matassa, Cosimo
1926 births
2014 deaths
Record producers from Louisiana
American people of Italian descent
Businesspeople from New Orleans
Tulane University alumni
20th-century American businesspeople