Cosimo Matassa
Cosimo Matassa | |
---|---|
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | |
Died | September 11, 2014 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | (aged 88)
Nationality | American |
Occupation(s) | Recording engineer, music studio owner |
Known for | J&M Recording Studio |
Awards | Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Blues Hall of Fame, Grammy Trustees Award |
Cosimo Vincent Matassa (April 13, 1926 – September 11, 2014) was an American
Life and career
Matassa was born in New Orleans in 1926.[1][2] In 1944 he began studies as a chemistry major at Tulane University, which he abandoned after completing five semesters of course work.[3] 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.[1] In 1955, he moved to the larger Cosimo Recording Studio on Gov. Nichols Street, nearby in the French Quarter.[1][4]
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
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, rock and roll, funk and jazz.[6][7]
Matassa retired from the music business in the 1980s to manage the family's food store, Matassa's Market, in the French Quarter.[8] He died on September 11, 2014, aged 88, in New Orleans.[9]
Awards and honors
In December 1999, J&M Recording Studio was designated as a historic landmark.[8]
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.[10]
On September 24, 2010, the
In 2012, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland as a nonperformer.[12] He was inducted to the Blues Hall of Fame in 2013.[13]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Unterberger, Richie (April 13, 1926). "Cosimo Matassa – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
- ^ Komorowski, Adam. Liner notes. The Cosimo Matassa Story (CD).
- ^ Martin, Douglas (September 12, 2014). "Cosimo Matassa, Whose Studio Created a Rock 'n' Roll Sound, Dies at 88". New York Times.
- ^ "Cosimo Matassa". www.rockhall.com. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
- ^ Billboard, May 23, 1960. p. 30.
- ProQuest 1370090.
- OCLC 61207781. 11952.
- ^ a b ""New Orleans sound" Legend Cosimo Matassa Has Died". Bestofneworleans.com. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Cosimo Matassa Dies: Engineer and Recording Academy Trustees Award Recipient Dies at 88". Grammy.com. September 11, 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
- ^ "Cosimo Matassa's J&M Recording Studio Named Rock and Roll Landmark". NOLA.com. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
- ^ "Guns n' Roses Inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame". Bbc.co.uk. December 7, 2011. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
- ^ "2013 Blues Hall of Fame Inductees Announced". Blues.org. Archived from the original on October 26, 2010. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
External links
- Cosimo Matassa at IMDb
- Cosimo Matassa at AllMusic
- Cosimo Matassa discography at Discogs
- "Cosimo Matassa" by Matthew Sakakeeny, 2003, at Roll With It
- J&M Recording Studio, curated by Ponderosa Stomp Foundation
- Oral History Interview with Cosimo Matassa at The Historic New Orleans Collection