The talented Emmett Matthews spent at least four decades in the music business but had completely retired from performing by the '60s. While other classic jazz players from his generation later answered the plaintive call of stylistic revivals, Matthews chose to remain completely out of the professional picture; born close to the outset of the 20th century, he is presumed to be deceased although the details do not seem to be available. What certainly is at reach is the music he participated in, the best known of which includes his lengthy tenure with the Fats Waller band as well as membership in Steve Gibson His Red Caps in the '40s and '50s. In the latter group, one of the earliest purveyors of what would come to be known as rhythm blues, Matthews sang second tenor parts as well as playing saxophone. He was also granted lead vocal chores on the B-sides of some of the group's singles.

Matthews emerged on the St. Louis jazz scene in the early '20s, working with groups such as Wilson Robinson's Bostonians. He then moved to New York City and was particularly associated with the Alhambra Theatre venue, where he gigged with Edgar Hayes in 1929 and brought in a band of his own the following year. The next city of choice was Chicago, Matthews continuing as a bandleader there before taking another chomp of the Big Apple. In this chomping he became involved with Waller, first joining up with Charlie Turner's Arcadians, an ensemble that evolved into an accompanying unit for the brilliant Waller. In the meantime, Matthews also continued leading groups, establishing a recording outfit in which he was featured on soprano saxophone as well as vocals. He gigged and recorded with Waller through 1937, following which he finished out the decade concentrating solely on his own band, including important dates at the famed Apollo Theatre in New York City. He worked exclusively with Gibson over the ensuing two decades, a decision that amounted to Matthews' swan song from the point of view of jazz discographers. These pundits were willing to accept Waller's antics as jazz, but not the similar work of groups such as Gibson's, indicating that in his final years of performing and recording, Matthews had developed into something like a stylistic forefather of saxophonists such as Sam The Man Taylor and King Curtis. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, Rovi