Biography
Having grown up in Tokyo, Dan Matrazzo—known professionally as "Dr. Dan"—rose to prominence in Japan during his teenage years. At seventeen he entered the studio and took to the stage with the acclaimed Japanese pop artist Char, whose album Smoky delivered two nationwide chart successes and sparked extensive tours plus regular television and radio slots across Asia. After completing coursework at Berklee College of Music in Boston, he performed and recorded with Winter alongside guitarist Steve Vai and percussionist Jeff Sipe. Several years in the mid-1980s were then spent alongside the venerated blues musician Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. Eventually settling in Atlanta, he cultivated a close association with Col. Bruce Hampton, a foundational figure in jam and groove music. Together they launched the Aquarium Rescue Unit and, later, the Fiji Mariners, in which Dr. Dan handled keyboards in addition to early duties on bass and drums. Capricorn Records released two Fiji Mariners projects: the 1996 studio album Fiji Mariners and the 1998 concert recording Live. On June 27, 2000, Dr. Dan issued his debut solo album, Dan on the Moon, which fused funk, fusion, and experimental grooves. He continues to tour regularly, concentrating on the southeastern United States.
Albums