In his twenties, Mathews toured internationally and recorded with Roach,
Freddie Hubbard and
Roy Haynes. He was also a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in 1967 and 1968. By thirty, he began teaching jazz piano and led workshops, clinics and master classes at Long Island University in New York City. In the 1970s, he worked with
Dexter Gordon and
Clark Terry, and toured and recorded with the
Louis Hayes-
Woody Shaw Quintet and the Louis Hayes-
Junior Cook Quintet. One of the highlights of his career, and one of his longest associations, was with the
Johnny Griffin Quartet. For almost five years (1978-1982) he was an integral part of this band and forged lasting relationships with Griffin,
Kenny Washington (drums) and
Ray Drummond (bass).
The New York Times described Mathews as "a constant and provocative challenge to Mr. Griffin. [...He] is the energizer of the group". One of the few Johnny Griffin recordings that features Mathews' original compositions is "To the Ladies" (Galaxy). In the 1980s, Mathews began leading his own bands, performing in duo, trio and quartet configurations in North America and Europe. He also toured with
Freddie Hubbard and
Dizzy Gillespie's United Nations Band. Mathews was pianist for the Tony Award winning Broadway musical,
Black and Blue in 1989, and, in 1990, he was one of the artists who featured on the soundtrack of Spike Lee's ''
Mo' Better Blues'' film. After a stint touring and recording with the
Clifford Jordan Big Band in the early 1990s, Mathews joined
T.S. Monk for eight years of touring and recording. The
Chicago Tribune stated that "The soul of the band [...] is pianist Ronnie Mathews, whose angular romanticism provides the horn players with a lush and spicy foundation for their improvising". Three albums were recorded with the T.S. Monk, Jr. Band, including
The Charm. In 1998, Hal Leonard Books published his collection of student arrangements: "Easy Piano of Thelonious Monk". Mathews died of pancreatic cancer on June 28, 2008, in
Brooklyn. ==Discography==