Dr. Dan

Dan Matrazzo, aka "Dr. Dan," was born and raised in Tokyo and became famous in his native country while still a teenager. He hit the studio — and the road — at age 17, performing with much-celebrated Japanese pop sensation Char. Their release Smoky yielded two national hits and resulted in a series of tours and weekly television and radio appearances throughout Asia. After attending Berklee College of Music in Boston, Dr. Dan played and recorded with Winter, which also included guitarist Steve Vai and percussionist Jeff Sipe. He spent several years in the mid-'80s with legendary bluesman Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. After a time, Dr. Dan settled in Atlanta where he developed a close friendship with jam/groove godfather Col. Bruce Hampton. With Hampton, he founded the Aquarium Rescue Unit and, later, the Fiji Mariners (in addition to keyboards, Dr. Dan initially played bass and drums in this band). The Mariners released two albums on Capricorn Records: the studio effort Fiji Mariners in 1996 and Live in 1998. On June 27, 2000, Dr. Dan delivered his first solo outing, Dan on the Moon. It was a mix of funk, fusion, and experimental grooves. Dr. Dan tours frequently, mainly in the southeastern U.S.