Home » Jazz Musicians » Dré Matsumoto

Dré Matsumoto

Dré Matsumoto (aka André Marcel Ajamu Akinyele) is an American-Canadian residing in Yokohama. The bassist and multi-instrumentalist is known for his jazz-fusion-funk. His inspirations include Herbie Hancock, Esperanza Spalding, and Ron Carter, to name a few. He was born in San Pablo, California as André Marcel Wilson, and changed his name to André Marcel Ajamu Akinyele in 2004. Why the name Dré Matsumoto? He stated that “Dré is half my name André, and Matsumoto is a Japanese name that I love the sound of.” A native of the San Francisco bay area, he currently resides in Toronto, Ontario Canada and Yokohama, Kanagawa Japan. His album "Patchouli" is out now.

Gear

Fender Jazz Bass
Fender Telecaster Guitar
Roland Fantom 08
Roland JUNO-D
Roland R5
Yamaha SLB300 Silent Bass


Tags

"Guaranteed to electrify audiences with artistic energy, transcending the boundaries of jazz, Dré Matsumoto's Patchouli takes improvisation and composition to new heights of rhythmic sophistication, showcasing his love for Japan." – AJAMU Productions & Creative Services LLC

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Patchouli

Ajamu Records
2025

buy

Videos

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.