Interview with Mateusz Sobiechowski: The mainstream music industry is mainly about business not art: Video

Jazz interview with jazz pianist​​​ Mateusz Sobiechowski. An interview by email in writing. 

JazzBluesNews.Space: – First let’s start with where you grew up, and what got you interested in music?

Mateusz Sobiechowski: – I grew up in Wąbrzeźno near Toruń in Poland. The first important memory related to music was watching Sting’s concert on TV, I was about six years old. When my father saw my interest, he introduced me a lot of great music from 60’ and 70’. Then, when I was seven, I started to learn play on keyboard. One of the first songs I learnt was “Every breath you take”☺. At the age of nine I started a regular classical piano training.

JBN.S: – What got you interested in picking up the piano​​? What teacher or teachers helped you progress to the level of playing you have today? What made you choose the piano​​?

MS: – After two years of playing the keyboard, piano was a natural continuation for me. It was a very intuitive choice, kind of child’s dream that thankfully has fulfilled.

I had two classical teachers Teresa Kruszewska and Magdalena Stopińska who gave me a solid technical base.

When I was 12 my father sent me to the holiday jazz camp. I met there my first jazz piano teacher Bogdan Hołownia, who inspired me so much and awaked a truly passion to jazz and improvised music.

JBN.S: – How did your sound evolve over time? What did you do to find and develop your sound?

MS: – I think it’s a never-ending process. I’m still looking for a noble and wide sound. It depends on different elements, like a touch of the keyboard, the piano technique, personal maturity. I hope that listeners will notice the sound changes in my future albums.

JBN.S: – What practice routine or exercise have you developed to maintain and improve your current musical ability especially pertaining to rhythm?

MS: – I don’t have any practice routine. I used to started my practice with kind of warm-up exercises, like Hanons etc.. But now I just improvise on different keys or play classical pieces to feel comfortable at the piano.

About rhythm, I sometimes do clapping exercises on odd rhythms when I travel and don’t have the piano. Also I like to improvise on montunos and afro-cuban rhythm patterns to embed in the time.

JBN.S: – Which harmonies and harmonic patterns do you prefer now? ​You’re playing is very sensitive, deft, it’s smooth, and I’d say you drift more toward harmony than dissonance. There is some dissonance there, but you use it judiciously. Is that a conscious decision or again, is it just an output of what goes in?

MS: – Firstable thanks for a kind words. Well, I don’t use any specific harmonic patterns. Sometimes I’m looking for a simple chords, but I connect it unusual. Of course I know the scales and basic jazz language, but mostly I try to think melodic.

JBN.S: – What’s the balance in music between intellect and soul?

MS: – It depends on music actually. In the first part of preparation, when I composed pieces, it was mainly intellectual work. Of course with some emotions as well. When we finally went to the studio we controlled a form, but we focused more on feelings and musical communication from my point of view. So both are present.

JBN.S: – There’s a two-way relationship between audience and artist; you’re okay with giving the people what they want?

MS: – As John Escreet said we are the audience. We just seat closer to the source☺

I’m simply trying to do music that is close to my sensitivity and taste and share it. When other people appreciate it I’m very satisfied. But I don’t want to please the audience with some cheap show, because of my respect for them and for myself.

JBN.S: – Please any memories from gigs, jams, open acts and studio sessions which you’d like to share with us?

MS: – Ok, there is one situation. We played a concert with the quintet in one of the Kraków’s jazz club just after our recording session. As usual it was very crowded, full of talkative tourists☺ Suprisely, after the last piece the audience seated in complete silence for about half a minute! I have never seen something like that before in that place.

This moment made me proud, but now I know it’s time to move forward.

JBN.S: – How can we get young people interested in jazz when most of the standard tunes are half a century old?

MS: – Honestly I really don’t know. For sure I’m not a jazz purist. Whenever I play standards I try to find my personal way to do it. I think it is so eclectic genre, that we don’t have to necessarily listen to only a jazz tradition. For sure we can encourage young people to mix jazz with a nowadays music.

JBN.S: – John Coltrane said that music was his spirit. How do you understand the spirit and the meaning of life?

MS: – We can write a whole books about this large topic.☺ But shortly, what I believe is there’s one Holy Spirit and everyone who is honest and seek for the truth can experience it.

JBN.S: – If you could change one thing in the musical world and it would become a reality, what would that be?

MS: – I try to accept the reality, even if I can see, let’s say, the dark side of it.

The mainstream music industry is mainly about business not art, but thankfully there are a lot of great artists and I hope more and more listeners will wake up and choose their own music paths, instead of rely on the mass trends.

To answer your question, I will just play more creative and diverse music in commercial medias.

JBN.S: – Who do you find yourself listening to these days?

MS: – There is a list of artists I often go back to: Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Enrico Pieranunzi. I also love the music of Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays (for example “As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls”) and a band Yellowjacket (for example “Altered State”). From Polish musicians I listen to Tomasz Stańko a lot, especially an album“Dark Eyes”.

I love Peter Gabriel’s “Security” and early albums of Björk. Also the songs of the Queen, after watching the movie “Bohemian rhapsody”☺

JBN.S: – Let’s take a trip with a time machine, so where and why would you really wanna go?

MS: – During my high school I was fascinated with the period called Young Poland. It was at the turn of the 20th century. A lot of amazing modern art was created at that time by such artists as Stanisław Wyspiański, Karol Szymanowski. I could visit them 🙂

JBN.S: – I have been asking you so far, now may I have a question from yourself…

MS: – Yes! My question is how did you find me? I was nicely surprised when I received a message from Boston:)

JBN.S: – Thank you for answers. Now it’s not hard to find each other, if you are looking for someone, I can help you find …

Interview by Simon Sargsyan