Mateusz Bliskowski And The Polish Jazz Scene

JGT’s Joe Barth sat down with Mateusz for a trans-Atlantic talk about his development as a player and the Polish jazz scene.

Jazz is alive and well in Poland today.  One of the leading guitarists there is Mateusz Bliskowski. 

JB:  Growing up in Poland what inspired you to play jazz guitar?

MB:  My biggest inspiration for learning to play jazz guitar was the freedom and musical variety that improvised jazz music offers. I could use any sound, any type of guitar, and be inspired by the artists I listen to every day. In addition, freedom in music and the ability to express my emotions is something that is most important to me to this day.

JB:  What did you appreciate most about what you learned about the guitar at the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music? 

MB:  During my studies at the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz, what I valued the most was my professor, the great guitarist Piotr Olszewski.  He did not limit my musical explorations and helped me develop the language of jazz. Another strong point of studying there was the environment of jazz musicians with whom I could perform with on a regular basis.

JB:  To you, in your personal development, what are three of the most influential jazz guitar albums and why?

MB:  The first important jazz guitar album is one that influenced many, Wes Montgomery’s album Full House. At that time, I was fascinated by the way the master played and I tried to imitate this way of playing. The second album is Solitary Tales by John Stowell. When I discovered his music and playing technique, it was a total revolution for me. Stowell’s musical language is my great inspiration to this day. The third album is Gefionby Jakob Bro. This album showed me what space is in music. And freedom and space are very important to me today. These three albums have greatly influenced the way I play today.

JB:  You just mentioned John Stowell. Tell us about what it was like working with John.

MB:  I met John during his workshops and concert at the Jesienny Przeciąg Gitarowy festival in Słupsk, Poland. We managed to play together the song ‘Stella By Starlight’ during the workshops. I was so impressed by John that for my master’s thesis, I selected the analysis of John Stowell’s style. So I took lessons from John via the Internet and Skype and used the information I received from him as part of my graduate work. Working with John is a great pleasure for me and fulfills my youthful dreams of playing in duet with this master of the guitar. I find it very imaginative to create music with John.

JB:  Tell us about your CD Imaginary Landscape.

MB:  The CD Imaginary Landscape is my debut album. It was recorded with my professors and current friends, Grzegorz Nadolny on double bass and Piotr Biskupski on drums. They are very well known and respected musicians in Poland. The music on the album is inspired by the outdoors and natural landscapes and space. All the compositions are my own, except for Krzysztof Komeda’s composition, “Before Dawn.”  Each piece is inspired by a different landscape, sometimes a view of the forest, sometimes the sea, sometimes a meadow.

JB:  What do you appreciate most about what looks like a D’Angelico guitar that you use? 

MB:  I like the acoustic sound of my electric guitar the most and the color. I hold the instrument quite vertically, as John Stowell does, and the shape of the body of my guitar allows me to play for hours without back pain. The sound is very acoustic and that is very important to me. I like a lot of acoustic sounds of a body in an electric archtop guitar.

JB:  Talk about the jazz scene where you live and how you are able to make a living playing music there.

MB:  I live in Northern Poland and this is an area where many great Polish jazz artists come from. The jazz scene is concentrated around the Tri-City or Słupsk, where the very important Komeda Jazz Festival or the Jesienny Przeciąg Gitarowy guitar festival comes from. In Poland it is difficult to make a living from playing ambitious music, so apart from playing concerts, I am a professor of guitar at the Pomeranian University (Katedra Sztuki Muzycznej) and a guitar teacher in Słupsk.

JB:  What advice would you give young American musicians who want to play gigs in Northern Europe?

MB:  It is worth finding someone who will help with organizing transport, hotel, and concerts. Poland is a very well-organized European country and there are many interesting places to play. Most people speak English fluently. Jazz concerts also attract quite a lot of people if the event is interesting and there is good advertising.

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