Written interview with guitarist Krzysztof Puma Piasecki – Jazz & Rock Standards․
Jazz Blues European Union: – Thank you for taking the time to have this interview with Jazz Blues EU. Tell us about your music. When did you start performing?
Krzysztof Puma Piasecki: – Oh, I could say wisely “ever since I was born”, following Shakespeare’s “the world is a stage and we are performers.” But seriously, my debut live came, I believe, at 19 at Jazz nad Odrą Festival in Wrocław. Earlier, as a boy of 14 I had performed with amateur rock bands, but, yes, the first ‘serious’ performance came in ’79. Next, I was a guitarist with Prońko Band. We toured quite a lot in the early 1980s, and later, I got a proposition from the Big Band of the Music Academy where I was studying. That’s how may professional career budded.
What do you consider to be your hometown and how does that affect your music?
For sure it’s Opole – a medium-sized city in the south of Poland, the capital of Opole Province, situated in the Region of Silesia. I was born and have lived here all my life. Why? Because here are my family and friends, and my enemies, not many though but mine! When I was young, I thought maybe Warsaw, Krakow, ok Wrocław – the larger, the more opportunities. True, I stayed away while touring, but I have never moved, though. With time, after years, I do appreciate the coziness of my hometown – my own nook, with the nearest, comfortable and perfect to keep the mind and the body in place, recharge if necessary. You should come here and see for yourselves!
What performers have been your inspiration?
My first was Ed Bickert, with his classic jazz guitar, who won me completely. Then, Joe Pass, for sure. You know, I’m a rockman at heart, so Jimmy Hendrix, Led Zeppelin were the obvious fascinations, with Santana and John Mclaughin following closely. I think my interests evolved later and I got closer to jazz and blues. Maybe under the influence of Joe Scoffield, Pat Metheny or Scot Hendersen, as an eclectic guitarist, I was absorbing different styles and experimented with them. But, yes, they were and still are my idols.
What do you find most challenging about being an independent artist in today’s music industry?
For me independent is really independent. Can I afford to be so? I think the most important for me is to be able to speak freely and express myself. I used to be unruly. But staying independent can be costly; it can pose a challenge which is sometimes too strong to overcome, economically I mean. There are contracts, expectations. You need to compromise. I don’t envy the young, as today, living on music is so demanding and unpredictable. I think I also have some experience of a different kind, connected with the political and socioeconomic history of my country, a rather negative heritage. My western colleagues may not understand that it is only 3 decades that we have had free market mechanisms and freedoms in operation in Poland.
What do you base your success on?
Work – friendship – family. In other words: coming to grips with weaknesses of the body and mind – comfort – understanding. I perceive myself as a man governed by feelings – when I am playing jazz or blues – music of freedom, it’s vital to feel I get support from my partners who are my friends at the same time. If there is no chemistry, there is no use going on, so I abort. I believe consistent work is written into every artist’s life. One needs a lot of stamina and resistance plus passion to keep going. As the saying is: ‘You’ve got a soft heart, so you have to have a hard ass’. And this is often a musician’s problem. But here comes your family in and the balance is restored. Life.
Can you talk about your experiences collaborating with other artists or musicians? How does it influence your creative process?
When I was 19, I got a proposal to play with the most respected and outstanding Polish saxophonist, Tomasz Szukalski (Jazz nad Odrą). It didn’t even cross my mind to ask “How much will I get for this?” The most important was to stand beside him on the stage and draw from the icon: gain experience and use the springboard that had appeared on my way. Yes, I think that was a breakthrough moment in my career. Then it was Zbigniew Namysłowski, whom I was bold enough to request to appear on my first album. He accepted! I realized then that consistence makes dreams materialize. At that time I was also enchanted with the rock band Yes. And after some time I had an opportunity to play together with Alan White (the drummer). I must confess I adore the dense harmonic and melodic texture and here I remain under the influence of the late Pat Martino.
What was your latest musical release?
My thirteenth album which I entitled Jazz & Rock Standards. As I said earlier, my soul drew from rock and rock’n roll, and later evolved into jazz – mostly in the course of the education I pursued (I graduated from the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, Jazz Department). I chose pieces which developed my musical sensitivity, though to refresh my and listeners’ memory.
Do you have any news to share? Could you share the story behind your latest new CD Krzysztof “Puma” Piasecki – Jazz & Rock Standards and what inspired its creation?
I am a bit sentimental about the opening House of the Rising Sun, which was actually my first song I had ever learnt to play. As a boy of 11, somewhere on a bench in a park near my block of flats, I was shown the chords by an older pal. The other pieces are also important for me for different reasons. Lastly, I treat it also as my little tribute to those who shaped me, like they did many others like me.
How does your latest album fit into your creative path? Is this a goal you wanted to achieve?
Yes, I think so. The truth is I had wanted to do the album much earlier, but I wasn’t ready, I didn’t feel that it was inside me and strong enough. I think I had to mature, so to say, ripen. And here it is. I hope it is ripe, too.
Honestly, until a few days ago I had thought it would surely be the last album in my discography. But a friend of mine told me that he had presented his friend with the Standards and that friend told him later, “You know, I keep Puma in the auto-reverse mode in my cd-player, listening to it again and again. It’s so irresistible.” What an inspiring review! I wonder, “Could you just stop catering to people’s needs?”
How do you approach the process of songwriting, and are there any specific themes or emotions you tend to explore in your music?
First of all, I need to be inspired, stimulated. It may be an artist and his or her performance, an emotion, a situation, a moment, my little black fluffy dog Jazzica, or I simply get up in the morning, make myself a coffee, take my guitar and…
As an indie musician, how do you navigate the balance between creative freedom and commercial appeal?
I have always been keen on standing by my ideals, but as I am getting older I’m aware you need to compromise progressively. For example: being mostly a frontman, I don’t abstain from entering a studio as a sideman to earn my living. I suppose, musicians are like that – flexible. When I had released my eighth album (Illusion) – a fairly jazzy album important for me for experimental reasons (I experimented with guitars and electronic processors), I understood that you don’t always manage to capture the interest of a wider audience and have to step down. Since then I have been trying gradually to combine the ‘pleasant’ for the ear and the ‘ambitious’. I see it works and it’s good to have a commercial appeal, too.
What role does technology and social media play in promoting your music and connecting with your audience?
I am a little an ‘old-school’ type who has learnt to appreciate social media, though. I run my own website, which is indispensable nowadays, but I cherish personal contacts most. That’s why I promote my music primarily through live concerts. There is always time to exchange a few words, sell a CD with my music, give an autograph. It’s much more personalized! I love working with students. I run workshops with young guitarists, many of whom are so promising.
Could you describe a memorable live performance experience or tour that has had a lasting impact on you and your music?
Actually, it was not a live performance or a concert during a tour which left a lasting impression in me, but the recording of my first album in 1990. The session was live as I had invited absolutely the then Top League of Polish Jazz. Imagine a relative novice in the company of professionals of this class! It was such an eye-opener. Magical. They were able to drag the best of me just by being in the studio. I found fulfilment as a composer and instrumentalist. Many relationships that we formed then have survived until today.
In an era of streaming platforms, how do you feel about the changing landscape of music consumption and its impact on independent musicians?
I don’t understand why the world should operate in the 0-1 mode. I mean artists would normally create music only to lose control over their creations which somehow slip out of their hands. Shouldn’t they be rewarded for their talents fairly and paid for their work if it is appreciated and consumed? Otherwise, artists – particularly those of my generation – can get lost and left with the feeling of bereavement. Still, paradoxically there comes this saving yo-yo effect and we rise and shine again.
Musicians often have a close relationship with their fanbase. How do you engage with your fans and build a dedicated community around your music?
For me fans are those who come to my concerts to listen to my music, enjoy a moment of entertainment, buy a CD if they wish. This is my dominant way to engage with my fans, limited maybe but satisfying.
How can fans find you?
There is my website: www.krzysztofpumapiasecki.pl and platforms like YouTube, Spotify, where everybody can find me musically.
Lastly, please share some final words with the fans.
Dear Prospective Fans! I am pleased and honoured to welcome you to my music and if you would take a moment to share your emotions (and a review maybe), I will be truly happy. Looking forward to meeting you digitally via platforms or in person, Kris Puma Piasecki.
By Olivia Peevas
