Written interview with tenor saxophonist Sebastian Mattebo – Mattebo – Adami Quintet – Sketches of Cool
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?
Sebastian Mattebo: – Thanks for the opportunity! Hard to know when I started. I’ve always performed one way or another for whoever wants to listen. We listened to a lot of swedish jazz when I was growing up, and when I was 9 my dad asked me if I wanted to start playing the saxophone, which I did. I got a wonderful teacher and fell in love with the instrument immediately. It was a good music school and I played in all the ensembles I could. I especially loved the big band. When I was maybe 15 i started my first band together with drummer Jonas Bäckman who I still play a lot with. We did our own arrangements of our favorite tunes and sometimes we wrote additional parts to the songs together. Since then I’ve always been writing music and arrangements for my different ensembles.
What do you consider to be your hometown and how does that affect your music?
I’ve lived in Stockholm for 10 years now but I was born in Umeå in Västerbotten county. Even though I’ve lived most of my adult life in Stockholm I still really consider Umeå my hometown in many regards. Growing up in Umeå influenced me a lot. The jazz club and the jazz festival are both great and have some of the most varied programs in the country. They gave me a window towards the rest of the world and probably contributed to what I consider an open minded and creative approach to jazz. My previous album “the Mire”, was made as a dedication to my roots and the nature of Västerbotten. My other hometown Stockholm has also shaped me a lot. Jazz is a social artform, and I think you are always changed by the musicians around you.
What performers have been your inspiration?
It always changes. For a while now I’ve really been into South African jazz, especially pianist Nduduzo Makathini and saxophonist Linda Sikhakhane. Before that I had a long period of listening a lot to Dutch jazz, Reinier Baas, Ben van Gelder and Joris Roelofs for example. My first big hero was Charlie Parker though. He blew my mind as a young alto player and still does. As a composer I’ve always been inspired a lot by classical music as well.
What do you find most challenging about being an independent artist in today’s music industry?
The hardest things is that you have to manage so many different areas outside of your expertise. Like marketing and social media. If I want to afford to do all the things I want to do as an artist, I have to be able to do so much of the things surrounding the art myself.
What do you base your success on?
Great friends and colleagues. I wouldn’t get anywhere without the people I work with. But I try to not be so focused on success, and to think more about who I enjoy working and creating with instead. I think that’s the best grounds for something to flourish.
Can you talk about your experiences collaborating with other artists or musicians? How does it influence your creative process?
It’s what I learn the most from. Just seeing and hearing how they approach the music opens up new lines of thinking for me. Every time I get to play with a great musician I feel like I evolve.
A few years ago I got to do a big band tour with Dick Oatts from the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. And like listening to him giving 120 percent as soon as he touched the horn and his way of phrasing really changed the way I view both big band band music and jazz in general.
What was your latest musical release?
In february I released an album called “Sketches of Cool” together with the valve trombone player Hampus Adami. On the recording my long time friend Jonas Bäckman is playing drums, Jonny Ek – Piano, and Tomas Sjödell is playing bass.
Do you have any news to share? Could you share the story behind your latest new CD Mattebo-Adami Quintet – Sketches of Cool what inspired its creation?
I’m recording an album with one of my biggest musical heroes, pianist Göran Strandberg, in november. We’ve been trying out compositions this spring and It’s been a lot of fun so I’m looking forward to that a lot.
I also have recording planned for new project with vibraphone, and double bass. It will be a trio recording, and we have a special guest planned for some tracks.
My latest album “Sketches of cool” is a bit different from what I usually do. It’s the first time I release something thats not original compositions and the first release with a more common setting. We’ve been playing with that group for several years, playing old quintet arrangements that Bob Brookmeyer played in the 50s and 60s. Recently me and Hampus started to write our own arrangements in the same style. It’s been really fun. I think you can hear where we are coming from but I still feel like it’s our own thing, with how we approach the music. So we decided to make a record of it. Both as love letter to those Bob Brookmeyer recordings but also as a way to try and make the music our own.
How does your latest album fit into your creative path? Is this a goal you wanted to achieve?
I don’t consider my creative path a straight line. More like growing deeper roots and longer branches.
How do you approach the process of songwriting, and are there any specific themes or emotions you tend to explore in your music?
I write a lot by the piano and I sing a lot. I like easy melodies that I can sing. Preferably I want to be able to sing what all the instruments are doing and I want to be able to hear all the voices. I feel like with a simple foundation for the music there is more room for interpretation and improvisation.
I think a lot about who I am and what I can contribute. I always want to write music that I think is missing. So I like to work with more uncommon settings and mixing different influences.
As an indie musician, how do you navigate the balance between creative freedom and commercial appeal?
Not well, I don’t know. I usually lean pretty heavily towards creative freedom. But I try to think a bit more about the commercial aspect in the packaging of it. Like the cover and the title. But even then, creative freedom is more important to me.
What role does technology and social media play in promoting your music and connecting with your audience?
From my perspective, it’s a big part of it. I wished that it wasn’t, but its the most direct way to share news about my music, and the one that I control myself. But I’m not sure I really reach someone new through those channels. It feels like concerts, magazines and radio broadcasts has made the real difference in that regard. Social media is mostly for getting the news out to those who already know about me.
Could you describe a memorable live performance experience or tour that has had a lasting impact on you and your music?
When I was 19, a band I was playing in, won a competition for young jazz bands in sweden. The prize was going on a tour in South Africa, traveling with Stockholm Jazz Orchestra and open for them but also playing our own gigs. Hanging for a week with the older musicians that I had looked up to for several years and getting my eyes opened to south african jazz really effected me a lot.
Another great experience was a gig we did with my trombone quartet at Umeå Jazz Festival last fall. I grew up at that festival, so coming back with my own band and playing for a packed room and lots of familiar faces was really special for me.
In an era of streaming platforms, how do you feel about the changing landscape of music consumption and its impact on independent musicians?
I think it’s really depressing how devalued music has become. Recorded music feels like it’s not worth anything anymore except for advertising your music so people come to your gigs. On the other hand I have access to music from all a cross the globe in a way that my predessecors didn’t. I would be a completely different musician if I that hadn’t been the case. I still buy a lot of physical albums but I discover a lot of new music through the internet.
Musicians often have a close relationship with their fanbase. How do you engage with your fans and build a dedicated community around your music?
The most concrete thing is that I try to talk with people in the audience after gigs. Meeting people in real life is the most important.
How can fans find you? Lastly, please share some final words with the fans.
My latest two albums “The Mire” and “Sketches of Cool” are available on all the platforms and for purchase on my bandcamp page. I have a third one as well, but it’s a bit trickier to find since it’s under my unmarried name “Sebastian Jonsson”.
I have an Instagram page named “karlsebastianmattebo” and my email address is: sebastian.mattebo@gmail.com.
Thank you for listening, I hope you enjoy what comes next!
By Olivia Peevas
