MACIEJ SADOWSKI has absolutely nothing to say, so listen
Maciej Sadowski is a double bass player, composer, and session musician. He has extensive experience in all music genres, with a special emphasis and passion for jazz. Based in Gdańsk, he regularly gives over 100 concerts a year on national and international stages. In 2016, he was named one of the best Polish double bass players by Jazz Forum readers. Maciej was recognized as musician of the year in 2019 by the esteemed independent critic Adam Baruch on polish-jazz.blogspot.com.
Sadowski currently runs three original projects: LowBow, an instrumental project arranged for two cellos and double basses — possibly the first of its kind — that focuses on the fusion of classical and contemporary chamber music with elements of improvisation, the Maciej Sadowski Kwadrat, a rather unusual jazz quartet (drums, double bass, trumpet, and saxophone by Tomasz Koper, Sadowski, Dawid Lipka, and Michał Jan Ciesielski respectively), and the Gdańsk Necropolitan Orchestra (with Dawid Lipka). Sadowski also manages the independent music label Eastrings Records.
I Have Absolutely Nothing to Say, so Listen is the composer’s step into new territory; it is the synthesis of a vast array of musical experiences that span jazz, classical, pop, folk, ethnic, and electronic music. The fascinating eight-track LP is a feast of musical offerings from Sadowski and his global collaborators, an intricate and often troubling journey through captivating sonic spaces.
Interview by Interlocutor Magazine
To start with, the title of your new album I Have Absolutely Nothing to Say, so Listen is in itself provocative. It’s almost a call to action for the listener. You’ve said that “The unconventional title relates directly to my creative process.” Could you elaborate on the ways in which this title relates to your process?
When I create music, I don't think about the concept or emotions it should express. Notes come into my mind quite naturally. Many composers argue that a strong concept should be the basis for any new composition. I don’t necessarily agree with that. For me, the process of becoming aware of what I have actually captured in any given piece takes me about two months. When reflecting on the period that a piece was created, I often come to realize that the music really carries the emotions I felt at the time of writing. However, it doesn't change the fact that I prefer to communicate with the listener via music rather than words. I wouldn't like to impose my interpretation on anyone — I would much prefer if the audience found their own interpretation of what they heard.
You have extensive experience in many different musical genres, and you also run three original projects (LowBow, the Maciej Sadowski Kwadrat, and the Gdańsk Necropolitan Orchestra), along with managing the independent music label Eaststring Records. How do you view I Have Absolutely Nothing to Say, so Listen in the context of all the rest of your work to date? In what ways does it build on past projects and evolve your work in new directions?
Well…the solo album is an absolutely new experience to me. When composing for any previous projects, one of the most important aspects was to ensure the ability to play the piece live during shows. This time I tried to focus more on the sound of the composition. As I was working on this project during the lockdown, my focus was more on creating music the way I imagined it rather than on the need to play it live. As part of this process, I have learned a lot as a producer, and also as a sound engineer (most of the tracks were recorded by myself in my new studio, which I built during the pandemic to work as a session musician via the internet).
The period during composing, arranging, producing, and recording this album was very creative and I learned so many new skills during this process. I would love to experience it again! In addition, this is the first time I have released an album with a foreign label, which was probably the best decision I could make thanks to Anna Yarbrough. I would like to thank her for all the time she gave me and for everything I learned about releasing music and running a label.
I Have Absolutely Nothing to Say, so Listen, 2021, Rhodium
One of the album's tracks, “Believe in Nothing,” features a full vocal piece with French collaborator Lario Nowhere. You were also a guest performer on some of the songs on his debut album Atom. How did you both initially come to work together, and what was the collaborative process like for you both on “Believe in Nothing”?
As I mentioned before — during the lockdown I decided to work as a session musician via the internet from my own studio. This work, which seems not very creative and mainly consists of recreating someone else's compositions, has several side effects. Firstly, it taught me a lot about working on my own in the studio. Secondly, it allowed me to get to know and make friends with many extraordinary musicians from all over the world. Lario was one of them. He found my advertisement and he hired me to record a few tracks for his new album. After he sent me his songs, I liked them so much that I asked if he could record a piece for my album as well. The final effect exceeded my wildest expectations. Lario is a very talented young rapper; I hope he will get the attention he definitely deserves very soon!
There are quite a lot of other contributors to the album. Have you worked with all of them before, or who was new for you? What were some unexpected creative contributions or surprises from your contributors?
I have worked with a number of artists before on my previous projects, including Małgorzata Znarowska (cello), Dawid Lipka (trumpet), Tomasz Koper (drums), Antoni Wojnar (piano) and Kevin Scott Davis (guitar, synths). I have also had a pleasure to play in classical orchestras with Alisa Kopac (violin), Barbara Maja Maseli (violin) and Joanna Kravchenko (viola) who formed the rest of the string quartet. We have built some great trusted relationships through these collaborations.
However, this is the first time I’ve had the pleasure to record with the vocalists Katarzyna Golecka and Maciej Świniarski. I met them the same year during gigs and they “caught my ear” with their unusual timbre of voice and outstanding vocal skills.
This has also been my first experience recording with Ben Moore, who is not only a world-class producer, but has also turned out to be an amazing drummer. The adventure with Ben is still ongoing, and I can tell you that it is not our last recording together for sure!
The album was mixed and mastered by Marcin Kowalczyk. What were some challenges with encompassing such a range of performers for the recording process, and in what key ways do you think Marcin helped to bring it all together?
As I have mentioned, almost all the tracks were recorded by myself in my new studio. To be honest, I was worried about making some critical mistakes while recording some of the instruments for the first time in my life — therefore I decided to work with Marcin long before the recordings. I had worked with him on the LowBow album murmurs when I noticed how great and experienced Marcin was. He trained me in setting up mics and shared his world-class microphones for the sessions. Marcin has exceeded my expectations with the mix too. The effects of his arrangement of the instruments in space astound me every time I listen to the album.
You’ve said that I Have Absolutely Nothing to Say, so Listen is “multi-level and complex — almost impossible to play live.” Even so, now that things are opening back up, do you anticipate attempting to perform these songs in a live setting? If so, in what ways would you take a different approach to performing these songs live in order to best capture the fullness of the recorded album?
That is a really good question. I am still looking for the answer! I've already had some ideas about playing the material from I Have Absolutely Nothing to Say, so Listen live, but they are still evolving and could change soon. Unfortunately, I don’t expect to be able to book a world tour with 14 musicians from different countries on board, but on the other hand, if a double bass player from a small town in Poland can release his debut solo album on a New York-based boutique label with musicians from all over the world, who knows what happens next…
I Have Absolutely Nothing to Say, so Listen is available now.
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