What’s Happening, Mats Gustafsson?

Mats Gustafsson was named Baritone Saxophonist of the Year in the 74th Annual DownBeat Critics Poll. In our interview, he discusses the influence of Don Cherry on his music and musicianship and recommends recordings that make one hear the world in a slightly different way.

What’s happening?

A lot is happening, as always. No rest for the wicked. Loads of vinyl finds and new rare items to hunt for in my discaholic life. And loads of great projects to work with at the moment. I am privileged to be involved with so many great artists and minds.

I just got back today from Korea with 2 Balls are Enough (Kimmo Pohjonen & Mats Gustafsson) after a festival gig 2 hours from Seoul. We had LOTS of kimchi and the whole stay was amazing. Great people. Just finished a recording with the new Fire! trio with Mariá Portugal… a real mindblower. I have never been more happy about about a change of personel in any of the bands i have been working with previously. Mariá is amazing and the music is really opening up now in the most beautiful and creative ways and manners, referencing both Tropicalia and heavy riffing.

And loads of other projects, such as Cosmic Ear, Backengrillen, Action Now, Luftomo, Flöjter, Eggs! and Fire! Orchestra, of course. Keeping busy. I just neeeeeeeeed more time. But , yes, things are good. I am priviliged and thankful working with great and creative people.

The new Swedish group Cosmic Ear tracks down the “traces” of Don Cherry, who lived in Sweden during your formative years. Were you aware of him already then in the late 70’s and 80’s? Did you manage to hear him or even meet him in Sweden?

I heard him perform live many times and watched him on national television programmes as well. Don was a very important part of the Swedish music scene in the 70s. He had a great impact on many musicians, especially jazz musicians that went more open and free and also did serious research into ethnic music of all kinds. I am close with the family, after having worked closely with Neneh Cherry some years ago.

I met Don only a couple of times. He passed away already in 1995, around the same time as when I got really seriously into his music and legacy. But to work with Christer Bothén is a direct connection with Don’s spirit, legacy and music. And i value every second I can spend together with Christer.

And later on, on more personal level: What did Don Cherry ”teach” you about music, about artistry, about life? Of course, we should remember that one of your earlier bands took its name from Don Cherry’s composition The Thing – and that The Thing’s debut album (2000) comprised four of his compositions.

The music of Don Cherry has always been a huge inspiration for me on all levels. The music itself, the attitude towards the music and the people making it, the inclusion and the level of SHARING. This means the world to me. All of those things. Especially the sharing part and equality of people on a deeper human level. Something to live for. Something to live by.

As a self-proclaimed and incurable discoholic, you must have many of his recordings – if not all? Could you name some your favourites and maybe also some albums that could work as an introduction to the world of Don Cherry?

My own introduction was actually Playing by Old and New Dreams. An absolute KILLER of an album. So full of poetic beauty and amazing melodic treatments and spiritual solos all the way. So relaxed, but still full of energy. This record has it all. Every period of Don´s life is interesting in different ways, of course.

I just love the collaborations with Ayler, Steve Lacy, Shepp, Tchicai, Coltrane, Rena Rama and of course Ornette, that goes without saying. The music he created in Sweden while he was based here are unbelievably great. Together with Christer, Beche Berger, Okay Temiz, Bernt Rosengren and many more they created fundations for Scandinavian modern and free jazz.

The group Don had in the mid 60s together with Gato Barbieri, Karl Berger, Aldo Romano and JF Jenny Clark is out of this world great. The ultimate free music! The great thing with Don is that he always made his playing partners better. This is a gift and a great learning.

Recommendations of albums making us hear the world in a different way:

• Albert Ayler: Ghosts, Debut Records DEB144 (1965)
• Don Cherry: Complete Communion, Blue Note BLP 4226 (1966)
• Don Cherry: Togetherness, Durium 77127 (1966)
• Don Cherry: Where is Brooklyn, Blue Note 84311 (1969)
• Old and New Dreams: Playing, ECM 1205 (1981)

What’s going to happen?

A lot. Again: no rest for the wicked. I am on a constant vinyl hunt. It never ends. I need to trim that garden, in order to find even more inspiration AND information! It is never about what you look for. It is all about the path and what you find along that road. In my discaholism. In music. In life.

Many plans at the moment up to summer of 2028. A lot of focus will be on Fire! trio with Mariá Portugal and Fire! Orchestra in 2027 and 2028. We are releasing our new albums with Finnish label WeJazz in early 2027! Super psyched about that. 3 new solo saxophone albums coming up in 2027, recorded recently in Saxnäs, Sapmí. And of course following the NHL season closely with my brother Kimmo [Pohjonen], this year hoping that the Stanley Cup will end up in Canada again with the help of creative Finns and Swedes.

Cosmic Ear
Fri 30 October at 20.00, Pakkahuone