Playing America’s classic music. Matt Dwonszyk releases his first live album
- Mara Dresner
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
by Mara Dresner
Contributing writer
Photos by Cedric Pilard
From Russia to New York City, Canada to Argentina, Matt Dwonszyk’s varied career includes work as a bassist, composer, arranger, band leader and educator.
It all started when he was 11 when his older brother Joe gave him his first bass.
“He played guitar and he got me a bass so I could play with him,” Dwonszyk said. “That was the start on getting into it and trying to make music. I wasn’t particularly drawn to the bass. It just happened that way and I’ve been playing it ever since.”
He attended Rocky Hill High School and the Greater Hartford Academy of Performing Arts before earning a bachelor’s of music in jazz studies from the University of Hartford and a master’s of music from SUNY Purchase College in New York.
It would be no exaggeration to say that attending the Greater Hartford Academy of Performing Arts changed his life. He was able to sample the program when he was an eighth-grader at Griswold Middle School.
“I went to this program and enjoyed this experience. I was playing in rock bands and starting to love music. I had the opportunity to go to this school where I could study music. I was definitely into that. I was in a lottery and I got to go for free, which was incredible. I had to audition and luckily, I got in,” he said.
Dwonszyk would split his school day between the high school and the magnet school in Hartford. When he was accepted, he had to choose between pursuing classical music or jazz.
“I chose jazz. At first, it was hard, it was a challenge. I had great teachers. When you’re a kid, you think you have everything figured out. I realized quickly it’s very difficult to play the music, but I fell in love with it. I went to the Rocky Hill public library and took out every jazz CD I could. It made me fall in love with the music,” he said.
“I learned the culture, the communal aspect. When you play for an audience in community, the energy goes out to them and you bring the energy back. It’s a give and take. The communal part of jazz music is very powerful,” he added.
“I started to recognize that the more I started to get into it. That’s why I’m in love with it now. It’s a very powerful music of the people, a music of the spirit. It’s America’s classical music. It’s an art form born here. It’s got a very rich history. It’s fascinating to me. All the people who did it before paved the way so young musicians like myself can do it now.”
Dwonszyk has worked steadily since, performing at legendary jazz venues like Smalls, Smoke, Minton’s, Zinc Bar, Birdland and the Jazz Standard.
He released his debut album “Wonderful World” in 2018 followed by “A Year and a Day” in 2022, recorded with his namesake ensemble the Dwonztet. Now he has reached another milestone with his first live album, “Matt Dwonszyk: Live at the Side Door,” which was released on March 6. The album was recorded in 2024 at the Side Door, a club in Old Lyme.
“It’s a hidden gem in Connecticut. It’s the most New York-feeling jazz club I know outside of New York City and it’s right here in Connecticut,” Dwonszyk said.
“I’ve always wanted to do a live album. This features my friends, people I went to college with, my musical brothers I grew up in Hartford with. We learned music together. I have a rich history with those guys.”
Jonathan Barber, a musician who plays on the new album, has nothing but praise for Dwonszyk.
"What drew me to Matt was his creativity and how his musicality was so inviting,” Barber said.
He is also an educator, band leader, composer and model.
“The way that he plays makes the entire band sound better. He makes musical decisions that serve the music, truly a team player. Off the bandstand, he is a kind, caring, humble and funny person,” he added.
“As a composer he writes music that's fun to play and always has a positive message behind it. I always enjoy playing music with Matt. He delivers comfortability yet leaves room for a surprise."
Jazz saxophonist and composer Kris Allen was one of Dwonszyk’s teachers at the academy who later became a friend.
“Matt is a super ‘encourager’ of everyone. Younger musicians, peers, older folks. I mean that in the sense of both literal verbal encouragement but also there’s something about his playing, the choices he makes. There's a lot of belief and trust there,” he said.
“When you play in a band under his leadership, there is so much space to stretch out, and his compositions are so fun and inviting,” Allen, who teaches music at Williams College, said.
“It's also remarkable how deeply he is intertwined in so many different music scenes. He seems to be everyone's first call and he has a willingness to play with anyone. If there’s music of just about any kind happening in Connecticut or New York, it’s never a surprise to see Matt involved.”
Dwonszyk is a frequent visitor to Rocky Hill where his mother Christina Prete Anderson still lives. Through his many travels he has found that music brings people together.
“Performing live is always special. There’s a sense of purpose and pride to try and play music for people, whatever the venue is, to bring some joy to people’s lives. That gives me a tremendous sense of pride and purpose and I love that very much,” he said.
“It’s a cliché that music is the universal language. When I was [touring in] Buenos Aires, in the beginning my Spanish wasn’t so great. When you play music, it’s a language. You don’t need to communicate using Spanish or English words.”
Whether you go hear him play live or on an album, there’s one thing Dwonszyk wants people to know.
“I’m trying to be as honest as I can. I hope that can be felt and I hope that it brings joy to them and they know I tried my hardest,” he said.
“I’m trying my hardest to be the best musician I can be, to be the best person I can be, and I hope the sound of the music touches them.” RHL
Learn more at mattdwonszyk.com.