Matylda Gerber is not only a saxophonist, composer, member of the bands Ślina and sneaky jesus, co-organiser of the Wrocław Improvised Orchestra, winner of awards from Jazz Forum magazine and the Jazz Association Melomani… she’s also a scientist and practitioner, specialising in intuition and its role in decision making. Interview feature by Krzysztof Komorek for Donos kulturalny, as part of Giant Steps / #womentothefore 2024, a joint initiative by eight European jazz publications.

When you type Matylda Gerber‘s name into a search engine, you will be surprised by the rather diverse results. The surprise will be even greater when it turns out that they all concern the same person.

Gerber graduated with a master’s degree in finance and psychology, and went on to obtain a doctorate in social sciences from the Warsaw School of Economics, one of Poland’s most prestigious universities. Her area of interest is intuition and its role in decision-making.

This is a rather unobvious topic of scientific research, but one that is used in many fields around the world. In the course of her career, Gerber has, among other things, participated in research into the work of police department crime analysts, doctors, entrepreneurs and stock market investors. A summary of her activities in this field to date is the book ‘Intuition: a Guide for Those Who Love to Ponder.’

At this point we might ask ourselves, why music, for someone who is so successful in another field?

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“I never went to music school, but I had piano lessons from childhood. I even took composition lessons. The saxophone, on the other hand, only came along when I was 18.” Despite becoming involved in ensembles over time, music remained in the background for a long time.

“The breakthrough came during a time when I was studying in London, which, on an artistic level, brought an exploration of the rich music scene there, participation in jam sessions and a collaboration with Sarathy Korwar. At one point I found that I was getting so much positive feedback on my playing that I couldn’t get over it. After returning to Poland, I decided that I wanted to develop this. I became more aware of this musical hunger that was in me.” A significant stimulus came when she was invited to perform at the opening concert of the Jazztopad festival in Wrocław.

Today, her main musical activity is in two bands: Ślina (English: saliva) and sneaky jesus. The improvising quartet Ślina, apart from their own activity, also records and performs with Mikołaj Trzaska, an iconic figure of the Polish and European improvised scene. The whole story of this collaboration began with Gerber’s search to buy a baritone saxophone – specifically a used one, with a better sound. This is not an easy task, and there is usually a queue of people looking to buy one. The sale of the instrument by Trzaska in 2018 was no different, but a personal conversation and an ‘audition’ of sorts meant that the baritone went to Gerber.

“I had previously tested other saxophones, but I didn’t like their sound. Here, I immediately felt it was what I was looking for. And I enjoy the sound all the time.” Trzaska was curious to see how the instrument would turn out. He liked Ślina’s music so much that he suggested he help the band release an album. The possibility of joint concerts and a proposal for joint recordings soon followed. In 2024, we can expect at least one release under the name Ślina Trzaska, as several hours of recorded material are already waiting in the wings.

Trzaska remembers: “When I first met Matylda, I was surprised that she picked up the instrument and immediately started playing it very loudly, with an open, strong sound. We have a bit in common, in the sense that Matylda, like me, took up the saxophone at a fairly mature age and began to explore it with an already grown-up mind. I am delighted with how she is developing, how she is playing more and more interestingly and better and better. Of course, she’s still searching for her language, and developing her time. But she has an awareness of how it works. She is able to discover new things during concerts, during the creative process. She is not afraid of the saxophone. She plays tenor, alto and baritone. She knows what she is talking about through music and why she is telling it in this particular way. And in her case, one feels that she is telling a story about herself through music. She can play, but she can also listen to what is happening around her on stage. She uses her modes of expression differently in each band, and has a gift for finding simple melodies and building on them. On the other hand, she also has patience, and the ability to stay with that first sound that comes along. In her, we find both aggression and tenderness, and their strength is in the sincerity of her message.”

Ślina is a band focused on improvisation, but Gerber also needed other challenges – hence her joining sneaky jesus. Breaking her activity into two bands is a conscious and considered decision. “I always thought it would be cool to work with a band where I could compose. We played jam sessions together and it turned out that we understood each other nicely. The two bands are complementary for me.”

sneaky jesus already has two albums in its discography, both released on the London-based Shapes of Rhythm label. The band amazes and delights with the lightness and freedom with which it moves between conventions and styles. This is music that breathes freshness. The diversity of the musical narrative, the fluidity of the transition from delicacy to frenzy, from melodiousness to heavy and noisy rhythms, is captivating.

Gerber’s musical activities are further complemented by the Wrocław Improvised Orchestra, a platform bringing together artists representing various musical genres who share an interest in improvisation. The orchestra meets regularly for rehearsals and organises cyclical concerts, during which bands perform in randomly organised line-ups. The orchestra also plays concerts under its own name with a full line-up of a dozen or so musicians. During the Jazztopad festival in 2023, Gerber also led a children and youth jazz band. Another important experience was her participation in two sessions of the International Jazz Platform, running workshops in Łódź and Oslo.

All this has been recognised by the jazz community with two significant, prestigious awards granted to Gerber in 2023. In the critics’ poll conducted by Jazz Forum magazine, she won the New Hope category, and was honoured with the same title at the Jazz Melomani Association Gala.

This article is published simultaneously in the following European magazines, as part of an operation to highlight young jazz and blues female musicians: Citizen Jazz (France), JazzMania (Belgium), Jazz’halo (Belgium), London Jazz News (UK), Jazz-Fun (Germany), Giornale della musica (Italia), In&Out Jazz (Spain) and Donos Kulturalny (Poland).

LINKS:

Matylda Gerber’s website

Ślina on Facebook / on Bandcamp

sneaky jesus on Facebook / Bandcamp

Wrocław Improvised Orchestra on video