Acclaimed WA blues singer/songwriter/guitarist Matty T Wall begins what will be a big year ahead on stages around the country with his debut appearance at Fremantle’s newest live music venue, the blues-and-jazz haven that is The Duke Of George on Saturday, February 2.
“The Duke Of George is absolutely stunning,” Wall says of the enticingly fresh East Fremantle venue. “It’s like something out of the Crown Casino, it’s beautiful and it’s really great to see that in Fremantle. It’s a jazz and blues venue, so we’re gonna come at it less from a rock angle and really amp up our blues and jazz, so we’ll see what we come up with. We’re just gonna have some fun.”
Though jazz and blues are two distinct genres, there’s a unique symbiosis between the two musical forms. While many tend to see blues as being raw-and-rough and jazz being polished, the energies are indeed entwined.
“You can see John Coltrane going hard at things as pretty raw and rough, but you can also think of a saxophone as a smooth and polished sounding instrument,” Wall explains.
“The same with an electric guitar – you can make it sound smooth or you can make it sound punky. It’s more so the sounds – jazz is probably more about exploring musical theory and blues is more about exploring emotional depth on the instrument. That’s pretty much the simplest way I can put it.”
Following his debut at The Duke Of George, Wall and his cracking band (featuring bassist Stephen Walker and drummer Ric Whittle) will light the road on fire, with their fifth East Coast tour in March being complemented by headline shows and festival appearances across WA. Since the acclaimed release of his second album, Sidewinder, in July 2018, there’s a long and winning/winding road ahead.
“Between us all it’s about getting out there and playing as many gigs as we can,” Wall contemplates. “And honing our sound to become as good as we can at the art of playing a show.”
Matty T Wall hits The Duke Of George on Saturday, February 2.
