Hi there! My name is Matt Jaekel, thank you for being interested in my musical journey!

I have been playing guitar since 2011, where I was lucky to be around amazing musicians every day.

I started out learning metal guitar from the amazing engineer Bob Torres.

By the time I got to college, my eyes were being opened to the jazz world that had surrounded me since the beginning.

Like many others, my entry point was Kind of Blue, which was tucked away in my families CD collection that they would only break out during christmas.

Although I loved jazz, my experiences with my college professors, notably Gregg Bendian and Professor Vishio of William Paterson, made me realize that I love all styles of music.

At one point Professor Vishio showed me Mallerme by Ravel.

My quest for understanding these rich and dark harmonies was born the second I heard the first few notes… it was transcending.

Every since then I have been digging deeper, finding the beauty of the late 1800's french composers, including Debussy and Lili Boulanger.

Now, I am a touring guitarist who has the fortune of playing in the NYC music scene. And yet, my thirst for impressionist textures and harmonies on the instrument remains.

I hope my love for Ravel reaches you. And for the guitarists out there, it is now time to revisit the lessons of the past to push guitar forward.

Much love to you all,

Matt Jaekel (jkl.guitar)