Matthew Jumpsen

I started playing guitar at age nine, but it took me a while to really get into it. In the early going I would attend my weekly lessons and practice just enough to get to the next page of the beginner’s book. That was until I was given snippets of the great rock and blues riffs: AC/DC, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Once I got these songs under my fingers and was playing along to the records, I got really invested in playing guitar. My lessons morphed into jam sessions, where my instructor and I would trade solos over twelve bar blues.

Fast forward to graduating high school and I’m off to learn more about music at Macewan University. I went to music school for the theory and technique, but what turned out to be truly invaluable was being surrounded by extraordinary musicians day and night. I was introduced to so much new music, and got to play it with my peers. I carry much of that with me to this day, and the influence those university years had on me is immense. This is also when I started writing songs, and cautiously stepped into the role of singer and band leader.

I learned the ropes as an artist playing to mostly empty bars in Edmonton and Calgary. Sometimes it didn’t feel worthwhile, and there were plenty of dips in my confidence and effort level (not to mention a pandemic). Through the stop and restarts, I managed to find a tremendously supportive community within the Calgary blues scene. The guidance and mentorship I have received has continued to push me forward; culminating in the release of my debut album. I’ve been playing some of the songs on this record for fifteen years, and I can hear the influence of the many talented musicians I’ve played with through those years. It may only be my name on the cover, but this record wouldn’t exist were it not for so many people. I hope this album is the first of many as my musical passions remain IN PURSUIT.