Jul. 25—After his first visit to the Pacific Northwest in the early 1990s, Dmitri Matheny, a professional jazz musician, knew he loved the region.
In 2015, after two decades of yearly return trips, Matheny finally decided to relocate from his longtime home of San Francisco to Centralia.
"I finally just decided to relocate. Truth is, I've always loved everything about this region: the people, the landscape, the weather, everything. When I found my little house in Centralia I never looked back," said Matheny, 57.
Now, Matheny, known primarily as a flugelhornist, has released a new album based on the region he now calls home. Working with other musicians, Matheny sought to create an album celebrating the Pacific Northwest.
"I'm so proud of my band, and so grateful for their brilliant work on this project. We set out to celebrate the sound and spirit of our beloved home region, its luminous wonders, enchanted forests, healing waters and vibrant creative community. There's an aspirational sense-of-place here in the upper left, and I believe our music reflects this life-affirming ethos," Matheny said.
The album, CASCADIA, has received critical acclaim, receiving a four-star review from All About Jazz.
"The theme — aside from Matheny's home in the Northwest — seems to be pure beauty," said jazz critic Dan McClenaghan.
Matheny said the release of CASCADIA is one of the proudest moments of his career, and he cited his band as a reason for the album's acclaim.
"(CASCADIA) is definitely my best album, largely because of the musicians in my band, of whom I'm very proud. I feel so fortunate to be able to make a living doing what I love and to work with artists I so admire," Matheny said.
Other points of his career Matheny is proud of were the times he was able to overcome his own self-imposed obstacles to his work and create something amazing.
"Honestly, the moments of which I'm most proud are those precious intervals when I've managed to get out of my own way and write or play something pure, and simple, and true. Every jazz musician strives for those transcendent, miraculous moments when the music plays you, and not the other way around," Matheny told The Chronicle.
Matheny has been a musician his entire life, calling his career as "a good life." But Matheny said for all of the times in his career he's been proud of, there've also been plenty of difficulties, both artistic and financial. According to Matheny, life in the music industry is volatile. Matheny said the life of a musician can be an "emotional roller coaster" at times.