Accomplished Dunsborough saxaphonist Serge Le Goueff has just released his first album What Matters filled with soothing jazz songs bound to make you smile.
The album has been two years in the making, which included a stint in London where it was recorded under the watchful eye of music producer Graeme Blevins.
Blevins is one of the most sort after saxophonists in Europe, he encouraged Le Goueff to create the album, questioning why he hadn't done so already.
"I didn't think I was ever good enough," Le Goueff said.
"Blevins said to me, 'you have no idea you have to record an album.'"
Good enough he is, What Matters has been described as "an album to chase the COVID-19 blues away," "an album of music filled with joy," "cool and relaxed at times, boisterous and exuberant at other times, pensive and thoughtful, this jazz album will keep you smiling".
Le Goueff said he was so fortunate that Blevins was well connected in London's music industry which made the project easy.
"He had all the contacts I needed for me to operate with the best professionals in London," he said.
"As a mature jazz man I have my heroes and inspirations which includes rhythm section players such as pianists, drummers and bass players.
"When Graeme asked me who I would like to play with, I asked him, hypothetically or for real?
"I told him three names David Green, Steve Brown and John Pierce. There was a small silence then he said, okay I'll look into it.
"Two days later he had contacted the three jazz men and all three had accepted to be part of the recording and they were booked.
"There was no going back then, I had the musicians booked, then it was a case of choosing the studio."
The album was recorded in Masterchord Studio in London.
It took two years to complete starting with Le Goueff selecting the tunes he wanted to record which included seven jazz standards and three original compositions.
Le Goueff wrote and arranged the three original compositions, one of which is bluesy and named Because Blues for his daughter.
"My daughter is five years old and five year old's ask a lot of questions. At the end of one day I was so exasperated and exhausted from her asking dad this, dad that," he said.
"I went online and asked how many questions can a five year old ask, the answer was something like 470 questions per day.
"No wonder I was exhausted and no wonder at the end of the day my answers were simplified to one word, because."
The other composition Le Goueff wrote is called Sax Life, an original jazz tune that every jazz man drilled day after day, practicing faster and faster.
The third composition is the album title, What Matters which Le Goueff wrote for his five children.
"It is to bring home to them that all that really matters is people, it's not the car or motorcycle in the driveway or the boat or holiday, it's the people around you," he said.
Read more: Serge Le Goueff goes on a saxaphone journey
Le Goueff has started writing his second album which will be in a similar vain to What Matters, a mainstream jazz album, and also has two more projects in the pipeline.
"I have all these music projects and a head full of creative endeavours I am just trying to find an avenue to realise those endeavours," he said.
"When COVID-19 came I lost all my gigs I had 40 gigs go down the drain in one take. I was supposed to go to China and Europe then it all just disappeared into thin air.
"Our industry was the first one to be shut down because it obviously involved the public in large numbers, and it will be the last one to be reopened.
"The government has been absolutely outstanding in its financial response to so many people but the art industry seem to have been completely forgotten."
Le Goueff said there was an enourmous amount of artists who were desperate to perform but the danger was they would be exploited by some businesses who would look at them like beggars.
Recently, Le Goueff was offered food instead of a monetary payment to play a gig.
"Music is not free it costs a lot of money for the creator," he said.
When an artist would normally be touring and playing gigs to promote a new album Le Goueff has been looking at ways to market his record so he can continue making music.
COVID-19 has brought the music industry to its knees forcing professional musicians to look at how they can continue to make their careers sustainable.
"There are no gigs to promote the album, it is the first thing you do when you publish an album, you go from gig to gig," he said.
"I have created educational videos on YouTube which people have embraced, I also had to ask myself due to COVID-19 how did musicians survive at a time when there was no money going around?"
Le Goueff started researching and went back in time to the Renaissance period when greats such as Mozart, Michelangelo and Shakespeare had no money.
"They were basically artists with means to express or create, but they all had patrons so they did not have to worry about putting bread on the table everyday," he said.
"Patrons very generously funded the artists allowing them to create beautiful things.
"Music has been so devalued in recent years to a point where people, particularly younger generations, think music is free.
"They go on Spotify and they stream music for free, they do not realise that an album such as mine cost $25,000 of investment let alone the instruments.
"It is time to bring it to the attention of our audiences that music is not free, if people want real musicians to keep creating we are going to need their help."
Le Goueff signed up to a website patreon.com which allows fans to become patrons for the simple cost of a cup of coffee per month.
"If that multiples by 50 or 100 people it takes away the financial pressure that would make me need a second job. If I do not have to do that I can keep producing new music for those people," he said.
"I need to create a patronage otherwise I will never be able to complete a new project."
What Matters is available to purchase online as a CD or download at sergelegoueff.com/shop
