Matt Dwonszyk's DWONZTET!

Connecticut-born bassist Matt Dwonszyk brings deep swing, soulful originals, and bold New York jazz energy to The River Room in Willimantic. Matt Dwonszyk is a Connecticut-born, New York-based bassist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and educator whose playing combines deep swing, warmth, and an unmistakable sense of joy. He has shared the bandstand with jazz greats including Eddie Henderson, Bennie Wallace, Steve Davis, George Cables, Harold Mabern, Larry Willis, Joey Alexander, and Jazzmeia Horn. His collaborations include Jonathan Barber’s Vision Ahead, the Jon Davis and Julieta Eugenio trios, and Sarah Hanahan’s quartet. He also leads his own ensemble, the Dwonztet. Born in Hartford, Dwonszyk began playing electric bass at eleven before discovering upright bass at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts. His musical foundation grew through the Artists Collective and the University of Hartford’s Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz, where he studied with Steve Davis and Nat Reeves. He later earned a master’s degree at SUNY Purchase, studying with Jon Faddis, John Abercrombie, Todd Coolman, and Doug Weiss. Dwonszyk has performed at celebrated venues including Smalls, Smoke, Birdland, the Jazz Standard, and London’s Ronnie Scott’s. His international appearances have taken him across Europe, Russia, Canada, and Mexico, including performances with Jazz at Lincoln Center’s New York Jazz All Stars alongside Joe Farnsworth, Emmet Cohen, and Sarah Hanahan. In 2022, he won the DC JazzPrix Competition as a member of the Julieta Eugenio Trio. His recordings as a leader include Wonderful World (2018), A Year and a Day (2022), and Donny Time: The Music of Don DePalma (2024). The latter honors Hartford’s beloved late pianist, with all proceeds benefiting the DePalma Roy Scholarship. The Dwonztet has appeared at the Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, Hartford Jazz Festival, Springfield Jazz and Roots Festival, and leading clubs throughout the Northeast. Education and community remain central to his work. Dwonszyk has taught at the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz, Manchester Community College, Central Connecticut State University, Bennie Wallace’s BackCountry Jazz Program, and Litchfield Jazz Camp, alongside maintaining a private teaching practice. “I really try to take care of the music to the best of my ability,” he says. “It's all about community.”