ULF WAKENIUS: The guitar artistry of

ULF WAKENIUS
O guitarrista sueco Ulf Wakenius tem uma longa história de amor com o Brasil e seus
músicos, especialmente com o saudoso Sivuca, com quem gravou alguns álbuns. Ulf foi
guitarrista do último quarteto de Oscar Peterson. É um craque.
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ULF WAKENIUS
Ulf Wakenius was born in Halmstad, Sweden on April 16, 1958. He began playing the guitar at the age of 11, inspired by other guitarists in the neighbourhood of his new hometown, Gothenburg. Wakenius was a member of the Oscar Peterson quartet from 1997 (his predecessors have been such legends as Barney Kessel, Herb Ellis, and Joe Pass). He was also a member of the Ray Brown trio. In the mid-'80s Ulf also received the opportunity to record a solo album in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He was fortunate to be able to gather together such fantastic musicians as Sivuca, Luizão Maia, Paulo Braga and Nico Assumpção among others. His stop in Rio de Janeiro resulted in three
records with Sivuca: "Let's Vamos", "Aquarela do Brazil" and "Rendez-Vouz in Rio".
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ALBUM REVIEW
For the last four years Ulf Wakenius has been the featured guitarist in the Oscar Peterson Quartet, surely one of the most enviable musical environments in the world of jazz. Peterson has written a special eulogi to Ulf in the liner notes of this CD. Ulf Wakenius' previous albums for Dragon "Enchanted Moments" (DRCD 278) and "Live" (DRCD 347) featured the guitarist in the company of other musicians but in this, his latest recording, he has chosen to interpret many great standards and a blues dedicated to Oscar Peterson completely solo. Although on seven titles he has added an extra track where he accompanies himself, it is the guitar artistry of Ulf Wakenius we can hear all the way. His versions of "Li'l Darlin'", "Sweet Georgia
Brown", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Cherokee" and others confirm his position as
unquestionably one of the finest living jazz guitarists in the world today.
(Source: http://www.jazzloft.com)
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MINHA OPINIÃO - quem me despertou para a "artistry" de Ulf Wakenius foi Ivan Lins, em nosso último encontro, há alguns anos no Aeroporto Tom Jobim. Eu tinha o CD "Let´s vamos" que Ulf gravou com Sivuca, mas não havia prestado muita atenção. Ivan tinha razão: o homem é mesmo uma "fera" - basta olhar pro seu currículo. Neste álbum, toca violão acústico, do qual extrai um som muito bonito, bem brasileiro - influência da bossa nova, pela qual Ulf é apaixonado. Na maioria das faixas, usando o recurso de "overdubbing", ele mesmo se acompanha. Coisa finíssima.
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ULF WAKENIUS: The guitar artistry of

TRACKS/FAIXAS:
01 Have You Met Miss Jones? 5:29
02 Cherokee 6:46
03 Smoke Gets in Your Eyes 6:56
04 A Blues for O. P. 5:33
05 Sweet Georgia Brown 3:29
06 Little Right Foot 3:31
07 Barney Goes to Brazil: Manha de Carnival, Brazil, Loro 7:03
08 Li'l Darlin' 4:53
09 When You Wish Upon a Star 2:17
10 On Green Dolphin Street 4:37
11 How Deep Is the Ocean? 5:00