Vagabond

My immediate impression of the first track I listened to was "he's the Swedish Pat Metheny!". The album varies in style quite a bit, another track reminds me of DiMeola/Ponty/Clarke's Rite of Strings album, and others are just their own thing. Core instrumentation is guitar, accordion, and upright bass. It's a very cool album.

Maybe my favorite Ulf album, maybe. It's hard to say since his performances really span the emotional spectrum quite well. This compilation though, is something special. The covers are really fresh spins on the original tracks (Message in a Bottle with Youn Sun Nah, Chorinho, Witchi-Tai-To, Encore, and Birds and Bees) and the original tracks are just endlessly interesting to listen to. Ulf's guitar work is always top-notch, but this album feels more embedded in Ulf in some way. A little more intimate and personal with the notes, as it were. I don't feel like it is so much a "Metheny-esque" album, since Pat tends to play more technically at times than Ulf does. I tend to gravitate toward Ulf's style a bit more because I get more excited about the runs and passages that he weaves in, but that may just be me. Ulf is not so predictable, even where you hear this album several times through (and do yourself the favor of just letting it play; no skips!) you get caught off guard at times. I think that really is a tip of the hat to he and his groups take on songwriting, storytelling, and performance.A jazz guitar gem, grab it.

I was not familiar with Ulf as a solo artist. I discovered him from watching a youtube video of jazz singer Youn Sun Nah. Ulf is the gutair player in Youn's band. The music on this CD is great, especially "Message in the Bottle" with guest singer Youn Sun Nah. I will look into picking up some more of Ulf's solo work and his work with Youn Sun Nah. Highly recommended.

Ulf Wakenius has a long distinguised career both as band leader and as sideman for legends like Svend Asmussen and the late great Niels-Henning Orsted-Pedersen. Of lately he has worked with Vietnamese born vocalist Youn Sun Nah with may account for the delicious eastern influence on the album. Youn also guests - together with guitarist extraordinaire Nguyen Le - on a beautiful cover of "Message In A Bottle"(Police).But the central focus of the album is the relaxed, creative and intensely beautiful interplay between Wakenius, bassist Lars Danielson and the very prominent accordion of Vincent Peirani. Supplemented by percussion courtesy of Michael dalvid, actually it took several listenings before I realized there is no drums on this recording.A nice mix of originals and compositions by the likes of Lyle Mays, Jim Pepper and Keith Jarrett this is a highly entertaning, diverse and profound guitaralbum. Not a lot of shredding but thoughtful and artistic playing that are both pleasing and expanding for the ears/mind