My new album released

Phil · February 2005

Andreas: it's good to see you on this site, I hope you'll be invited to DjangoFest NW 2005?

AndreasOberg · February 2005

Marcus, thanks for the invitation! I'll keep it in mind for the future and I'm sure that I would like Maui very much

Phil, it's good to see you here on this site! I would really like to come and play the DjangoFest, we'll see what happens..

Sincerly
Andreas

MichaelHorowitz · February 2005

Just got it in! Great playing Andreas!!! This CD is an awesome display of bop chops....

Check it out here: Young Jazz Guitarist

AndreasOberg · June 2005

A nice review by Jim Carlton in Just Jazz Guitar Magazine.
/Andreas

Swedish guitar star Andreas Öberg, well known in Europe for his Gypsy stylings, offers this recording of what he says is his real love, bebop. And what amazing bebop it is. Öberg has help from the extraordinary Marian Petrescu at the piano and the excellent Jorgen Smeby and Robert Ikiz at the bass and drums respectively. This is a recording that could very well cause some stateside players to sit up and listen to what’s going down in Europe as a result of Djangophiles there who revere, celebrate and perpetuate the Gypsy sound. Along with Jimmy Rosenberg and Romane, Öberg has emerged as one of the genre’s modern exponents.

He says as a young teenager he cut his teeth on fusion but soon discovered George Benson, Bireli Lagrene and later, Django. By the time he was 18, he was gigging with many of Sweden’s most famous jazz names and well on his way to being a star of Gypsy swing. But this foray into bebop, or at least his concept of it, will no doubt enhance his visibility in the mainstream jazz world.

Oberg and Petrescu’s unison playing of musical phrases, usually heads, at lightning speed is astonishing. Both players possess intimidating chops that dispatch notes at a rate that some will no doubt label gratuitous, but there’s no denying that their playing swings. Well-developed and inventive solos underscore and actually complement the flashy stuff and its compelling call. Usually mature jazzers aren’t so impressed by speed, but it can be used judiciously and creatively. Certainly horn and reed players have availed themselves of all their instruments will allow, but we’ve had relatively few valid jazz guitarists who can blaze like this at will. A shining example here is “My Kind of Bebop,” built on the Cherokee changes. After a breathless head, Öberg’s ride is non-stop balls-to-the-wall excitement followed by Petrescu’s statement of stunning double octaves. The jaw-dropping unison on the closing head is sheer artistic precision.

Standouts include opener, “Stompin’ at the Savoy,” with a swing tempo that’s right in the pocket with the guitarist expressing himself with flair and using his monster chops to say something fun. Ditto for Petrescu with a solo that builds like crazy. Smeby’s bass playing is outstanding while Ikiz’s brush work is solid and swinging throughout. “Le Q Theme” is an Öberg original that’s haunting and beautifully composed. It’s melodic with good changes and expressed with both warmth and vibrancy on a nylon string guitar. “Helen,” a ballad is another of the guitarist’s originals that reiterates his maturity as a composer.

A refreshingly up tempo and engaging version of “Flamingo” is devoid of the Gypsy feel that lingers in many of Öberg’s solos. This one is straight ahead with a great progressive feel. The quartet’s trading fours en route to the coda flexes everybody’s chops and good taste. Luis Bonfa’s “Samba de Orfeo” captures the feeling of the Carnival with sizzling solos and a rapid “September Blues” is scorching from front to back. Duke’s “In a Sentimental Mood” showcases Jorgen Smeby’s bass playing and endorses him as one of Europe’s best. It’s again Marian Petrescu’s turn to shine on “A Night in Tunisia” which is a precursor to his amazing double octave intro to “Nuages” a tune that’s hard to swipe from a guitarist of Öberg’s caliber.

So, it’s flying fingers all over this CD, and some might liken this to Jimmy Bryant meets Yngwie Malmsteen, but like Bryant, and say, Danny Gatton, Öberg’s solos are not haphazard. They’re nicely developed and he knows where he’s going, as does Petrescu who’s a perfect companion here. And honestly, sometimes it’s the flash itself that makes this album so compelling. Perhaps it’s a manifestation of the Gypsy influence and perhaps, with Öberg being just 27, it’s youthful exuberance, but still it’s magnetic. My guess is that Öberg’s endemic Gypsy sensibilities along with his love of bebop and meticulous chops will serve as diacritical elements that could distinguish him from the rest of the pack.
Jim Carlton, Just Jazz Guitar Magazine

phil_g · June 2005

Brilliant CD, played it a lot now. The Pianist is special too!

Cheers, Phil

HotBoots · December 2008

I navigated my way to your guitar universe website and watched the video. I noticed that when your playing the jazzy stuff, even the gypsy stuff, your right hand is collapsed against the strings. Do you only use the traditional gypsy picking style when your on a gypsy guitar? educate me!

Good stuff by the way.

AndreasOberg · December 2008

well, that's not 100% correct. I play with a free wrist but i don't bend it as much as the gypsy players because I have found a way for me that works on both electric and acoustic. but it's important not to rest the wrist on the guitar when playing gypsy style.
my picking technique is a mix of gypsy picking, alternate and sweeping, trying to capture the best of each world!
regards and thanks
a