Which musician has influenced you the most?
John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Keith Jarrett, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Brad Mehldau, and many others. They all have unique and very recognizable voices, you can tell it's John Coltrane playing after hearing just one note. This is something all of my favourite musicians have in common, a highly personal expression. They were also true masters of their instruments and they kept working hard to become even greater musicians. But most importantly, I just love how they make me feel while listening to them.
What can you teach me about your instruments different than any other teacher?
To be able to improvise over any type of chord changes/tunes with fluidity and ease, to master the entire fretboard and how to get a great sound through your hands.
How did you learn to play your instrument?
One sunday afternoon when I was 11 years old I was bored enough to pick up my dads acoustic guitar, since that day I never put it down. I was obsessed from the start and all I wanted to do was play. My dad taught me some simple chords and a pentatonic scale and that was enough to get me going. I didn't really have a teacher during my first years, but I was listening a lot to great guitarists like Jimi Hendrix and Jimi Page and I learned how to play their solos and songs. The thing I loved more than anything was improvising. I could sit for hours, playing along to whatever record my dad put on or what was on the radio, just soloing on every song and trying to make it work. Looking back, it was not a big surprise I ended up playing jazz.
How do you go about writing a song or composing a piece yourself?
It depends, sometimes I get an idea away from any instrument and then I sit down at either the guitar or the piano to develop that idea. Sometimes I just improvise for a long time and all of a sudden I stumble upon something interesting. Other times I sit down to write with a more general idea of what kind of tune I want to write. But in all cases, it's about taking one idea and developing it.
On what equipment do you play today?
I play a Gibson ES 150-D. I stumbled upon this guitar in a shop in Sweden and I thought it looked interesting, so I tried it and fell in love with it right away. It felt so natural to play it and it sounded great to me, so I had to have it. I have a Henriksen Blu six amp, which I love because it's so easy to bring to gigs and it sounds great. I don't use a lot of pedals, but I do use a Strymon Flint (reverb) and sometimes I use different kinds of delay.
What personal trait has helped you the most when it comes to practicing?
Curiosity and stubbornness. You have to be curious to learn, and I was always very curious and I've always loved learning new things. I would say that's the most important thing, cause it makes practicing so much more fun. The other one is being stubborn, which is really important for when you're trying to learn something that's very challenging. My stubbornness made me not give up at times when I was struggling, and because of it I learned things I thought I couldn't learn.
What does your instrument have that others don't?
The ability to sound good in so many different genres and settings, to be both very percussive and melodic, to be very small and very big. It's a very versatile instument with endless opportunities when it comes to aproach and sound, which makes it a lot of fun.
What do you pay special attention to when you're teaching?
I pay close attention to what the student seems to enjoy the most and in what way they seem to digest information the best. For instance, someone might be very good at learning new things by ear but they have a hard time following if I'm explaining the theory behind what they just learned. Someone else might be struggling to learn things by ear, but they love music theory and that makes them understand practical concepts better. In either case I try and focus on what comes more natural to the student, without ignoring what's challenging. In other words, If you have good ears but you struggle with theory I will still teach you theory but I will approach it from a much more practical perspective. Focus on your musical strengths without abandoning your weaknesses!
How do you structure your music lessons?
Again, it depends on the student, but I usually structure the lesson around a jazz tune that we're learning. That way there's always specific things we are working on and I always have a practical context when I'm introducing new concepts. So I usually divide the lessons into different areas like harmony, melody, technique, improvisation, always connected to the tune we are playing.
How does your approach change when you're working with children?
The most important thing for children is discovering the joy in making music. They have to think it's fun and exciting, why else do it? So I try and find a way to excite them, to think music is magical but also something they can do. In my opinion there's no better way to get a child to focus or to make progress, they have to think it's. fun.
What was your greatest experience as a musician so far?
One of the reasons I love being a musician is that I'm able to travel anywhere in the world, meet people from different cultures and we're always able to communicate through music. My greatest experience as a musician was moving to New York City. I've never experienced a place that was as challenging or inspiring like New York City. I met so many musicians from all around the world who taught me so much. I got to play with some of my heroes as well as meeting peers that blew my mind. During my years in NYC I made friends for life and I became the musician I am today.
What was the largest stage that you've performed on?
Globen in Stockholm, they have a capacity for 16 000 people.
Which musician would you like to play with?
There are so many, but if I hade to choose one I might have to go with John Coltrane. He's one of my absolute heroes for sure and I've listened thousands of hours to his music. One thing that always strikes me about Coltrane is his intense presence in whatever context he's playing. I would have loved to share the stage with him and feel that presence next to me, I think that would feel like a religious experience.
Which record would you bring to a deserted island?
Kind of Blue, Miles Davis. It might be cliché but it's definitely one of the best jazz albums ever made. Everyone playing on Kind of Blue is a hero of mine, all the compositions are great, everyone sounds so inspired on the whole recording and it's just one of the most beautiful pieces of art ever made.
On what stage would you like to perform at the most?
My dream is to play at the Village Vanguard in NYC. It's the most legendary jazz club in the world, where all of my heroes have played and so many of my favourite live albums have been recorded. A magical place.
What is important in your life besides music?
My family and my friends are the most important. As far as hobbies go I'm a big chess nerd and a huge wine geek.
