Ulf Wakenius was born April 16, 1958 in Halmstad (Sweden). Inspired by guitarists from his neighborhood, Gothenburg, he began to play the guitar when he was eleven years old. Ulf has never looked back since he picked up his guitar. He was initially inspired by the virtuoso electric guitar players, but he soon switched to jazz-oriented music. Ulf was a member of the Oscar Peterson Quartet since 1997, which is perhaps the most prominent jazz position for a guitarist. His predecessors include Joe Pass, Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel and Herb Ellis. He has played at many iconic jazz venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Hollywood Bowl, and the Blue Note, and performed for large audiences around the globe. He also appears on American television (CBS), and Tv Globo Brazil (Brazil) together with Oscar Peterson. He recorded “Trail of Dreams”, a song he co-wrote with Michel Legrand and Oscar Peterson for Telarc. In recent years, he has played with many outstanding musicians, including Ray Brown, Joe Henderson and Herbie Hancock. Two CDs were recorded by him with Ray Brown, also for Telarc: “Seven Steps To Heaven”, which reached number one on the U.S jazz charts, as well as “Summertime”, which was voted one of the top ten albums in America in ’98. He has been leading a stellar band with Ray Brown and Mike Brecker in recent years. He did a U.S. tour last year with Oscar Peterson. The concert at the Hollywood Bowl was the highlight, with 17,000 spectators. Ulf has 10 albums to his credit and many albums as a sideman with jazz legends. Visit www.visionmusic.com
