Born: June 16, 1969 Primary Instrument: Guitar
Boston based composer and guitarist Bjorn Wennas is an active musician in Boston and it’s surroundings. He currently co-leads leads his own quintet together with Carmen Marsico featuring his original compositions drawing inspiration from both rock and jazz tradition as well as from contemporary music.
Bjorn made his debut on stage at the age of 12 with the Flamenco group Los Dos Jovenes led by acclaimed guitarist and educator Miroslav Simic. Bjorn eventually developed an interest in jazz and went on to play guitar in several big bands and smaller ensembles. Most notably performing with big bands under the direction of Johnny Olsson at Berns and Mosebacke in Stockholm. Bjorn has performed in some of the most distinguished jazz clubs in Sweden such as Fashing in Stockholm and Katalin in Uppsala.
Bjorn holds a Bachelor's Degree from Uppsala University in Musicology and Anthropology, a Diploma in Music from Berklee College of Music and a Masters of Music from Longy School of Music. In 1999 he moved to Boston and has since studied jazz with Mick Goodrick, Hal Crook, Jon Damian, Charlie Banacos, Joe Morris, Ed Tomassi, Greg Hopkins and Tim Miller. Bjorn is also a proficient classical guitarist and has studied with David Patterson, David Leisner and performed in master classes with Emanuel Segre, Aldo Minella and members from the Pacifica Quintet. He was nominated in 2004 for the Just Plain Folk’s Award for best jazz vocal composition (Love Song) along with the likes of Judi Silvano. His quintet was also selected to perform at the first annual New Music Festival in Boston, celebrating composers that are pushing the edge. He was a finalist in the International Massimo Urbani Award 2005, a jazz soloist competition that takes place in Camerino, Italy. The last couple of years he has been touring the US and Europe with his Quintet and Newpoli, an Italian Folk Music Ensemble that he co-leads.
“His beautiful tone, which lends itself to his beautiful melodies, as well as his talent,
warm personality and skills as a guitarist and composer are wonderful assets to be shared
with the world.”
- JOHN DAMIAN, JAZZ GUITARIST
...his dark-toned, electric lines surge forward with capacious voicings and probing chord
progressions. ...Wennas conveys a mature vision during the preponderance of these
craftily arranged works, awash with subtle surprises and the soloists hearty sojourns.
- GLENN ASTARITA, JAZZREVIEW.COM
Bjorn Wennas has the chops you’d expect of someone who emigrated from Sweden to
study at Berklee with guitar gurus Mick Goodrick and Jon Damian. But the emphasis on his
second CD is composition and ensemble interplay. The lead-off track, “Song 2,” begins
with bassist Bruno Raberg belting out a phlegmy ostinato with his bow; he’s soon joined
by drummer Ziv Ravitz’s funky backbeat and a zig-zagging boppish unison line voiced by
Wennas, trumpeter Phil Grenadier, and singer Carmen Marsico. On the title track, a
wandering melody unwinds over a ballad tempo, with Wennas and Grenadier trading
background and foreground lines, giving way for a Raberg solo, and then fading on
Wennas’s soft-voiced chords. Wennas can also play a slow solo and sustain it, as he does
on “L’uomo e la montagna,” a sextet number with Michael Reis on piano. Marsico’s vocals
don’t even enter until a good six minutes into the eight-and-a-half-minute piece...
Wennas’s arrangements are never predictable, and that includes the familiar “Ruby My
Dear” (a duo for voice and guitar) and “Lonnie’s Lament.” The trio “Nardis” even gets a
good walking-four groove going with some dirty rock-guitar tone.
- JON GARELICK, BOSTON PHOENIX
Static
beartones
2005
Tracks: Song 2; Static; L'uomo e la montagna; Nardis; Ruby my dear; Lonnie's lament; J.D.; P.I.N.Y.
Personnel: Björn Wennås: Guitar, Carmen Marsico: Voice, Phil Greandier: Trumpet, Michel Reiss: Piano, Bruno Råberg: Bass, Ziv Ravitz: Drums.
Early Summer Sketch
Beartones
2002
Tracks: Off; Early summer sketch; Mind Games; For Bjorn; Love Song.
Personnel: Björn Wennås: Guitar: Carmen Marsico: Voice, Kristof Bacso: Saxophones, Jeff Denson: Bass, Ziv Ravitz: Drums.
As A Side Musician
Sogno
Carmen Marsico
Beartones
2003
Tracks: All or nothing at all; Chovendo na Roseira; Pannonica; Tensions; Just one of those things; Lonely woman; Over me; Confirmation.
Personnel: Carmen Marsico: Voice, Björn Wennås: Guitar, Megumi Yonesawa: Rhodes, Demian Cabaud: Bass, Dennis Frehse: Drums.
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Primary Instrument:
Guitar
Location:
Jamaica Plain, MA
Willing to teach:
Intermediate to advanced students
Credentials/Background:
I teach privately at home, my rate is $50/hour.
I also teach at Music Maker School in Acton, please visit:
http://www.musicmakerschool.com for more info.
