Born: April 21, 1947 Primary Instrument: Saxophone
Cecilia Wennerström is a saxophone player, composer and arranger, educated at the music academies in Malmoe and Gothenburg. She was born in 1947 and lives in Stockholm, Sweden.
Recent groups where Cecilia is a member are Wennerstrom Larsson Explicity (with her husband Sven Larsson) which releases it first CD Tussilago (Wela Records/Plugged) in September 2011, and Ellman Larsson Constellation which plays compositions by the late cornet player Lars Färnlöf and other Swedish jazz icons. In 2008 she also started the quintet Fafner, together with alto saxophone player Amanda Sedgwick, and with this group she has been touring in north Sweden including recording for the Swedish national radio. With Fafner she has released the CD Cecilia Wennerström: Fafner (Wela Records/Plugged 2010).
Below is some history:
SALAMANDER
From 1979-91 she was the leader of Salamander, a jazz group that toured a lot in Sweden and Europe on festivals and clubs. Salamander made its debut 1981 at the Women's Jazz Festival in Kansas City, USA, and the concert made the late jazz critic Leonard Feather write an article about the group, something which hadn't happened to a Swedish group since Åke Hasselgård. The same year Salamander played at the North Sea Jazz Festival with such a success that the band was engaged for an extra concert the next day, and later on for the next year as well.
MARIE SELANDER/SNOW
In 1990 she started working with the talented singer and voice art performer Marie Selander in several creative and exciting projects, like for instance Maries composition “Blåst-Tuuli-Wind” that was performed in Kallio-Kuninkala Festival, Finland, 1996. In june 1999 the project toured to Wales. The cooperation with Marie continued in the jazz/world music group SNOW, which also includes the gifted drummer and composer Lise-Lotte Norelius. SNOW made its Swedish festival debut at the Umeå Folk Music Festival in 1997 and toured in the Faroe Islands in 1998.
BIG BANDS
>For several years (2004-2008) she played baritone saxophone with legendary Gugge Hedrenius Big Blues Band and also in Gugges 18 piece band Gugge Hedrenius Rhytm & Blues Jazz Orchestra which opened the Stockholm Jazz Festival 2005 and played at the Kristianstad Jazz festival 2006.
>The all nordic women big band April Light Orchestra had Wennerström as a member 1994-96 when the band toured in Denmark, Sweden and China, and also in 2000 when touring in Finland.
>For some years, starting with 1994, she played baritone saxophone with the internationally known Swedish tenor saxophone player Nisse Sandström's 10-piece band which played transcriptions of Miles Davis/Gil Evans tuba band music. Among many memorable concerts is one with Rolf Ericson on trumpet at the festival Jazz at Nyköpingshus 1995.
>One of Swedens best jazz singers, Peo Jönis, is the leader of a ladies big band, Satin Dolls, where Wennerström has played the baritone sax for several years and also does some arranging for the band. Satin Dolls is an entertainment band and has worked a lot in Swedish television.
CECILIA WENNERSTROM QUARTET
recorded its first CD in 1997, the first one in Cecilia's own name(Cecilia Wennerström/Minor Stomp/Four Leaf Records/FLCCD 157). The other members are Ann Blom(piano), Filip Augustson(bass), Henrik Wartel(drums).Here she returns to the small group format and explores classical, bebop/cool-oriented jazz. In 2001 came the second CD: Cecilia Wennerström Quartet with Ellekari Larsson/Stuck Zipper/Four Leaf Records FLCCD 174. The band has played in Sweden, France and Italy.
Awards:
2011: Scholarship award from STIM (the Swedish Performing Rights Society)2010: 1-year music working grant from the Swedish Arts Grants Committee
2008: Författarnas Fotokopieringsfonds Punktstipendium (as an author(!))
1993: 1-year music working grant from the Swedish Arts Grants Committee
1986: 1-year music working grant from the Swedish Arts Grants Committee
1983: 1-year music working grant from the Swedish Arts Grants Committee
” ... In this 18 piece band, moreover, are a bunch of splendid soloists, like Bosse Broberg, Lars Lindgren, Hector Bingert, Cecilia Wennerström. Johan Hörlén and Dicken Hedrenius.” DIG-Music Gunnar Holmberg 07/21/2005
” ... Most of the solo acts are, however, very enjoyable. Here one must mention the only female member of the big band, the baritone sax player Cecilia Wennerström, who shows a bold and accurate style of playing.” Henrik Sjögren, Falu Kuriren 02/11/2005
”…This is exhilarating contemporary jazz performed by four musicians with unfamiliar names but world-class credentials.” Jack Bowers, allaboutjazz.com/REVIEWS/R1299_43
”…With this release, Wennerström demonstrates that she has gained a place among those relatively few practitioners of the big instrument who have given it a formidable presence in progressive jazz bands.” Dave Nathan, allaboutjazz.com/REVIEWS/2001
”...if after all the strongest card on hand among the saxophones probably is the Swedish Cecilia Wennerström who among other things designs a mighty baritone solo on a tango rythm in Hanne Rømers “Fragment of a Hidden Treasure”...” Kjeld Frandsen, Berlingske Tidende, Copenhagen, 11/7-94
Minor Stomp
Four Leaf Clover
1997
Personnel: Cecilia Wennerstrom: Baritone saxophone, Ann Blom: piano, Filip Augustson: bass, Henrik Wartel: drums.
Stuck Zipper
Four Leaf Clover
2000
Personnel: Cecilia Wennerstrom: Baritone saxophone, Ellekari Larsson: vocals, Ann Blom: piano, Filip Augustson: bass, Henrik Wartel: drums.
Fafner
Wela Records/Plugged
2010
Personnel: Cecilia Wennerstrom: tenor saxophone, Amanda Sedgwick: alto saxophone, Carl Bagge: piano, Kenji Rabson: bass, Moussa Fadera: drums.
As A Side Musician
Consequences
Ellman Larsson Constellation
Four Leaf Clover
2009
Personnel: Anders Ellman: cornet, flugelhorn, Sven Larsson: bass trombone, Cecilia Wennerstrom: tenor saxophone, alto flute, Maria Kvist: piano, Filip Augustson: bass, Christopher Cantillo: drums.
The transparent cat
SNOW
Einnicken Records
1999
Personnel: Marie Selander: vocals, Cecilia Wennerstrom: baritone saxophone, Lise-Lotte Norelius: drums.
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Baritone Conn M250006 with Lawton 8*B ebonite mouthpiece
