Gershwin on Guitar receives blockbuster reviews

Gershwin on Guitar

ANDREAS PETTERSSON Reviews for Gershwin on Guitar After the Three Preludes as an appetizer comes a splendid menu of Gershwin classics . . . Pettersson sets up house with more tone than he’s shown us before, simpler, more craftsman-like, less turbulent. It’s absolutely brilliant . . . The ballad “Embraceable You” is lovely listening, and “‘S Wonderful” has a sweet swing feeling. Entertaining intros and clever arrangements. Sven Malm, Svenska Dagbladet, (Six stars out of six.) . . . Pettersson begins interestingly with the Three Preludes from 1929. Then the tempo picks up with “Strike Up The Band” before returning to a more lyric and a more personal mood, among others in the version of the classic “Summertime.” Pettersson willingly holds himself to a tight line, but on his new disc he also gives himself what you might call a little musical “air.” The music has initiative and spirit . . . Johannes Cornell, Dagens Nyheter Nicely arranged Gershwin favorites, the surprise is three of the composer’s Preludes. Storming gallops, a fine lyrical sense, an extended feel for harmony, and a personal touch (For example, listen to the opening of “Summertime.”) Not just electric guitar, cool with so much acoustical . . . Alexander Agrell, Sydsvenska Dagbladet In the enduring ”Summertime,” “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” and the seductively lovely “Strike Up The Band” the group shows elegant balance and flexibility that gives it a top rating . . . The group should take the disc along in their baggage when they appear at the Rochester Jazz Festival in the United States this summer. The record’s that good! Göran Olsson, Gefle Dagblad (Five stars out of five) Guitarist Andreas Pettersson and his group serve up an original disc with twelve newly arranged Gershwin melodies. A delicious production. Pettersson invites us to a refined feel for the strings on the guitar, with elegant commentary by the accompanying trio. . Dag Lundin, Eskilstuna-Kuriren Andreas is a God-gifted guitar improviser in the same class as the established Swedish guitar stars Rune Gustafsson and Ulf Wakenius. Absolutely world-class . . . Jan Olsson, Skånska Dagbladet Andreas Pettersson interprets George Gershwin on the guitar with a fantastic demonstration of Gershwin’s many sides. In “Summertime” Pettersson creates a laid-back, beautifully illuminated presence, while “Oh Lady, Be Good” goes back to a Django Reinhardt sound. The music picks up even more of a contour with the work of the nuanced, solid rhythm section and Daniel Tillings piano, which shuttles between a heavy blues touch and a hint of high romance. Magnus Eriksson, www.rootsy.nu

Published:   2007-06-30 00:20:00 Updated:   2007-06-30 00:22:51