RAOUL BJÖRKENHEIM
Genres: Eclectic Fusion, Jazz Related Improv, Composition, 21st Century Modern • United States

Raoul Björkenheim's guitar playing is often described as a force of nature, the conventional traits usually associated with jazz or rock having given way to a more visceral, expressionistic approach to creating timbre and velocities. Experimenting with various tunings on 6 and 12 string guitars, Raoul makes full use of the subtleties offered by electronics and the deft touch of his fingers, creating startling textures that imitate everything from birds, opera singers or flutes to heavy industrial machines, string orchestras or butterfly wings. Constantly discovering new sonorities on his guitar, he has created a uniquely personal language which speaks to audiences all over the world through his concerts and recordings. Influenced at first by Jimi Hendrix and B.B. King, Raoul progressed gradually from Frank Zappa to John McLaughlin and John Coltrane, finding great inspiration in the highly charged expression of their music. Jazz guitar lessons in New York City whetted his read more...