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Johannes Zetterberg

Johannes Zetterberg (a native of Stockholm, Sweden) was born on November 17, 1985. Growing up in a musical family, he was exposed to a lot of different music at an early age.

"Well, being that my father's a countertenor with a soft spot for Oscar Peterson, I guess I quickly learned to appreciate classical music & jazz. On the other hand, there were groups & artists like Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, Michael Jackson, Toto, Chicago & lots of others, all of which I found on my mother's mixtapes. It was like discovering a gold mine with all kinds of cool music, ranging from the hits of the 60's to the boy bands of the 90's! So yeah, it got pretty diverse right from the get-go."

He started playing the bass at twelve, and fell in love with the instrument right away. Around the same time he was introduced to the music of Metallica & Yngwie Malmsteen by a friend, and that would turn out to widen his already eclectic taste, adding to the mix groups like Testament, Slayer, At the Gates, Opeth, Anthrax, Pantera, In Flames, Meshuggah, Dark Tranquillity & The Haunted, to name a few. Johannes would later go on to attend Södra Latins Gymnasium's prestigious music program, where he studied with Hjörleifur "Höddi" Björnsson & Robert Sundin. It was during this time that his interest for the fusion genre grew increasingly stronger & began to take up more of his time. Says Johannes:

"I had this friend in junior high who was into Weather Report, so I was kind of familiar with the genre already. But it wasn't until high school - when I discovered Dave Weckl, Allan Holdsworth, Chick Corea, The Brecker Brothers, Spyro Gyra, Tribal Tech, Yellowjackets & Pat Metheny Group - that I really got hooked on it. Hearing all that amazing music made me realize how endless the rhythmic and harmonic possibilities are, and that really excited me. I definitely connected with it in a way that I hadn't with any of the other genres."

Based on a mutual love for fusion, and instrumental music overall, Johannes and fellow classmates Aron Mellergårdh, Jonah Nilsson (both of Dirty Loops-fame), Erik Linder (Linder Bros) & Arvid Svenungsson started the group Magnolia.

"We wrote some songs, but only managed to complete & record one, really. It was titled "Seven Peaces" - and yes, it was misspelled intentionally! - but that track was actually influenced more by Emerson, Lake & Palmer & other progressive rock groups that we were listening to at the time."

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Album Review

Johannes Zetterberg: Luna Nueva

Read "Luna Nueva" reviewed by Woodrow Wilkins


From Sweden comes an electric groove that scores from the first note. Bassist Johannes Zetterberg pulls together a small, variable ensemble that easily shows the influence of artists who preceded him with Luna Nueva. Born to musical parents, Zetterberg has had a taste of many classifications of music, including a wide range of popular styles from the '60s into the '90s. Among his jazz icons are Chick Corea, Weather Report, Allan Holdsworth, The Brecker Brothers and Pat Metheny ...

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Johannes Zetterberg - Painter's Portrait

Johannes Zetterberg - Painter's Portrait

Source: Michael Ricci

Two years after the release of the highly acclaimed debut “Luna Nueva", bassist & composer Johannes Zetterberg is set to release his much-anticipated sophomore album “Painter's Portrait". Together with special guests Bob Mintzer (Yellowjackets, Jaco Pastorius, Buddy Rich et al.), Steve Weingart (Dave Weckl Band, Steve Lukather et al.), Brandon Fields (George Benson, Tower of Power, Earth, Wind & Fire et al), Jason Rebello (Sting, Jeff Beck, Wayne Shorter et al.), and a host of Swedish session musicians, he once ...

“From Sweden comes an electric groove that scores from the first note. Bassist Johannes Zetterberg pulls together a small, variable ensemble that easily shows the influence of artists who preceded him with Luna Nueva.” - Woodrow Wilkins, Allaboutjazz.com

“A full blown tapestry of multiple sound effects has been cleverly constructed into one of the neatest recordings to come out in some time. Bassist keyboardist Johannes Zetterberg and his cast of wonderfully talented musicians have created a sonic marvel in Luna Nueva. “ - Richard Kolp, Upbeat & More Internet Radio

“Albums like this should come with some kind of warning sticker saying, “Contains music by shamelessly talented young musicians and might hit you like a slap in the face”. Ouch! I was hit and floored but I managed to get back on my feet just in time to press the repeat button on my CD player. If you’re a fusion aficionado, this album will appeal to you. Period!” - Mikael Engström, Inside MusiCast

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Equanimity

Innate Groove Records
2015

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Painter's Portrait

Innate Groove Records
2011

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Luna Nueva

Innate Groove Records
2009

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Painter's Portrait

From: Painter's Portrait
By Johannes Zetterberg

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