BLUES SINGER – BOTTLENECK GUITAR PLAYER – SONGWRITER

BJ's story.. (the short version)               (Info på svenska!) 
 

I was born and raised in a small town called Lit in the midst of Sweden(this area is also a junction for several rivers forming a true "delta".. Haha, so I can say I was born on the delta, folks!!). I still live here today..

Music has always been in my life!! My grandfather Erik made my first recordings on an old tape recorder when I was three years old. On the tape you can hear everything from stories of Bellman to ol'timey folk-tunes!! My grandmother Elna's relatives are(were) all awesome and well known musicians and she was the one who got me into singing.(thanks, grandma!). I used to sit in her lap when she played an old pump-organ and sang Swedish folk-tunes of old and spirituals like Swing low sweet chariot and Amazing Grace.. 

But it seems I'm always drawn back in time and place to the Mississippi Delta of the 1920's and 30's..
I guess this is THE music that touches my soul the most?! It must be, I haven't found any music yet that can compare to these old recordings in terms of soul, feeling and honesty..

When I perform it's mostly old-timey 1920's and 30's Delta, Hokum & Country blues stuff.. Spirituals, of course, are also an essential part of my repertoire. 
Performing solo but also in duo’s and in full acoustic(and electric) bands, playing blues festivals, clubs, concert halls, private concerts, churches, coffee houses, schools & pubs.

Singin' my heart out and playin' resonator guitars, my beloved tin-cans in open tunings and having one foot pounding out the rhythm on the floorboards. Nowadays I think about what the the gig requires, and then if needed I put a band together. Got lots of very talented good friends, great musicians! 

I feel truly blessed that people like my music and give me the opportunity to perform it live..!! Thanks to ALL of you interested in my music and I sure hope to meet you one day!

"..The depth of soul in this man's voice is at the least stirring, and at the most..... entirely captivating.." -Soundclick.com, USA.

The heart of my music is the genuine sound of resonator guitars. I like the mix between acoustic and electric that I believe we find in the resophonic instruments. I use to tell people who hasn't heard one before that it's an electric guitar without the electricity!! It's basically a mechanically amplified guitar.. Some of my trusted workhorses are a 1933 National Duolian and a 1935 Dobro. I just love the mechanically amplified sound..

Other vintage instruments such as ol'timey Levin guitars are favourites too! Sometimes there might also be a piano, pump-organ, washboard, harmonica, upright-bass, mandolin, kazoo and such nice old bluesy instruments to accompany me. And what a wonderful sound they all make! Man, if some instruments could talk, what a tale they'd tell...

Influences: The old bluesmen from the Delta..
Robert Johnson, Bukka White, Blind Willie Johnson, Charley Patton, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Leadbelly, Muddy Waters, Tampa Red, Leroy Carr, Bo Carter, SON HOUSE and almost every other bluesman and woman playing in the 1920's & 30's. Contemporary: Eric Bibb, Doug Macleod, Taj Mahal, Corey Harris to name a few.

"..Eliasson has made his mark as one of today’s most poignant voices in the genre.."  -Frank Matheis, thecountryblues.com, USA.

The past few years has taken me on tour to various festivals & clubs throughout Europe and USA, among others:

-Rootsway Blues & Food Festival, Parma, Italy

-Davis Jazz Club, Vienna, Austria 

-Arkansas Blues & Heritage Festival, Helena, USA 

-Blues au Chateau Festival,  La Chèze, France    

-Hällevik Tradjazz(!) Festival,  Sweden 

-Swing Blues Festival,  Wespelaar,  Belgium   

-Nidaros Blues Festival, Trondheim, Norway    

-PaasBlues Festival, Asten, The Netherlands    

-Copenhagen Blues Festival, Copenhagen, Denmark

-Dundee Blues Bonanza, Dundee, Scotland 

-Åmål Blues Festival, Åmål, Sweden

-The Helicon Jazz Cafe, Warsaw, Poland  

-Music Café Pegasus, Munich, Germany 

-Breakfast Blues, Bunky’s, Helena, Arkansas, USA 

-Streets of Blues Festival, Tropea, Italy 

-Frankfurt Musik Messe, Amistar Guitars, Germany

-St. Lawrence Church Blues, Janakkala, Finland

-Felsenkeller,  Schwandorf,  Germany 

-Jazzland, Vienna, Austria 

-Mississippi Welcome Center, Lula, Mississippi, USA

-Blues Cruise on the Baltic Sea 

-Dalane Blues Festival, Egersund, Norway   

-Tartu ResoFest, Tartu, Estonia 

-Resophonic Guitar Festival, Pilzen, Czech Rep. 

-Street Blues, Memphis, Tennesee, USA 

-Isle of Capri Casino, Lula, Mississippi, USA 

-Skalica Cultural Centre, Slovakia 

-Östersund Blues Festival, Sweden 

-Torun Blues Festival, Poland 

-Stampen Jazz Club, Stockholm, Sweden 

"..The Van Gogh of European bluesmen.." -Blues Matters Magazine, UK.

***

While in the US I played gigs in the Mississippi delta region, one gig was at the Arkansas Blues & Heritage Festival in Helena, also known as the King Biscuit Blues Festival. This was just awesome, folks!!!!! 

See some photos from the festival here!!

***

Playing live as often as I can! There's nothin' better than playin' in front of an audience that likes the music from my heart & soul.. A great feeling! One career highlight so far was when I played live in front of nearly one MILLION people in Swedish national television!! That was something extraordinary.
I keep my music acoustic, the sound of these instruments warms my heart!!

Anywhere where there's a need for real old blues.. I'll be there!!
Lately it's been a constant travelling around to do gigs, solo and in bands. Been playin' the blues around bluesfestivals and clubs all over Europe, from Lapland in the north to Calabria, Italy in the south..

Several programs on Swedish national television SVT, as well as local TV shows. Norwegian national television and radio, NRK.
BJ’s music is reguarly featured on radio shows and blues programs all over the world, France, Italy, Finland, Holland, Germany, USA, the UK, Australia, Mexico, Belgium, Argentina and South-Africa to name a few... Radio interviews/Pod-casts in Holland, USA, Australia etc..Since 2003 I have regularly been the host of a radio show at Radio Jämtland with a program called 100% BLUES and it is real fun! Now the program is called Musikbaren. 

Articles and reviews in blues magazines like:

ZicaZic Music Magazine - France.
Rootsville - Belgium.
Blues Matters - UK.
Il Blues - Italy.
Rootstime - Belgium.
Blues in Britain - UK.
Blues News - Finland.
Twoj Blues - Poland.
Blues & Co - France.
Blues News - Norway.
Blues Art Journal - Austria.
Concerto Magazine - Austria.

"..It's as if Son House's voice has come alive again. Deeply moving!.."  -Don Hooper,  Unplugged Records, USA.

I'm proud to say that I've been awarded with a honourable prize at the Östersund Blues Festival, in Swedish it's called: ÅRETS BLÅDÅRE.. Translates into something like: Blue Maniac of the year..!! LOL!!! And also the Wilhelm Peterson-Berger culture scholarship award..!!!! It can't be too often a blues musician receives a culture award..

"..The spirit of blind Willie Johnson and Son House must surely be watching over Johan.." -Brian Harman,  Blues Art Journal.

Acoustic Roots Music with heart & soul..
Solo, duo or as a full band!! With a broad repertoire in a good number of roots-music genres such as, blues, gospel/spirituals, soul and ol’timey jazz. BJ and friends will give you an uplifting and enjoyable event, may this be in your club, festival, private party or any other cultural happening!!

Anyhow, you're MOST welcome to my blue oasis in cyberspace!! Please do take your time to browse through these pages, look at video clips and photos, listen to the soundclips and read reviews and info!!! Hope to see YOU down the bluesy road some day soon..

Thanks again for stoppin' by and welcome back!!

BJ

  Info på svenska!  

While in the US I played gigs in the Mississippi delta region, one gig was at the Arkansas Blues & Heritage Festival in Helena (formerly known as the King Biscuit Blues Festival). This was just awesome, folks!!!!! 

See some photos from the festival here!!