Alf Carlsson (born 1991) is a Swedish-based session and jazz guitarist.
His solo debut album “Lights” (Prophone Naxos) released in 2023, has received extensive international recognition, with articles in the world's biggest jazz guitar magazine “Jazz Guitar Today” (link to article here) among others. The album has been broadcasted both on swedish national radio and on international jazz radio stations.
“We all have beacons of light in our lives, things we cannot be without.” For Swedish guitarist Alf Carlsson, he has made the choice to dedicate his solo debut record under his own name to the most luminous of his personal lights, music. A modern amalgamation of jazz, rock, and Swedish folk music
In 2013, he received the Albin Hagström award for young promising guitarists on the popular music scene. A year later, he composed music for the Nobel Peace prize winner Malala Yousafzai exhibition in Stockholm. He has been freelancing non stop on the Swedish jazz and pop scene since his graduation at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm in 2016 and has been working as both a band leader and is a known “hired gun”.
With a wide palette of musical styles in his arsenal, he has no fear mixing styles and has come up with a very original take on the jazz guitar by incorporating swedish folk music, pop, rock and jazz in his compositions.
He has toured extensively with the international collaboration “Alf Carlsson/Jiří Kotača Quartet”, a jazz group that has played over 120 concerts in Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Poland, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands since 2017. Their debut album “Journeys” (2019, Amplion Records) was critically aclaimed as one of best Czech jazz releases of the year.
As a session guitarist, Alf has been featured on k-pop acts like “Cravity” in collaboration with swedish K-pop producer Cage and Jimmy Claesson which has sold over 350 000 physical copies in 2023.
PRESS QUOTES :
“Within the first minute, the listener is drawn in by the rich sound of Carlsson’s guitar, his honesty and technical proficiency, the ominously dark harmony and the refreshing recontextualization of a folk-tinged melody.” - Jazzguitar today
“A debut worth listening to several times in a row.” - Mats Hallberg, Orkesterjournalen
“Always cultivated and with a clear goal, which is, as it were, an enticing light on the horizon of the mundane.” Miroslav Halak - Jazz.sk
“Always concerned with a balance based on melody, Alf Carlsson displays a real musical identity in this album. His exceptional mastery of the instrument is also a lesson for any young guitarist.” Pierre Dulieu, Jazzmania.be
“ But above all - which is a characteristic mark of quality - the guitarist's improvisation. I have no doubt that we will hear about Alf Carlsson more than once.” Sebastian Chosiński, esenja.pl
“There are some wonderful passages of sound, with the quartet collectively working extremely well together, helping bring the guitarist’s compositions to life. As a guitarist, Carlsson is a formidable talent.” Mike Gates, UK vibe
“A very successful debut album that whets your appetite for more…” jazz-fun.de
“LIGHTS is a very enjoyable debut from a talented guitarist.” jazzviews.net
“Whether you’re a mood person or turned on by technical wizardry there’s plenty here for you to go at.” David bentley, nordicmusiccentral.com
“The album ends with Carlsson's "Where's the Party At?" The answer is that it is Alf Carlsson himself who invites to the party and for those of us who are invited, it is just a matter of thanking and bowing.” - Thor Hammerø , nettavisen.no
“Carlsson exhibits almost nonchalantly - as do the other members of the band - his high technical level which he never insists on obsessively. His first work certainly does not show an elitist character, preferring to remain in the perspective of an overall pleasantness, demonstrating that he is capable of making adequate syntheses between different genres.” - Riccardo Talamazzi, Off Topic Magazine
“A truly impressive performance in a church venue... I enjoy their work immensely because of the juiciness and colourfulness of their compositions. They also presented us some new stuff.” Michal Kratochvíl, jazzport.cz
“In their joint debut, Jiří Kotača and Alf Carlsson succeeded in doing a thing that is not entirely self-evident. They made a record on which they had no inclination to compromise, yet it is an accessible and inspiring album, not gazing just into itself. Such a musical journey is worth embarking on.” Milan Tesař, musicfriendlycity.cz
“... And it does so with the imagination and skill of a star team of the best chefs focused on experiential music gastronomy! Nothing to deal with, 100% 10 out of 10 rating!” Jan Hocek, jazzport.cz
His solo debut album “Lights” (Prophone Naxos) released in 2023, has received extensive international recognition, with articles in the world's biggest jazz guitar magazine “Jazz Guitar Today” (link to article here) among others. The album has been broadcasted both on swedish national radio and on international jazz radio stations.
“We all have beacons of light in our lives, things we cannot be without.” For Swedish guitarist Alf Carlsson, he has made the choice to dedicate his solo debut record under his own name to the most luminous of his personal lights, music. A modern amalgamation of jazz, rock, and Swedish folk music
In 2013, he received the Albin Hagström award for young promising guitarists on the popular music scene. A year later, he composed music for the Nobel Peace prize winner Malala Yousafzai exhibition in Stockholm. He has been freelancing non stop on the Swedish jazz and pop scene since his graduation at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm in 2016 and has been working as both a band leader and is a known “hired gun”.
With a wide palette of musical styles in his arsenal, he has no fear mixing styles and has come up with a very original take on the jazz guitar by incorporating swedish folk music, pop, rock and jazz in his compositions.
He has toured extensively with the international collaboration “Alf Carlsson/Jiří Kotača Quartet”, a jazz group that has played over 120 concerts in Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Poland, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands since 2017. Their debut album “Journeys” (2019, Amplion Records) was critically aclaimed as one of best Czech jazz releases of the year.
As a session guitarist, Alf has been featured on k-pop acts like “Cravity” in collaboration with swedish K-pop producer Cage and Jimmy Claesson which has sold over 350 000 physical copies in 2023.
PRESS QUOTES :
“Within the first minute, the listener is drawn in by the rich sound of Carlsson’s guitar, his honesty and technical proficiency, the ominously dark harmony and the refreshing recontextualization of a folk-tinged melody.” - Jazzguitar today
“A debut worth listening to several times in a row.” - Mats Hallberg, Orkesterjournalen
“Always cultivated and with a clear goal, which is, as it were, an enticing light on the horizon of the mundane.” Miroslav Halak - Jazz.sk
“Always concerned with a balance based on melody, Alf Carlsson displays a real musical identity in this album. His exceptional mastery of the instrument is also a lesson for any young guitarist.” Pierre Dulieu, Jazzmania.be
“ But above all - which is a characteristic mark of quality - the guitarist's improvisation. I have no doubt that we will hear about Alf Carlsson more than once.” Sebastian Chosiński, esenja.pl
“There are some wonderful passages of sound, with the quartet collectively working extremely well together, helping bring the guitarist’s compositions to life. As a guitarist, Carlsson is a formidable talent.” Mike Gates, UK vibe
“A very successful debut album that whets your appetite for more…” jazz-fun.de
“LIGHTS is a very enjoyable debut from a talented guitarist.” jazzviews.net
“Whether you’re a mood person or turned on by technical wizardry there’s plenty here for you to go at.” David bentley, nordicmusiccentral.com
“The album ends with Carlsson's "Where's the Party At?" The answer is that it is Alf Carlsson himself who invites to the party and for those of us who are invited, it is just a matter of thanking and bowing.” - Thor Hammerø , nettavisen.no
“Carlsson exhibits almost nonchalantly - as do the other members of the band - his high technical level which he never insists on obsessively. His first work certainly does not show an elitist character, preferring to remain in the perspective of an overall pleasantness, demonstrating that he is capable of making adequate syntheses between different genres.” - Riccardo Talamazzi, Off Topic Magazine
“A truly impressive performance in a church venue... I enjoy their work immensely because of the juiciness and colourfulness of their compositions. They also presented us some new stuff.” Michal Kratochvíl, jazzport.cz
“In their joint debut, Jiří Kotača and Alf Carlsson succeeded in doing a thing that is not entirely self-evident. They made a record on which they had no inclination to compromise, yet it is an accessible and inspiring album, not gazing just into itself. Such a musical journey is worth embarking on.” Milan Tesař, musicfriendlycity.cz
“... And it does so with the imagination and skill of a star team of the best chefs focused on experiential music gastronomy! Nothing to deal with, 100% 10 out of 10 rating!” Jan Hocek, jazzport.cz