Geoff sits down with Swedish jazz guitar virtuoso Ulf Wakenius in a back room at the Pizza Express Jazz Club in London and traces the real chain of events that took him from Scandinavian gigs to recording with Ray Brown and spending 10 years beside Oscar Peterson.

Ulf describes the moments that quietly changed everything: touring Europe with Ray Brown, landing in CBS Studios in New York, and realising the tape is rolling after a head arrangement that took minutes…not days.

Ulf explains Oscar’s fearless way of keeping the music fresh, sometimes literally dropping the set list and starting something else, and why that kind of pressure makes a band stronger. He breaks down what “the Oscar style” means from the guitar chair: tremendous swing, unstoppable time feel, and a touch that can turn the piano into a roaring big band or a whisper-soft ballad.

We get practical about learning jazz standards. We talk Aebersold play-alongs, building a personal repertoire without trying to memorise the entire ocean, and why rhythm changes sits right behind the blues as a core form every jazz musician should embrace. Ulf names a few favourite standards but chooses to play the 50s Leiber/Stoller/Miller standard ‘Bernie’s Tune’ (accompanied by the ever-present Quartet app), and shares how blues language, Miles Davis-style articulation, and saxophone phrasing all feed his improvisation.

If you’re practising standards, chasing better swing, or just want a vivid jazz podcast filled with real stories, there’s plenty to steal for your own playing.

Subscribe for more conversations like this, share the episode with a musician friend, and leave a review with your favourite standard so we can feature your picks in a future chat.

Presenter: Geoff Gascoyne
Series Producer: Paul Sissons
Production Manager: Martin Sissons
The Quartet Jazz Standards Podcast is a UK Music Apps production.