Andreas Hellkvist

A few weeks ago Claes Janson visited HQ for a recording session and a little talk. It turned out, as expected, a really nice day. We recorded 4 songs and talked about everything and anything. The new episode of Guest at the HQ was out this week, but this time, entirely in Swedish.
Watch here:
https://youtu.be/rZ9OHUpZ5MA

If you just want a taste of the music, here’s the song “Ett ord till mina polare”
https://youtu.be/iR_GFph4Ry0

And of course there’ll be a stream tomorrow and this week I’ll be back at the B3. Looking forward to that! The remaining streams before summer I thought I’d reuse and bring out the best songs dfrom previous streams. That means only the hits!

So, Hellkvist Hammond Hour Saturday, May 14th 6pm CET.
Watch here
https://youtu.be/gGc9UsbFl5Q
https://fb.me/e/3bJgrTiqC

Hope you all are well!

/Andreas

A few weeks ago I spoke about the patent for the first Hmmond organ in 1934. Today I’ll talk about the opposite. Hammond still makes organs and other instruments, but they are of course quite different from the old organs. This year’s model is called the SkxPRO and you can see it in the picture above. I got to borrow one for a few weeks so I’ve had the chance to try it out. It has been a lot of fun! Except for the organ, it has a lot of other nice sounds. Here’s a little taste:
https://youtube.com/shorts/GjmQKNP5pnM

Tomorrow Saturday May 7th 6pm CET is, as usual, the Hellkvist Hammond Hour, but I thought I’d use the SkPRO this time and not my old B3. Feeling excited about that! Watch here
https://youtu.be/_xgI2zICS5g
https://fb.me/e/1r2773gpu

That’s all for now. Hope you are all well!

/Andreas

On April 24th 1934, Laurens Hammond’s patent for an electromechanical organ was registered. The first organ, the model A, came out the year after. A defining moment in music history, at least as far as I’m concerned. In the picture above is the man himself, sitting at his creation. Funny thing is that he didn´t play himself.

Anyway, I think that calls for a celebration and so that will be the theme for this week’s stream. I’ll be playing some of my favorite songs that made me love this instrument. This week’s Hellkvist Hammond Hour is as usual on Saturday April 23rd 6pm CET. Very welcome!

Watch here:
https://youtu.be/n5bzUAscZX8
https://fb.me/e/1sCiRFPZn

And if you want to listen to some party jazz, there are two new songs out from the last session at the HQ.

Spinout https://youtu.be/Pruy39doZtM
Novelty accordion https://youtu.be/jso8CJ-_fEk

That’s all for now!
/Andreas

On Easter Friday 1997 me and my dad took the car with trailer and went to Gothenburg to pick up my first “real” Hammond organ. It’s the one in the picture above, an A100 from 1967. It has served me faithfully for many years but nowadays it mostly sits in my living room. Where, by the way, it still fills an important purpose, besides just tying the room together with its presence.

With that in mind I thought as a theme for this week’s stream to look back on 1997 and the music the was played back then. A trip down memory lane. I guess you know by now that I love doing those things. And there’ll be some other music as well of course.

Important! This week’s Hellkvist Hammond Hour will be on Sunday April 17th 6pm CET and not Saturday. Hope that works for all of you who are plannign on watching.

Watch here:
https://youtu.be/SJqRWZQICGw
https://fb.me/e/3cFYZ0UHa

The new episode of Guest at the HQ is also out, with my friend and guitar player Ulf Holmberg. We talk about twang guitar, party jazz, Elvis and other stuff. And there are also some very nice songs that we reocrded earlier in the day!

Watch the whole show here:
https://youtu.be/fQD7-idJGVQ

Here you can hear the Booker T & the MG:s klassiker, Time is tight
https://youtu.be/YmQ4pPd_XME

I also have got a Patreon account, so if you want to support what I do at the HQ, do subscribe!
https://www.patreon.com/andreashellkvist

That’s all for now. Hope you all are well!

/Andreas

As I’m writing this, in a hotel lounge in the small town of Leksand, the snow is whirling around outside. It’s kind of cosy, but still I hope it’s the last of this winter. Luckily I have yet to change to summer tires on the van.

This week’s guest at the HQ was my friend and guitar player Ulf Holmberg. We’ve been playing together in different ways for a number of years. One of the most fun collaborations has been the combination of twang guitar and Hammond. There’ll be a new episode of Guest at the HQ out but it is not yet finished. Howver, you can watch a little teaser here, in this recording of “Harlem Nocturne”.
https://youtu.be/4C4VzkyGdoE

A lot of the music that I have played on my channel has been dedicated to my father. He always loved a good shuffle and hard swinging jazz. Unfortunately he passed away not too long ago so this stream will be dedicated to him (and everyone else who has lost a loved one for that matter). Now, it might seem like a somber theme there’ll be a lot of good music and a positive mood. Always a nice hang with the Saturday hammond family!

Watch it here
https://youtu.be/vbjn5OQXU4w
https://fb.me/e/1sFpeQI4d

Hope you all are well!

/Andreas

The picture was taken yesterday at E-street in Sundsvall where we played with Claes Janson and Arnesen Bluesband. The place was packed and the mood was great. So nice! Today we’re playing in Örnsköldsvik and after that we’re heading back to Uppsala. Thought I’d make it back for the Saturday stream.

Hellkvist Hammond Hour, Saturday April 2nd, 6pm CET
I’ll be paying some tribute to Marvin Gaye. After the stream I’m directly heading to an engagement party so there’ll probably be a few love songs as well. And some other stuff. Watch it here:
https://youtu.be/yJ76TdUx4VI 

That’s all for now. Hope you all are well!

Bilden är tagen igår på E-street i Sundsvall där vi spelade med Claes Janson och Arnesen Bluesband. Fullsatt lokal och stämningen på topp. Så härligt! Idag bär det vidare till Örnsköldsvik och sedan tillbaka till Uppsala. Tänkte hinna hem för att streama på lördag. 

Hellkvist Hammond Hour, lördag 2 april kl 18
Kommer bland annat att uppmärksamma Marvin Gayes födelsedag. Och direkt efter streamnen ska jag vidare på förlovningsfest så det blir nog en del “love songs” också. Och en del annat smått och gott. Titta här:
https://youtu.be/yJ76TdUx4VI 

Det var allt för denna gång. Hoppas ni har det bra!

/Andreas

In the midst of everything else, it’s nice to feel that it’s getting lighter and lighter. Sunday marks the spring equinox and after that it’s actually nore light than dark.

Just about 2 years ago, on March 24th 2020, I was supposed to have a concert with the big band Big swing face at Katalin, Uppsala. It was just at the time when everything started to close in the beginning of the pandemic and the concert eventually got canceled. It got reschduled a couple of times but got canceled each time. But now – on March 22nd 2022, it’s finally happening! We have so been looking forward to it. Several of my own songs has got new big band arrangements and there’ll also be ju some great big band jazz with the Hammond organ in the middle. Welcome!

Tuesday March 22nd, 2022, Big Swing Face with Andreas Hellkvist, Katalin, Uppsala
Buy tickets here
https://www.tickster.com/sv/events/5dybwfe63bjvpx5/2022-03-22/big-swing-face-andreas-hellkvist

This weekend I’ll also be back at the HQ for a traditional Saturday stream. As it is the spring equinox this weekend, the stream will be a tribute to the sun and the light. Then, of course, there will also be some big band stuff.

Saturday March 19th, 6pm, The Hellkvist Hammond Hour. 

Watch it here
https://youtu.be/Zrfi5fktF9I
https://fb.me/e/Wr89c1qh

There’s also a new episode of the pod “Guest at the HQ” out. The guest this time is blues guitarist Thomas Arnesen. As usual we recorded a couple of songs and then had a talk. A really nice meeting of two musicians and friends with a long history together.
Watch it here:
https://youtu.be/Zrfi5fktF9I

I also didn’t post last week I so thought I’d tell you the if you didn’t see the stream o Saturday night you can still watch it. I threw together a collection of “greatest hits” from band streams last year. I was sitting in the cosy restaurant at Skottvångs gruva and talked bertween the clips. Watch it here
https://youtu.be/insIbcMNR28

That’s all for now, hope you are all well!

/Andreas

This week I’ll be back at the HQ streaming as usual. Though, I have to say, it was quite interesting doing the greatest hits stream last week. Exciting to try a new format and there were a lot of good memories that came back.

The theme for this week’s stream is Peace & Love, with a lot of music from the late 60’s. There will also be a little tribut to Procol Harum, whose singer Gary Brooker passed away recently.

Hellkvist Hammond Hour, as usual Saturday March 5th, 6pm CET! 

Watch it here
https://youtu.be/ATbvKQWh2Ak
https://fb.me/e/1BiG4FL8m

I also ave one other piece of exciting news. One of the best things with the HQ is that it makes it so easy to meet people and play, rehearse, jam and hang. And I want to document it as much as I can. So I started a pod where I”’ be inviting my favorite people and musicians to play and talk. The first one is pedal steel player Nicke Widén, that I have been playing with for a long time, mostly in an Elvis show in Uppsala, our hometown. Had a blast making the first episode!

Watch it here:
https://youtu.be/z5bvyvK7GHE

That’s all for now. Hope to see you soon!

/Andreas

It´s hard to take in what’s going on in the world right now. Though, I won’t go into that so deep here, more than to express a sincere wish that this nightmare will have a swift and peaceful ending. I will also skip the usual casual smalltalk rthat I usually start with. But there will be music regardless and here’s what’s coming up:

While writing this, I’m on my my down to the south of Sweden to play with Claes Janson and Arnesen Bluesband. Tonight Feb 25th we’re playing at Aoseum in Åhus and tomorrow Feb 26th at Biografteatern Scala in Ystad. Though, I think they’re both sold out.

Tomorrow Sat 18pc CET there’ll be a livestreamed Hellkvist Hammond Hour, but not in the same way as usual. Since I can’t sit and play myself I thought I’d serve you a couple of favorite clips from previous streams. I’ll be sitting in the projector room at the theater to present the show and chat and hang with you. Excited to try a new format!

Watch it here:
https://youtu.be/Nh4AmRJXc_Q
https://fb.me/e/1AAruOhyn

Also, I forgot to mention one thing last week – on Saturday a song I recorded with saxophone player Per Thornberg was released. Check it out!

https://open.spotify.com/track/7JK42UWDVk2SYzpFxsAluI?si=30285a6f52304cba

That’s all for now. See you soon!

/Andreas

It has been such a fun week. The concerts with Kiralina Trio and Trinity were just magic. You can feel the need and desire among people for concerts and cultural expreiences, and also the joy of the feeling that life seems to be returning after the pandemic. Yesterday, I got the experience it for myself when I went to a concert at Katalin’s Jazzbar, where Anna Greta Sigurðardóttir and Mainland Jazz Collective shared the evening. What a night! Just wonderful to be able to listen and enjoy it.

Tomorrow and Saturday Feb 19th at 6pm there’ll be a stream as usual, The Hellkvist Hammond Hour. I got a request last week to play “Chain of fools” I so thought I’d do that and also throw in a few more soul songs. Since Valentine’s day was last week, there’ll also be some love songs. And then some blues shuffle as a birthday gift to my father.

Watch it here:

https://youtu.be/j6o1Mv8JEDA
https://fb.me/e/2aA8Sz7sm

That’s all for now. See you!
/Andreas

Det var verkligen varit en kul vecka sen sist. Konserterna med Kiralina Trio och Trinity var alla helt magiska. Man kan verkligen känna dels suget efter konserter och kulturupplevelser, dels lyckan över att det känns som att livet är på väg tillbaka efter pandemin. Och igår fick jag uppleva det själv när jag gick på konsert på Katalins jazzbar, där Anna Greta Sigurðardóttir och Mainland Jazz Collective delade kväll. Och vilken kväll det blev! Underbart att bara få lyssna och njuta lite själv.

Imorgon lördag 19 feb kl 18 blir det stream som vanligt, the Hellkvist Hammond Hour. Fick ett önskemål förraveckan om att spela Chain of fools, så jag tänkte göra det och slänga in lite fler soullåtar. Sen blir det några “love songs” eftresom vi haft Alla hjärtans dag. Och nån bluesshuffle lär det också bli, som en födelsedagspresent till min far. 
Titta här:
https://youtu.be/j6o1Mv8JEDA
https://fb.me/e/2aA8Sz7sm

Det var allt för denna gång. Vi ses!
/Andreas