Bo Eriksson: Lalle Larsson - Eulogy for a lost friend - RIP

Bo Eriksson: photo credit Stefan Lang
Lalle Larsson (I will write this in English since this is of international interest)

It is with great sadness that I write this... Today I received the sad news that my friend and the wonderful guitarist Bo Eriksson has passed away.

Every once in a while you meet a person in your life that you know will always hold a special place in your heart.

I have very fond memories of Bo.

In the 90´s we would often hang out in his apartment at Högaborg in Helsingborg, cook food and talk about music and culture in general. Back then he was one of my closest friends. Bosse was one of those people who had a vast knowledge of musical history and just about everything. He could tell stories with great enthusiasm and with a photographic memory. He had a warmth, a humility and a warm sense of humour, it was always a pleasure to be around him.

During this time we also did gigs together and a couple of studio recordings. He played guitar on my first album Ominox and on my first demo for Seven Deadly Pieces. In the late 90´s (Bo would probably know the exact dates, and even what we were wearing ha,ha,ha!) we also did a duo-recording, an avant garde improv session called "Hard Lunch". Here he showed his great command of tone and phrasing. His inventiveness and his absolute pitch made him a great partner in atonal improvisation. I remember during this time we spoke a lot about Derek Bailey, Bill Frisell, the action painting of Jackson Pollock and free improv.

Most people over here know him from local blues gigs and he was a steady guest at a lot of the local jams. Throughout his life he preferred to be working in the background as he didn´t seem to like too much attention.

For the last ten years or so our paths didn't cross much but every time we met on the street we would discuss music and life and it would feel just as if no time had passed at all.

Last time I met him we talked about his brain tumour and he still had a sense of humour about it all even though I could see that it was tearing him down. That became the last conversation we had.

Every once in a while you meet a person in your life that you know will always have a special place in your heart.

You are one of those people Bosse and you will forever have a very special place in my heart as being one of the finest and warmest human beings I have ever met.

Love always,
din vän,
Lalle

Ominox - Solitude - Featuring Bo Eriksson (RIP)

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