ESBJÖRN SVENSSON TRIO — e.s.t. Live in Gothenburg (2019) 2CD | FLAC (tracks), lossless

 Between 1993 and 2008, Sweden's Esbjorn Svensson Trio (E.S.T.) shifted the argument for the jazz piano trio's continued relevance while expanding the landscape for contemporary jazz's slipstream, wholesale. Like the previous volumes in the series, including Live 1995, Live in Hamburg, and Live in London, this marks the testament of a band of gifted improvisers and communicators who turned previously held notions about the formation on their head. Each of these men -- pianist Svensson, bassist Dan Berglund, and drummer Magnus Öström -- was a frontline player in the late pianist's compositions.

Captured during the Somewhere Else Before tour in 2001, this gig at the Gothenburg Concert Hall was regarded by Svensson as a personal favorite because of its fleet and fluid connectivity with his bandmates. Given how much this band toured -- never with a setlist or a plan -- this is no small assertion. Opener "Dating" reveals why. Its structure floats at the midpoint between the jazz pianism of Vince Guaraldi circa his Charlie Brown themes, and the euphoric musicality and precision of the Pat Metheny Group circa Speaking Of Now. While "The Rube Thing" (one of the trio's live standards) commences as an intricate solo inquiry of Bach by Svensson, it opens into a sprightly, playful, slightly knotty groover with a fat, fleet, bass solo, chunky snare breaks, and tight vamps; it eventually evolves into an intense bebop jam. While "From Gargarin's Point of View" is built around Berglund's mournful, low-register arco playing (deeply informed by Shostakovich's 15th string quartet), it becomes a balanced and pointillistic ballad when his bandmates join in. "Good Morning Susie Soho" weds a wah-wahed upright rockist bassline to a bluesy, soulful piano and a funky snare strut. "The Second Page" opens with an evocative pastoral beauty before turning itself into one of E.S.T.'s most hummable and poignant ballads. The set's closer is a 12-and-a-half-minute version of "Dodge the Dodo" that contains all the drama and pathos of Kid A-era Radiohead and Marillion-esque prog rock, with the instinctive modal sophistication of Bobo Stenson and the improvisational canniness of Keith Tippett! Over two discs and a hundred-plus minutes, E.S.T. Live in Gothenburg is the best of the four posthumous concert releases from the band's archive. It's a reminder of just how much this group opened up jazz for the 21st century to influence groups such as the AMP Trio, Marc Cary's Focus Trio, and the Neil Cowley Trio. This is a must for all E.S.T. fans. While it's a bittersweet reminder of just what we lost when Svensson passed away, it is a guidepost for those younger and postmodern jazz fans who may not yet have encountered the trio's sophisticated, accessible, and life-affirming music.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-

More about the album:
“...and finally evening comes. We usually meet in the dressing room. Magnus’ drumsticks are pattering against his legs. Åke is talking—saying something about different sound systems or complaining about the US and Bush. Dan and I are jumping up and down to get our energy going. Then we go on stage, meet the audience, the music. Timeless, without a program, without a set list. We want to be open to what fits just then. Sometimes nothing comes to mind and it’s frustrating, but things always work out and it is definitely worth it [...] because when it does we can just go with the flow. Then it’s the music that carries us and we just make ourselves available. It’s fantastic, near religious I suppose. All of a sudden we can hear ourselves playing things we’ve never played before. And suddenly colour returns to life. When that happens I think the audience feels it too. They and we get to be in on something that will never happen again, that’s impossible to recreate. Sometimes you fall into that trap anyway, wanting to recreate, to repeat what was good. It’s almost always doomed to fail. The present cannot be recreated. We have to be content to be in it while it’s happening. And every evening there’s a present that’s waiting for us. We know that it’s going to be different from what made it good yesterday, but what is fantastic is if we can forget the past and just be. Now.”

- Esbjörn Svensson (from Swedish radio programme "Sommar")

On 10 October 2001 the Esbjörn Svensson Trio e.s.t. played a concert at Gothenburg Concert Hall in Sweden. Thereafter, Svensson would always refer to it as one of the very best that the trio ever played. The recording of that performance is now appearing for the first time as the album "e.s.t live in Gothenburg", and it was indeed, as Svensson described it, one of those very fortunate moments. Everything just flows naturally, the energies of the musicians and the listeners inspire each other, boundaries between composition and improvisation become blurred, melodies follow through seamlessly from the tunes and into the solos. At this point in its development, e.s.t. as a band has coalesced and found a genuine sense of unity. The tunes serve as mere starting points for the musicians to head off without any fixed ideas as to where they will end up. What is clear is that each of them is fully enjoying every step of the journey.

On "e.s.t. live in Gothenburg", Esbjörn Svensson, Dan Berglund and Magnus Öström explore and expand the repertoire from their albums from that time, "From Gagarin´s Point of View" and "Good Morning Susie Soho".

This was a period in which the foundations were laid for what would mark a glorious, and ultimately a tragic episode in the history of European jazz. E.s.t. was well on the way to becoming probably the most important European jazz band of the noughties. As the band got to play in larger halls and at bigger festivals, e.s.t.’s music became more ecstatic, rockier and more hook-based. "e.s.t. live in Gothenburg", documented by sound engineer Åke Linton who was the hidden fourth member of the band, has compellingly caught the point of transition of the acoustic jazz trio e.s.t. into the one-off phenomenon that they were to become, setting jazz off in new directions and bringing it to new and younger audiences for most of the following decade. Whereas the two previous live albums "e.s.t. live in Hamburg" and "e.s.t. live in London" have a tendency to to show the band’s bigger, concert hall sound, "e.s.t. live in Gothenburg" documents the trio at an earlier stage – with more emphasis on fine craftsmanship, a sound-world that is acoustic and in places almost weightless, influenced both by jazz and classical music. There are also some early pointers to the future in rock and electronica, especially in the second half of the concert.

On "e.s.t. live in Gothenburg" one can hear what Svensson means by the ‘being in the moment while it happens’. The live versions of the pieces depart significantly from their studio counterparts. In extended collective improvisations and unaccompanied solo passages, music which is completely new and unimagined emerges, seemingly without any effort or interruption. The range of dynamics is wide, there is a genuine band sound and a sense of groove that remain unmatched to this day. A music in which jazz becomes audible more than just an attitude, a specific aesthetic or vocabulary. And jazz itself is just one of the many elements that make up a big picture which includes European classical music, rock, drum'n'bass, minimal music, indie rock and much else besides.

The shot in the arm that e.s.t. gave to jazz, and especially to European jazz, and to the format of the piano trio continues to this day. Widespread enthusiasm for the band's music is undimmed. It may sound like a truism, but Esbjörn Svensson really has become immortal through his music... and through his recordings, which have such a freshness and an excitement about them, it is as if they have just been made... and through the influence that he continues to exert on jazz and especially on the jazz piano trio, both directly and indirectly. "e.s.t. live in Gothenburg" shows why this is true – and does so compellingly: with originality, power, refinement, fantasy, and playfulness. ACT
Tracklist 1 :
1    Dating    9:48
2    Somewhere Else Before    8:02
3    The Rube Thing    11:49
4    From Gagarin's Point Of View    7:06
5    The Wraith    10:04
Tracklist 2 :
1    Providence    8:50
2    Good Morning Susie Soho    12:54
3    The Chapel    6:40
4    Bowling    13:10
5    The Second Page    6:10
6    Dodge The Dodo    12:17
Credits :
Esbjörn Svensson - Piano
Dan Berglund - Bass
Magnus Öström - Drums

ESBJÖRN SVENSSON TRIO — e.st. Live in London (2018) 2CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The release of this album marks a poignant moment: the tenth anniversary of the tragic and premature death of Esbjorn Svensson on 14 June 2008.

During the last ten years after the end of e.s.t. there have been constant reminders of the indelible mark which the band has left on the international jazz scene. Indeed it is hard to imagine a whole generation of currently highly successful young bands all over the world, often attracting an audience of same age, without the deep and lasting influence of the sound and the aesthetic of e.s.t. It might sound like a cliché but it is evident that through his music, Esbjörn Svensson will stay with us forever.

The trio really was a phenomenon. Its scale, recognition and impact grew progressively and internationally during the seventeen years of its existence. British audiences, for example, took e.s.t to their hearts, and in a special way. Things began quietly when they first performed one night in the tiny Pizza Express Jazz Club in Dean Street in the late 1990’s, and their footprint in the UK just kept growing steadily from there, until they were packing out concert halls. It is part of a similar story in many European countries. They were not just met with massive success in Germany and France, they truly went Europe-wide. And they also reached out further: they were the first European band ever to appear on the cover of Downbeat in May 2006, the magazine’s seventy-third year. In 2006, one year after „Live in London“ was recorded, they played over 100 concerts in 24 countries and were heard by 200,000 people.

That unforgettable experience of e.s.t. playing live has been caught before on CD, notably in "Live in Hamburg", which was named the “Jazz album of the decade 2000–2010” by The Times, whose critic wrote: “In a decade when Scandinavia staked a claim as the home of progressive jazz, no one had more success than this piano trio.” Jamie Cullum described the appeal of their live concerts: „e.s.t. are a jazz trio, only I can take my non-jazz friends along to see them.”

This new release was recorded at a completely sold-out Barbican Centre in 2005, during a hugely successful and highly popular UK tour. It is e.s.t. at the peak of their creativity touring after the release of their to-date best selling album “Viaticum”. The organic and natural way in which the set evolves is remarkable, and there is plentiful evidence of what Canadian critic John Kelman has called their “unique simpatico.” For people who know and remember the band well, the absolute gem here is a serene, deliciously poised account of “Believe, Beleft, Below.”

The Independent’s critic Stuart Nicholson was clearly moved by the concert. Here we reproduce his thoughtful and vivid review:
The Esbjorn Svensson Trio, or EST as they like to be known these days, do to the jazz piano trio what James Joyce did to coming-of-age tales by cutting up the form and starting afresh. This acclaimed Swedish group have been a hit on the European scene for a while now. In 2000, the German news weekly Der Spiegel hailed Svensson as "the future of the jazz piano", and since then his trio have consolidated their position as one of the top bands on the circuit. They are currently more popular than most big American jazz names.

Attracting the kind of following EST enjoy prompts accusations - often well founded - of dumbing down. But Svensson is one of those rare musicians who dispenses the common touch without compromising his art. He avoids the usual jazz musician's stock-in-trade of cramming as many notes as he can into the square inch, instead favouring innovative silences and a darkly intense lyricism that allows his emotional honesty to show through.

Although he once dabbled among the magical spells of the pianist Keith Jarrett's Belonging period, the new spirit Svensson has come up with is shorn of Jarrett's angst and the feeling that a good thing has been taken to wearying extremes. Featured were several tunes from EST's current album, Viaticum (which went gold in France and platinum in Germany), including "Tide of Trepidation", "Eighty-eight Days In My Veins" and the title track.

The suave use of lighting underlined the shifting moods of EST's music while their careful use of dynamics, unusual in jazz, which usually opts for fast-equals-loud, slow-equals-soft, made Svensson's lyrical intensity stand out in sharp relief. Yet the non-conformist Dan Berglund likes Jimi Hendrix and Richie Blackmore (of Deep Purple) and is not afraid to use a wah-wah pedal or feedback with his acoustic bass ("Mingle In the Mincing Machine"), while the drummer Magnus Östrom dances around formal regularity with a variety of techniques, such as using his fingers on his snare to emulate pop's rhythm samples.

EST renew the notion that the cutting edge of jazz need not involve volatile experimentation. At the head of a sense-sharpening breeze of change currently blowing through European jazz, Svensson [..] gave further evidence that the best European jazz is no longer a pale imitation of what is happening in the United States. Indeed, here was evidence that Europe is now moving ahead in creativity and originality. ACT
Tracklist 1 :
1    Tide Of Trepidation    9:50
2    Eighty-Eight Days In My Veins    9:17
3    Viaticum    6:55
4    Mingle In The Mincing-Machine    14:22
5    In The Tail Of Her Eye    7:13
6    The Unstable Table & The Infamous Fable    12:55
Tracklist 2 :
1    When God Created The Coffeebreak    8:53
2    Behind The Yashmak    17:32
3    Believe, Beleft, Below    7:24
4    Spunky Sprawl    10:30
Credits :
Esbjörn Svensson – Piano
Dan Berglund – Bass
Magnus Öström - Drums

ESBJÖRN SVENSSON TRIO e.s.t. — Strange Place for Snow (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

It is widely accepted today that European jazz has developed its own unique vocabulary alongside its Afro-American counterpart, and e.s.t is an exceptional example.

The Esbjörn Svensson Trio, or e.s.t. as it is known internationally, has taken this musical development several steps further. At the same time it is linked with the same Swedish tradition that has made Sweden famous for jazz. The result is a structurally unified album in which the personal sound of the group has become more intense and projects an even greater depth from which it is able to reach new musical heights. Welcome to e.s.t. country!

Swedish jazz has a long tradition. Lars Gullin and Jan Johansson were already international stars in the 1950s. Today a new generation of Swedish jazz musicians (i.e. Bobo Stenson, Nils Landgren) is knocking on fame's door. It is not surprising - the collective unconscious should never be under-estimated - that the trio's scintillating jazz-mix comprises a trade mark "Swedish Sound", even when the music encompasses diverse elements which include their own rich folk tradition, the European classic tradition and rock n roll.

In 1993 Esbjörn Svensson, Magnus Öström, and Dan Berglund set out the direction for e.s.t. In December of that year their first album, "When Everyone Has Gone", was released, winning praise from the critics. The trio's continuing development occurred mainly through its intensive "club-hopping"; an important consequence was the 1995 release of "e.s.t. Live ´95" (ACT 9295-2). Soon the trio made a name for itself in its native country and this led to a recording contract with the more pop-oriented record label Superstudio Gul/Diesel Music. In the same year the now classic "Esbjörn Svensson Trio Plays Monk" was released and overnight they were not only blessed with positive press; 10,000 Swedish record buyers were rejoicing.

In 1996 Esbjörn Svensson travelled to Germany with his friend Nils Landgren to play with the Funk Unit at the Jazz Baltica festival; Esbjörn also left his unmistakable imprint on the Funk Unit. German Jazz Award-winning hit album "Paint it Blue" (ACT 9243-2) marked the beginning of his relationship with ACT label owner and producer Siggi Loch who invited Esbjörn also to make a first duo recording with Nils Landgren “Swedish Folk – Modern”.

In late fall 1997 the spine-chillingly beautiful "Winter In Venice" by e.s.t. was released in Sweden. It is an album in which, aside from Gunnar Svensson's ambiguous "Herkules Johnssons Melodie" Esbjörn's own compositions are strung together like so many precious pearls. Without exception, every piece was conveyed with a seemingly unearthly elegance and naturalness. The album was rewarded with a Swedish Grammy, and Esbjörn Svensson himself was selected as the year's best composer.

The 1999 issue of "From Gagarin's Point Of View” was a milestone in e.s.t’s career. The group sounded more unified, more concentrated than ever before. In "The Chapel", "Cornette", and "Definition Of A Dog" they literally touch the heavens. Through its connection to the ACT label, "Magic Trio's" long overdue breakthrough onto the international scene came with an appearance at the ACT World Jazz Night at the Montreux Jazz Festival in July 1999. A new star was born.

Fall 2000 was time for album number four with the puzzling title "Good Morning Susie Soho". After Germany, England now also discovered e.s.t., and voted the group "Best Trio 2000", and the album "CD of the Year". To describe and explain the quality and strong impression of "Good Morning Susie Soho", it should be noted that in the magazine Mojo, the CD was named among the "your 400 essential albums".

We are now writing in March 2002. It is once again time for another perfectly conceived e.s.t. album. And as usual, we invite you to a "joyous dance" to the trio's very special mixture of modern jazz, melancholy folk, serious music, along with the irrepressible influence of rock.

Already on the first piece, "The Message", the album's tone is made clear. It originates out of the so-called "free play" that was recorded in May 2001.The soft, gospel-like quality of "the Message", in which Jan Johansson's ubiquitous spirit can be felt, is not really typical for e.s.t. Which on the other hand makes it very typical for e.s.t. Before "Serenade For The Renegade" was named, it was simply called "Radiohead-Melody". One can understand why, even when Chopin and Roxy Music appear on the reference list. "All three of us love Radiohead" Esbjörn declared, his whole face shining with pleasure.

The title piece "Strange Place For Snow" in fact shouldn't be on this album. Esbjörn related that "Before it got its final form, it sounded too much like pop". In retrospect one can't say enough about how lucky it was that the trio finally decided to record "Strange Place For Snow" - it's clearly a future classic. "Behind The Yashmak" is pure celebration-music. After a somewhat searching introduction, "Behind The Yashmak" finds its musical expression in a direction that previously could only be found in some of Pat Metheny's most joyous sound adventures. The ending, with the "hockey celebration" blended in, is, to put it mildly, ecstatic.

The meditative "Bound For The Beauty Of The South" is a virtual hymn of praise for Schloss Elmau castle. This "unusual" castle, which lies near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, had become something of a refuge for e.s.t. They found themselves continually returning, either to recuperate or to give a concert. ACT
Tracklist :
1    The Message    5:10
2    Serenade For The Renegade    4:26
3    Strange Place For Snow    6:46
4    Behind The Yashmak    10:22
5    Bound For The Beauty Of The South    5:06
6    Years Of Yearning    5:40
7    When God Created The Coffeebreak    6:33
8    Spunky Sprawl    6:23
9.1    Carcrash    5:05
9.2    (silence)    3:00
9.3    Untitled Hidden Track    9:46
Credits :
Esbjörn Svensson – Piano
Dan Berglund – Bass
Magnus Öström - Drums

e.s.t. — Tuesday Wonderland (2006) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Sweden's preeminent jazz fusion band the Esbjörn Svensson Trio, named after the charismatic and inventive pianist, has been a sensation in Europe since the early '90s, capturing numerous Swedish Grammys (including one for Tuesday Wonderland long before its Stateside release), a French Grammy, and gold and platinum awards in their home country, Germany and France. But they deserve more than this -- a medal, actually -- for finding a unique blend of melodic jazz, classical, electronica and rock -- that has earned them an audience of both older jazz lovers and trendy hip-hop kids. It speaks to the freshness of their vibe that their videos play regularly on MTV Scandinavia and they're the only European jazz band ever to grace the cover of Downbeat. Though there are traditional elements at work, Tuesday Wonderland thrives on being unconventional. On the opening track "Fading Maid Pendulum," just as it's hypnotizing with a gentle, classically tinged piano melody, Dan Berglund jumps in with a brooding, distorted heavy metal bass craziness and drummer Magnus Ostrom goes cymbal crazy. It's electro-ambient jazz gone mad. The title track features Svensson's David Benoit-like, melodic dark-meets-light piano dichotomy over Ostrom's sharp, off-meter drums before some spacy electronica takes over for a spell. "Brewery of Beggars" is another inspired dose of insanity, darting from busy cymbal-piano swirls to softer, contemplative piano-bass moments. "Beggar's Blanket" puts those pesky beggars to sleep with a sweet, lullaby-like, straightforward trio ballad. The Pat Metheny-esque "Dolores in a Shoestand" explores the melodic and rhythmic potential of jazz, a vibe which extends to other enjoyably seductive pieces like "eighthundred Streets by Feet." "Goldwrap," on the other hand, is a marriage between trippy jazz and explosive trance music -- no wonder the kids love this stuff! Listening to this disc is a gloriously schizophrenic experience that will appeal more to adventurous listeners than those who prefer one style to another. But it was a great introduction to what makes Europe tick in the early 2000s jazz-wise.  Jonathan Widran

"In the beginning it was Sweden, then Europe and now it’s the world. If any one is in any doubt about how original, absorbing and dynamic this band is, then get Tuesday Wonderland, their tenth album [...] A significant artistic triumph for Europe's leading jazz group and seems set to exceed the success of last year's Viaticum, which was Europe's best selling instrumental jazz album for 2005" (JAZZWISE, Sept 06) ACT
Tracklist :
1    Fading Maid Preludium    4:10
2    Tuesday Wonderland    6:30
3    The Goldhearted Miner    4:51
4    Brewery Of Beggars    8:22
5    Beggar's Blanket    2:53
6    Dolores In A Shoestand    8:52
7    Where We Used To Live    4:25
8    Eighthundred Streets By Feet    6:47
9    Goldwrap    3:59
10    Sipping On The Solid Ground    4:32
11.1    Fading Maid Postludium    5:08
11.2    (silence)    3:09
11.3    Untitled    4:11
Credits :
Esbjörn Svensson – Piano
Dan Berglund – Bass
Magnus Öström - Drums

E.S.T. SYMPHONY — E.S.T. Symphony (2016) 24-96Hz | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Departure and remembrance: With the E.S.T SYMPHONY, the music of the most significant and influential European jazz band of the last 20 years takes on a symphonic form. What's more, pieces and contemporary jazz classics like "Tuesday Wonderland," "Viaticum," or "From Gagarin's Point Of View" are elevated to a whole new level thanks to a 90-piece orchestra. They take on a life of their own, immortalized in sheet music and detached from the e.s.t. (Esbjörn Svensson Trio). ACT
Tracklist :
1    E.S.T. Prelude    6:42
2    From Gagarin's Point Of View    4:43
3    When God Created The Coffeebreak     6:21
4    Seven Days Of Falling    7:30
5    Wonderland Suite    12:53
6    Serenade For The Renegade    6:28
7    Dodge The Dodo    7:51
8    Eighthundred Streets By Feet     5:16
9    Viaticum Suite    10:47
10    Behind The Yashmak    10:09
Credits :
Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
Hans Ek - Conductor & Arranger
Marius Neset - Saxophone
Verneri Pohjola - Trumpet
Johan Lindström - Pedal Steel
Iiro Rantala - Piano
Dan Berglund - Bass
Magnus Öström - Drums

e.s.t. – Leucocyte (2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Radical as never before: e.s.t. improves the interaction between piano, double bass and drums in an orgie of improvisation to an intoxicating adventure of loudicrous soundscapes. ACT
Tracklist :
1    Decade    1:17
Premonition    
2    I. Earth    17:07
3    II. Contorted    6:18
4    Jazz    4:17
5    Still    9:55
6    Ajar    1:36
Leucocyte    
7    I. Ab Initio    8:51
8    II. Ad Interim    1:00
9    III. Ad Mortem    13:08
10    IV. Ad Infinitum    4:38
Credits :
Esbjörn Svensson - Grand Piano, Electronics, Transistor Radio
Dan Berglund - Double Bass, Electronics
Magnus Öström - Drums, Electronics, Voices

ESBJÖRN SVENSSON TRIO — Plays Monk (1996-2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The music of Thelonius Monk is a peculiar mixture of simplicity and and complexity; of larguorous ballads and rhythms turned inside out. The music is a challenge.
„You can always give it your personal touch“, explains Esbjörn. On „Plays Monk“you notice this over and over again.
 „Plays Monk“ is the telling title of the CD from 1996 by Esbjörn Svensson Trio (e.s.t.)
Ten of the most beloved songs by Monk, from nocturnal, lovingly caressing „Round Midnight“ to the gay and sprightly „Rhythm-A-Ning“, get a becomingly shining new colour here. ACT
Tracklist :
1    I Mean You 6:47
Arranged By [Strings] – Dan Berglund
Strings – Elisabeth Arnberg, Ulf Forsberg, Ulrika Edström, Ulrika Jansson
2    Criss Cross    5:48
3    'Round Midnight 6:13
Arranged By [Strings] – Esbjörn Svensson
Music By – B. Hanighen, C. Williams
Strings – Elisabeth Arnberg, Ulf Forsberg, Ulrika Edström, Ulrika Jansson
4    Bemsha Swing 7:22
Music By – D. Best
Percussion – Esbjörn Svensson
5    Rhythm-A-Ning    4:03
6    In Walked Bud    6:40
7    Little Rootie Tootie    4:04
8    Eronel    4:59
9    Evidence    5:05
10    Crepuscule With Nellie    6:40
Credits :
Esbjörn Svensson - Piano
Dan Berglund - Bass
Magnus Öström - Drums

ESBJÖRN SVENSSON TRIO — e.s.t. Live (1995-2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 More about the album:
They have been lauded as the "New sound in the Old World", and as "high voltage out of Sweden"; the group has been called "possibly the best jazz trio in the world". The Esbjörn Svensson Trio's - known as EST - rise to the heights has been almost frightening. After their first major success in Sweden, their international breakthrough came in 1999 during the ACT World Jazz Night at the Montreux Jazz Festival. In the following years EST was a sensation throughout Europe, and they are now on the path to continuing their success story in the USA. It's no wonder that, especially when playing "live", EST lets loose an almost unbelievable energy - and this energy appears to grow from tour to tour - a rising star that shines ever brighter.

Stars sometimes shine much longer than one would think. And here are recordings that demonstrate this is true for EST. The band, which was first formed in 1993, quickly found their very special sound. However, at first, no one outside EST's homeland was aware of them. Six years ago, in 1995, when Esbjörn Svensson still had long hair, and wore a headband, a record titled "Mr. And Mrs. Handkerchief", which consisted of live air shots from various towns in Sweden, was released. A year later, EST recorded the album "Esbjörn Svensson Trio Plays Monk" (recently re-released as ACT.). It reached the undreamed of sales of 10,000 CD's nationwide. Those who have heard how the trio played back then can attest that it was breathtaking music (for a quick listen: track 5).

Much of what characterizes EST's play today was already well-defined in 1995: the unity and riveting strength of the inter-play, the compelling themes - themes that immediately jump out at the listener, and yet are never burdened with cliches. Then there are the musical influences of the likes of Thelonious Monk and Kieth Jarrett, which are fused into a unique style that is again and again infected by the forward-thrust of rock. Magic moments are preserved for posterity in these live takes. In tracks three and seven, Svensson plays on an upright piano that doesn't even come close to the brilliance and clarity of a concert grand - and yet, these recordings are pearls. The trio had by this time mastered the ability to react spontaneously to the inspiration of the moment.

Absolutely no difference from today? On their latest tours EST sounded tighter, less raw, with the impetuosity of wilder times more under control. Comparison with the masterpiece "Dodge the Dodo" from the 1999 Montreux concert (bonus CD) shows that the trio's development has not been by leaps and bounds, but has been a continual process. Esbjörn Svensson himself has stated most clearly how much the music from past periods influences the band; "Obviously we develop all the time, both as individuals and as a group. But development isn't only about blind process. So instead of just going forward, in places we've chosen to refer back to our earlier sound, to what we had on our first two albums." That's already reason enough to pay new attention to "EST LIVE '95". Roland Spiegel, translated by Marty Cook ACT
Tracklist :
1    Say Hello To Mr. D (To Mr. S)    9:12
2    The Rube Thing    5:28
3    Happy Heads And Crazy Feds    5:20
4    The Day After (Leaving)    4:39
5    Like Wash It Or Something    8:57
6    Breadbasket    5:06
7    What Did You Buy Today    3:10
8    Hymn Of The River Brown    5:13
9    Same As Before    6:25
10    Mr. & Mrs. Handkerchief    7:19
– BONUS TRACK –
11    Dodge The Dodo "Live In Montreux"    10:00
Credits :
Esbjörn Svensson - Piano
Dan Berglund - Bass
Magnus Öström - Drums

DAN BERGLUND'S TONBRUKET — Dan Berglund's Tonbruket (2010) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

"With Tonbruket, Dan Berglund continues on the path exactly where the star of e.s.t. burned out." JAZZTHING ACT
Tracklist :
1    Sister Sad    6:28
Written-By – Martin Hederos
2    Stethoscope    2:21
Written-By – Johan Lindström
3    Sailor Waltz    9:45
Written-By – Dan Berglund
4    Gi Hop    4:18
Written-By – Johan Lindström
5    The Wind And The Leaves    3:03
Written-By – Johan Lindström
6    Wolverine Hoods    6:09
Written-By – Dan Berglund / Martin Hederos
7    Monstrous Colossus    5:26
Written-By – Johan Lindström
8    Song For E    6:32
Written-By – Martin Hederos
9    Cold Blooded Music    7:37
Written-By – Dan Berglund / Johan Lindström
10    Waltz For Matilda 3:43
Written-By – Johan Lindström
Piano – Johan Lindström
Credits :
Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Lap Steel Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar – Johan Lindström
Double Bass – Dan Berglund
Drums, Percussion – Andreas Werliin
Piano, Organ [Pump], Violin, Keyboards, Accordion – Martin Hederos

NILS LANDGREN FUNK UNIT — 5000 Miles (1999) APE (image+.cue), lossless

The album was awarded the German Jazz Award and received an Echo nomination. ACT
Tracklist :
1    Da Fonk 4:48
Trumpet – Roy Hargrove
Vocals – MCP, NL
Vocals [Xtra] – JR, PRJ, RÖ, Siegfried Loch
Written-By – Magnum Coltrane Price
2    5000 Miles 8:12
Trumpet – Tim Hagans
3    Six Beauties On A Rooftop 5:39
Percussion – Åke Sundqvist
Trombone [Solo] – Fred Wesley
4    Sisters Of Arequipa 5:57
Flugelhorn – Roy Hargrove
Grand Piano, Synthesizer [Oberheim Obs] – ES
5    In A Fonky Mood    5:01
6    Stop By 4:31
Lead Vocals – MCP
Organ [Hammond] – RÖ
Vocals – NL
Written-By – Rashan Patterson
7    Roxane 5:31
Mixed By – Jan Ugand
Percussion – Åke Sundqvist
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Till Brönner
Vocals – Viktoria Tolstoy
8    Professor Longhair 5:04
Bass [Accoustic] – Dan Berglund
9    Venus As A Boy 5:00
Flute [Chinese], Percussion [Mallets] – PRJ
Written-By – Björk
10    Nasty 5:22
Trombone – Fred Wesley
Trumpet – Tim Hagans
11    Glen & Steve    5:30
Credits :
Design [Cover] – Petra Horn
The Funk Unit :
Nils Landgren - Trombone & Vocals
Per Ruskträsk Johansson - Saxes & Wooden Flute
Robert Östlund - Guitars & Hammond Organ
Esbjörn Svensson - Fender Rhodes, Grand Piano & Keybords
Magnum Coltrane Price - Fender Bass & Vocals
Janne Robertson – Drums
Guest Unit:
Henrik Janson - Guitar
Johan Norberg - Sitar Guitar
Åke Sundqvist - Percussion
Magnus Öström - Percussion
Dan Berglund - Accoustic Bass
Special guests:
Don Alias - Percussion
Till Brönner - Fluegelhorn
Roy Hargrove - Trumpet and Fluegelhorn
Tim Hagans - Trumpet
Viktoria Tolstoy - Vocals
Fred Wesley (BMF) - T

ESBJÖRN SVENSSON TRIO — 301 (2012) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

A couple of months after pianist Esbjörn Svensson passed away in 2008 after a freak diving accident, what was thought to be the band's final album, Leucocyte, was released. It was considered final because the pianist had been involved in its mixing and sequencing as he had each of their previous 11 albums. The release of 301 comes as a surprise. The material included here was chosen from nine hours of tape recorded during the Leucocyte sessions -- which was, interestingly, originally conceived as a double album. The band fully expected another album would be culled from the remaining material. E.S.T. cut Leucocyte while on tour, having no compositions; what emerged came came out of individual ideas or group jams, making this set feel very much like an extension of the previous recording. The band's surviving members, bassist Dan Berglund and drummer Magnus Öström, along with regular sound engineer Åke Linton, all participated in 301's assemblage (named for the 301 Studios in Sydney). While it may have been sequenced or even mixed a bit differently had Svensson lived, everything here comes together as a compelling whole. Svensson was always keen to embrace more electronic sounds alongside his explorations of post-bop, and they are present here in tracks such as the formlessly experimental noise of "Houston, The 5th," the spacious electronic ambience that constantly yet hesitantly adorns the the backdrop (and even Svensson's piano occasionally) on the gorgeous, sinister "Inner City, City Lights," and in Berglund's blasting, fuzzed-out, phase-shifting basslines on the lengthy "Three Falling Free Part II." But the trio's jazz chops are abundant throughout. Opener "Behind the Stars" is a lovely, lilting, solo piano ballad. Another highlight is the stretched, swinging, balancing act of harmonic engagement in the nearly 14 minute "The Left Lane," while there's yet another shimmering blues in closer "The Childhood Dream." Ultimately, 301 proves that E.S.T. ended the way they came in, as a committed jazz group constantly seeking new ways of expanding the piano trio format as well the parameters of the music itself. This is not only a fine addition to their catalog, it is one of the finest entries in it.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-

The Legacy - Part II: More original recordings by the legendary Esbjörn Svensson Trio from their last session at Studio 301 in Sydney, Australia. A triumphant echo of an unforgotten band and homage to the jazz innovator who died in 2008. ACT
Tracklist :
1    Behind The Stars    3:44
2    Inner City, City Lights    11:48
3    The Left Lane    13:37
4    Houston, The 5th    3:34
5    Three Falling Free Part I    5:49
6    Three Falling Free Part II    14:30
7    The Childhood Dream    8:02
Credits :
Composed By – Dan Berglund, Esbjörn Svensson, Magnus Öström
Cover – Björn Kusoffsky
Double Bass, Electronics – Dan Berglund
Drums, Voice [Voices], Electronics – Magnus Öström
Grand Piano, Electronics, Electronics [Transistor Radio] – Esbjörn Svensson
Performer [Performed By], Producer [Produced By] – E.S.T.

NILS LANDGREN — The Moon, The Stars And You (2011) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Re-release of a milestone in Swedish jazz history. An incredibly atmospheric interpretation of the rich Swedish folk tradition. ACT
Tracklist :
1    Moonshadow 5:11
Written-By – Cat Stevens
2    The Moon, The Stars And You 3:28
Written-By – Michael Wollny, Nils Landgren
3    Oh You Crazy Moon 3:34
Written-By – Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke
4    Joe's Moonblues 3:57
Written-By – Nils Landgren
5    Angel Of Fortune 4:52
Written-By – Cæcilie Norby, Lars Danielsson
6    Moon River 4:32
Written-By – Henry Mancini
7    Til' There Was You 3:18
Written-By – Meredith Willson
8        Stars In Your Eyes 4:28
Written-By – Herbie Hancock
9    Please Don’t Tell Me How The Story Ends 4:37
Written-By – Kris Kristofferson
10    The Moon’s A Harsh Mistress 4:45
Written-By – Jimmy Webb
11    Holofotes 5:27
Written-By – Antonio Cicero, João Bosco, Waly
12    Lost In The Stars 7:22
Written-By – Kurt Weill
Credits :
Bass – Dan Berglund (tracks: 1), James Genus (tracks: 11), Lars Danielsson (tracks: 2 to 10)
Cover [Cover Art] – Martin Noël
Drums – Kiko Freitas (tracks: 11), Rasmus Kihlberg (tracks: 2, 3, 7, 10), Robert Ikiz (tracks: 12)
Drums, Percussion – André Ferrari (tracks: 1)
Guest, Accordion – Richard Galliano (tracks: 1, 6)
Guest, Backing Band – The NDR Big Band (tracks: 10)
Guest, Drums – Steve Gadd (tracks: 4, 5, 9)
Guest, Guitar, Vocals – João Bosco (tracks: 11)
Guest, Orchestra – The Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra (tracks: 12)
Guest, Piano – Joe Sample (tracks: 4)
Piano – Michael Wollny (tracks: 1 to 5, 7 to 9)
Trombone – Nils Landgren (tracks: 2 to 12)
Vocals – Cæcilie Norby (tracks: 5), Nils Landgren (tracks: 1 to 3, 5, 7 to 10, 12)

TONBRUKET — Dig it to the end (2011) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Originally formed in 2009 by bassist Dan Berglund (formerly e.s.t.), guitarist Johan Lindström (Per Texas Johansson), pianist Martin Hederos (Soundtrack Of Our Lives) and drummer Andreas Werliin (Wildbirds & Peacedrums), Swedish super-group TONBRUKET (‘tone workshop’) have created another masterpiece with their second outing “Dig it to the end”.

Although their eponymous debut album was a concept album as well, with “Dig it to the end” they define their unique band sound and style even further and carve out their musical niche combining instrumental prog-rock with improvisational elements. The album title “Dig it to the end” refers to the compositional and the recording process. “We went the extra mile to really carve out the songs and compositions. It was like shuffling earth to excavate the true heart, meaning and soul of each song”, explains Johan Lindström, who with six songs to his name was again the most active composer. “But then you are also free to interpret it as an invitation to really listen carefully to all songs. It is worth it”, he adds with a twinkle.

The basic tracks were laid down in Stockholm´s Atlantis Studio. From there they took the tapes to Johan Lindström´s Hammarby Studios and over a few weeks refined, edited, mixed and added to reach the ultimate result.

There are some stories hidden behind the titles of the songs. “Vinegar Heart” was inspired by Indian writer Arundhati Roy´s novel ‘The God of Small Things’. Kochu Maria is described in the book as the vinegar-hearted, short-tempered, midget cook, who does not speak English and eventually becomes a television addict. “Le Var”, one of the key songs on the album, is a territory in France located around the perfume town of Grasse. Read backwards it becomes ‘Ravel’, and for Tonbruket Debussy and Ravel have both been inspirations as both of them are “the first jazz composers, judged by the chords they are using”, and “Le Var” becomes the band’s ‘Bolero’. To break with the classical rhythm of the ‘Bolero’ Tonbruket lay a Mambo-style rhythm underneath the tune. “This twist to the music was very much inspired by my appreciation of Perez Prado – Cuba´s Mambo King”, says Lindström.

Johan Lindström, who contributed the majority of songs to Tonbruket’s debut album, is a self-taught musician. He started playing the piano at the age of 12 and picked up the guitar at 13, forming his first band 14. “It was something like a ‘Beatles Revival Band’. For roughly two years we did nothing but play Beatles´ songs all the time. Then at 16 I started to compose my own songs.” says Lindström. By the age of 19 he had become a first-call session musician and string arranger on the Swedish studio scene. Ten years on he opened his own studio ‘Hammarby Studios’ where he has produced over 30 albums to date, simultaneously arranging, composing and creating sounds for artists such as Nina Kinert, Freddy Wadling and Anna Ternheim.

Lindström has played with Per Texas Johansson´s band, and has recorded with Elvis Costello (producer) for an album with Anne Sofie von Otter. He is best known for his unique use of guitars and pedal steel. There are not many musicians outside of country music that use the pedal steel’s distinctive sound - David Gilmore from Pink Floyd, or Paul Franklin from Dire Straits are probably among the best known – but for Tonbruket it has also become part of their signature sound.

Johan Lindström and Dan Berglund met for the first time 11 years ago when they both played for a short time in Per Texas Johansson´s band. Dan remembers that they always had a lot of fun together and throughout his e.s.t. years they never lost contact, with Dan even performing. ACT
Tracklist :
1    Vinegar Heart    8:59
Written-By – Johan Lindström
2    Balloons    5:25
Written-By – Martin Hederos
3    Decent Life    3:56
Written-By – Johan Lindström
4    Lilo    4:00
Written-By – Dan Berglund
5    Lighthouse    3:21
Written-By – Johan Lindström
6    Dig It To The End    3:31
Written-By – Dan Berglund
7    Gripe    2:40
Written-By – Martin Hederos
8    Grandma's Haze    4:09
Written-By – Johan Lindström
9    Le Var    4:59
Written-By – Johan Lindström
10    Trackpounder    6:08
Written-By – Johan Lindström
11    Draisine Song    3:22
Written-By – Martin Hederos
Credits :
Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Lap Steel Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar, Keyboards – Johan Lindström
Artwork [Cover Artwork], Photography By [Studio Pictures] – Jesper Waldersten
Double Bass – Dan Berglund
Drums [Additional] – Nino Keller (tracks: 10)
Drums, Percussion – Andreas Werliin
Electric Organ [Hammond] – Tomas Hallonsten (tracks: 9)
Percussion – Nino Keller (tracks: 3, 9)
Piano, Pump Organ, Keyboards, Violin – Martin Hederos

ROBERTO Di GIOIA'S MARSMOBIL — Strange World (2003) ACT : Nu Jazz Series | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

"They weren't even as cunningly hip as the seventies themselves" - (RONDO) ACT
Tracklist :
1    Flowers 3:42
Vocals – Lisa Wahlandt
2    Hand In Hand 5:30
Flugelhorn – Till Brönner
3    Crazy 5 3:56
Lead Vocals – Lisa Wahlandt
Tenor Saxophone – Johannes Enders
Trombone – Nils Landgren
4    Strange World 2:59
Baritone Saxophone – Steffen Schorrn
Bass – Thomas Stabenow
Lead Vocals – Lisa Wahlandt
5    Silver Dreamer 4:03
Lead Vocals – Lisa Wahlandt
Tenor Saxophone – Johannes Enders
6    Love Contains All Human Spirit 4:15
Baritone Saxophone – Steffen Schorrn
Lead Vocals – Lisa Wahlandt
Strings – The FleshQuartet
Trumpet – Joo Kraus
7    Talam Mishra 5:11
Flute – Klaus Doldinger
8    Trust 4:48
Guitar – Frank Möbus
9    Ragha Sid 4:55
Tenor Saxophone – Johannes Enders
10    Sir Revival 4:31
Flute – Wigald Boning
11    Private Ocean 3:58
Bass – Dan Berglund
12    Yelloworange 4:15
Tenor Saxophone – Johannes Enders
Credits :
Roberto Di Gioia - Piano, Guitar, Wurlitzer, Fender Rhodes, Tables, Sitar, Sings and did all Bass and Drum programming
Specials Guests:
Lisa Wahlandt - Lead Vocals
Dan Berglund, Wigald Boning, Till Brönner, Klaus Doldinger, Johannes Enders, The FleshQuartet, Joo Kraus, Nils Landgren, Frank Möbus, Steffen Schorn, Thomas Stabenow, Staffan Svensson

ESBJÖRN SVENSSON TRIO — Live In Hamburg (2007) 2CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In a word: wow. Since their 1993 debut album, the Esbjörn Svensson Trio, or E.S.T., as it is usually called, have taken the jazz world by storm, winning numerous awards, playing sold-out world tours, topping the charts, and generally enjoying a popularity that's exceeded that of almost any other jazz group in years. The trio was also the first European jazz group to grace the cover of Down Beat magazine, which led to long discussions about the heritage of jazz and the validity of European jazz; and, naturally, it caused some listeners to perceive an artificial hype and discredit the band for simply not being as brilliant as everyone says they are. Well, do yourself a favor and do not listen to the detractors -- listen to E.S.T.'s music instead, and this two-hour concert recorded on November 22, 2006 in Hamburg, Germany, is an excellent place to start, since it shows the superb musicianship of pianist Esbjörn Svensson, bassist Dan Berglund, and drummer Magnus Öström minus any studio trickery; it shows their exquisite communication with each other, their daring improvisations, their effortless flow -- and most of all, it shows their unique brand of music, where a jazz trio can easily incorporate heavy metal distortion during a song ("Definition of a Dog"), then play a sparse, lovely ballad ("The Goldhearter Miner"), and where funk, classical, and avant-garde music elements are incorporated into a sound that never feels academic or difficult to listen to. The band plays everything with the energy of a rock group (Jim Rakete's liner photography even makes them look like one), and the music is often edgy, but the hypnotic repetitions and the building intensity of many tracks often have an almost trance-like quality. The question whether E.S.T. play jazz or pop or rock is completely beside the point: yes, this is jazz, as jazz has always evolved and incorporated new ideas (and almost all of the important developments in jazz have been derided by critics as not being "true jazz" in their time). Yes, this is pop, as it's accessible and, well, popular. And yes, this is rock, with its energy and recklessness. But essentially, it's just unique and exciting music. Christian Genzel
Tracklist 1 :
1    Tuesday Wonderland    13:12
2    The Rube Thing    14:23
3    Where We Used To Live    8:33
4    Eighthundred Streets By Feet    9:35
5    Definition Of A Dog    18:36
Tracklist 2 :
1    The Goldhearted Miner    7:03
2    Dolores In A Shoestand    17:39
3    Sipping On The Solid Ground    7:58
4    Goldwrap    6:14
5    Behind The Yashmak    15:32
Credits:
Piano – Esbjörn Svensson
Bass – Dan Berglund
Drums – Magnus Öström

TONBRUKET – Forevergreens (2016) FLAC (tracks), lossless

The fourth album by Tonbruket, "Forevergreens," represents a complete new beginning. Some tracks are extremely quiet, romantic, and acoustically jazzed, while others use prog-rock as a springboard to position themselves close to heavy metal. It's all about contrasts. Despite the differences in the tracks, they don't just focus on a specific aspect but rather on the band as a whole. ACT
Tracklist :
1    Intro    0:33
2    Mano Sinistra    7:07
3    Sinkadus    6:24
4    Tarantella    6:22
5    Music For The Sun King    5:43
6    The Missing    4:47
7    Frösön    4:22
8    Linton    5:51
9    First Flight Of A Newbird    4:48
10    Passage Europa    1:13
11    Polka Oblivion    5:18
Tonbruket are :
Dan Berglund - Double Bass
Johan Lindström - Guitar, Pedal Steel, Keyboards
Martin Hederos - Piano, Synthesizers, Violin
Andreas Werliin - Drums
Guests:
Ane Brun - Spoken Words (1), Voice (3)
Per Texas Johansson - Bass Clarinet
Anna Högberg - Baritone Saxophone
Martin Holm - Tenor Saxophone (11)

ESBJÖRN SVENSSON TRIO — Viaticum + Live in Berlin (2005) 2CD SET ACT-Platinum Edition | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

With the album "Viaticum," released in February 2005, the successful Swedish trio e.s.t. surpassed themselves. While the Swedes had already received a German Jazz Award in GOLD for each of their last three albums, "Viaticum" was awarded both GOLD and PLATINUM awards just three months after its release. A true record! At the same time, the album entered the pop charts in Sweden (#5), Germany (#45), and France (#60), and it was named "CD of the Month" by magazines Stereo, Stereoplay, Piano News, and Drums&Percussion, receiving enthusiastic reviews across Europe. ACT
Viaticum    
1    Tide Of Trepidation    7:12
2    Eighty-Eight Days In My Veins    8:22
3    The Well-Wisher    3:47
4    The Unstable Table & The Infamous Fable    8:32
5    Viaticum    6:51
6    In The Tail Of Her Eye    6:55
7    Letter From The Leviathan    6:56
8    A Picture Of Doris Travelling With Boris    5:40
9a    What Though The Way May Be Long    6:21
9b    (Silence)    4:01
9c    The Hidden Track    10:13
"Live" In Berlin    
1    A Picture Of Doris Travelling With Boris    7:36
2    In The Tail Of Her Eye    8:31
3    The Unstable Table & The Infamous Fable    10:55
4    The Rube Thing    13:29
– BONUS TRACK – (Previously Unreleased)    
5    All The Beauty She Left Behind    8:08
Credits :
Esbjörn Svensson - Piano
Dan Berglund - Double Bass
Magnus Öström - Drums

IIRO RANTALA | ERNIE WATTS | CHARENÉE WADE | ANGELIKA NIESCIER | DAN BERGLUND | ANTON EGER — Pannonica (2019) Serie : Jazz At Berlin Philharmonoc — IX | 24-48Hz FLAC (tracks), lossless

A tribute to the Jazz-Baroness
A single moment can change a life forever. That happened to the Jewish baroness and heiress Pannonica (Nica) de Koenigswarter (1913-1988), née Rothschild. On hearing Thelonious Monk’s ‘Round Midnight’ on a trip to New York at the beginning of the 1950s, she was so totally captivated by the music, she turned her back on her native Europe and on all the glamour of her previous existence, and became one of the great supporters of American jazz.
Siggi Loch experienced a similarly decisive moment in his life when, at the age of just 15, he heard a concert by Sidney Bechet and decided that his life from then on would be dedicated to jazz. This decision had a profound effect not just on him, but also on the way this music has developed in Europe, most notably in the years since he founded ACT in 1992.
So it was above all a feeling of affinity with Pannonica which inspired Siggi Loch to dedicate an entire evening to her in the “Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic” concert series which he has curated since 2012. The concert, on 6 February 2019, thirty years after her death, focused on pieces by the musicians whom the “Jazz Baroness” supported over many years with money, accommodation, advice and friendship, and who often dedicated compositions to her to express their gratitude: Thelonious Monk, Horace Silver, Bud Powell and Sonny Rollins.
Musicians from five countries took part in the concert: Finnish pianist Iiro Rantala, a habitual unifier of the traditional and the modern, was directing. Alongside Swedish bassist Dan Berglund and Norwegian-born drummer Anton Eger, he formed the musical foundation. In addition, there were three outstanding soloists: American saxophonist Ernie Watts, who shared the stage with Thelonious Monk back in the pianist’s lifetime, German saxophonist Angelika Niescier and New York singer Charenée Wade. Together they do not only demonstrate magnificently that a single moment can indeed transform an individual life story, but also that such occurrences have the power to shine beyond the confines of continents, cultures and epochs. ACT
Tracklist:
1. Round Midnight (Thelonious Monk) 7:22
2. Boliviar Blues (Thelonious Monk) 10:16
3. Poor Butterfly (Raymond Hubbell & Sonny Rollins) 9:04
4. Nica’s Dream (Horace Silver) 10:17
5. Celia (Bud Powell) 4:34
6. Little Butterfly (Thelonious Monk / Jon Hendricks) 5:31
7. Get It Straight (Thelonious Monk / Sally Swisher) 7:22
Line Up
Iiro Rantala - Piano & Leader
Dan Berglund - Bass
Anton Eger - Drums
Angelika Niescier - Alto Saxophone
Ernie Watts - Tenor Saxophone
Charenée Wade - Vocals

ESBJÖRN SVENSSON TRIO — When Everyone Has Gone (1993) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Like so many American players, Sweden's Esbjorn Svensson has backed his share of pop artists but is essentially a jazz improviser at heart. Svensson's enthusiasm for improvisation came through loud and clear on his Dragon dates of the 1990s, one of which was the decent When Everybody Has Gone. Backed by fellow Swedes Dan Berglund (bass) and Magnus Ostrom (drums), Svensson favors the piano trio format and draws on post-bop influences like Chick Corea, Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett on the standard "Stella By Starlight" and originals ranging from the pensive "4 a.m." to the melancholy "Waltz for the Lonely Ones" and the Middle Eastern-influenced "Mohammed Goes to New York." Much of Svensson's work tends to be introspective and impressionistic, but things get surprisingly funky and almost Horace Silver-ish on "Tough Tough." This CD was released by the Stockholm-based Dragon label, but made its way to some U.S. stores as an import. Alex Henderson
Tracklist:
1    When Everyone Has Gone    6:39
2    Fingertrip    8:26
3    Free Four    6:38
4    Stella By Starlight    8:22
5    4 Am    5:26
6    Mohammed Goes To New York, Part 1    4:14
7    Mohammed Goes To New York, Part 2    5:35
8    Waltz For The Lonely Ones    3:54
9    Silly Walk    5:30
10    Tough Tough    4:11
11    Hands Off    6:18
Créditos
Arranged By – Esbjörn Svensson Trio
Composed By – Esbjörn Svensson (1 to 3, 5 to 11), Victor Young (4)
Double Bass, Whistle – Dan Berglund
Drums, Percussion, Vocals [Arabic Style] – Magnus Öström
Piano [Grand Piano], Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Synthesizer [Roland D 50, Oberheim] – Esbjörn Svensson