E.S.T. symphony

Description

With their global vision of jazz, Esbjörn Svensson Trio (e.s.t.) was undoubtedly one of the most admired and influential European instrumental ensembles of the first decade of the new millennium. They filled rock stadiums and reached audiences unfamiliar with jazz. e.s.t. regularly topped both jazz and pop charts and became the first band in Europe to grace the cover of the illustrious US jazz magazine Downbeat! The tragic passing of pianist, composer, and leader Esbjörn Svensson in June 2008, in a diving accident, brought an end to the formation. Eight years have passed, and it is undoubtedly the appropriate time to not only celebrate their music but also begin to measure the rich discographic legacy left by the group. This is the aim of this new album: e.s.t. SYMPHONY, which is released on the same label as the trio: ACT. It benefits from the skilled hand and colorful, expressive musicality of a respected arranger and conductor: the Swede Hans Ek. He arranged a selection of compositions by Esbjörn from the 13 albums of the trio to create his orchestral canvas. Performed by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Ek's orchestrations integrate with a few Scandinavian soloists: saxophonist Marius Neset, trumpeter Verneri Pohjola, pianist Iiro Rantala, and pedal-steel guitarist Johan Lindstrom, a member of Tonbruket, a band led by e.s.t. bassist Dan Berglund, who is clearly the keystone of this project alongside his former partner drummer Magnus Öström.