Search - Est, E.S.T. :: Strange Place for Snow

Relentless Energy

ROGER L. FOREMAN | Bath, Maine | 05/16/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"E.S.T. has quickly moved themselves up into my top two or three most "listened to" piano-based trios (Keith Jarrett will hold that top spot for a long, long time). They play with energy that few others bring to the table without resorting to just plain being loud. I love The Bad Plus, but they rely on the loud part more; I've just discovered Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, and they bring a lot to the table, too. Medeski, Martin & Wood are much more electric and abstract than E.S.T. I love Keith Jarrett, solo and with his trio, but that's a different kind of energy going on. Tord Gustavsen is so ECM-cool, and Lynne Arriale is less cutting-edge than these guys. Fred Hersch bring a whole different sound into the mix--much more traditional.



These guys, E.S.T., sell me with their spectacular pacing, working and building up sometimes repeated themes to almost a manic crescendo at times. Track 4, "Behind the Yashmak," is the perfect example. Nice slow beginning, but, at about 2:15 or so, the pace picks up, and we are off on an 8-minute "race" that gradually picks up speed, energy, and intensity. The ending is just spectacular--great payoff for my patience through 10+ minutes of the song. The left hand on Track 7, "When God Created the Coffeebreak" is one of the more impressive pieces of playing that I can think of off the top of my head. Track 8, "Spunky Sprawl," brings a similar feel to the table. Track 9, "Carcrash," reminds me of Karl Shapiro's poem "Auto Wreck"--a horrible image masked in soft sounds and pleasant "language."



The other thing that impresses me about these guys is the importance and prominence of the "other" two instruments in the trio. The piano might be in the lead much of the time, but the bass takes over a couple of tracks, as do the drums. They are all willing to share the spotlight and be three very equal sides of the triangle that another reviewer spoke of.



Bottom Line: I have no idea why these guys did not catch on in the U.S. better than they have, but it's our loss. They are as good as anybody else going out there and deserve a look/listen. I have gone back and purchased their early titles (From Gagarin's Point of View, Good Morning Susie Soho, Plays Monk, and several more) from a Swedish distributor (Skivhugget Records) for great prices. The CD after this one, Seven Days of Falling, is in the ball park and now comes with a bonus DVD that is pretty cool (the entire DVD is available only for play on non-U.S. DVD players. . .). Their very newest, Viaticum, is probably five-star material, as well, but I'm still getting to know it. If you like Jarrett, Bad Plus, MMW, JFJO, and/or Brad Mehldau, then you should like this crew. Buy one used and go from there. . . ."

More great Scandinavian jazz

A.J.H. Woodcount | 10/25/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Esbjorn Svensson Trio is (one of) the best piano-trio's in the world. They prove the statement that it's impossible for jazz to renew itself, without changing it into something completely different to be totally wrong. The trio has been together for a long time, and that you can hear: they really listen to each other.

They have to, because they tend to put so much space or silence in their music, that it would be very hard to play when they didn't.

A lot of jazzcombinations change their strength a lot, and not always in their advantage. At jazzfestivals you here a lot of theme-solo-solo-solo-boringdrumsolo-theme-jazz, and that's allright when the individuals are interesting enough, but a lot of times it's simply not good enough. Somtimes the reason of that is that the bands are so good that they can change their personal a lot, but it doesn't always do the music good. And this is one of the differences between E.S.T. and some other jazzbands you could hear live.



And then there's their tendency to use 'classical' or folkthemes in their music. E.S.T. does that right too: they're not trying anything but to make great music. They're not playing Bach on a banjo (wich is nice, but doesn't really get to you), but they just look (or listen!) for good themes as a base for their music. That's what they do best and that's what makes all of their albums since From Gagarin's Point Of View worth bying.



What makes the music even better is that they seem to bring a lot of elements of their own Scandinavian musical culture into jazz. Maybe that's the explanation of the feeling you get when you see them play live: they really feel what they're playing. And that makes it possible for the audience to feel it to.



E.S.T. is a piano-bass-drums trio, but they sound bigger than a normal trio. Together with the great sound of acoustic instruments they sometimes put in some electronic elements, but they never overdo it. Most of the time they use it as a contast, to keep the balance between 'the beauty and the beast'. A slightly distorted piano can sound like a recording from 1920 and that effect should even be a plus for the traditional jazz-audience.



Esbjorn Svensson is a great pianoplayer. He can set a mood; he plays real good solo's; he almost lives his music. He's able to play very quietly and very loud and sometimes he does both thing within one tune but than a few times. He's very divers in his playing.



The drummer always gets to you. Sometimes he starts of unobstrusively but somewhere he likes to take the song over to give the tune a groove that can't be denied. By Thor, it's not all silence and quietness! Once again it's about the contrast.



On the album Strange Place For Snow you can hear a tune that has the bassplayer doing a very fast riddle together with the piano. The man on the bass used a line 6 pod (for guitar) on the two live shows I saw in Den Haag and Amsterdam to get some special effects. Very normal, considering what's being done in popular music. Also a great musician!



If you don't know anything about E.S.T. it doesn't matter what album since From Gagarin's Point Of View you buy. The ingredients are the same: beautifull themes, contrast, silence, some electronics, acoustic jazz, building up to climax etc.



Sometimes it's very irritating to see that good musicians don't get recognised enough for the things they are doing. And most of the time not because of the people being to stupid to recognise greatness or beauty, but because of comercial and not cultural considerations. When a lot of American jazzmusicians have that problem, what about Scandinavian? E.S.T. must be heared. Buy the album (or another one of E.S.T.) and spred the gospel of Scandinavian jazz!

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