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
What is there to say about this piano/bass/drums trio that hasn't been said before? What, after nearly 15 years at the cutting edge of European jazz improvisation can they offer an audience already so familiar with their canon that their world tours sell out and their albums top the jazz charts all around the globe? Well, that of course is the beauty of improvisation. Everything they do is new, everytime, in every place. So this 2006 world tour of their last album, Tuesday Wonderland, is both a record of that record but also something more - much more. The gig in Hamburg, features their trademark stretching out, re-inventing and re-interpreting of their own work.
In the studio, these three men can use the full panoply of studio effects to add to their basic sound. But it is on stage, even with effects pedals as advanced as they are now, that they really show just what they are about. Stunning musicianship, allied to an almost telepathic understanding. Frequently described in terms more akin to a rock band than a jazz trio, this band are simply, uniquely, stunning. The elegant piano of Esbjorn Svensson is up there with the best that this genre has to offer - from Horace Silver to Thelonius Monk and to Keith Jarrett. Mixed with the skittering but oh-so-controlled drumming of Magnus Ostrom and the dynamic fuzztone bass of Dan Berglund you get an overwhelming, hypnotic, visceral experience.
It would be invidious to single out any particular track for special attention - that's not how an e.s.t. gig works - and the 10 tracks on these two cds are more than a collection of tunes. They form an organic whole, 3 minds and hearts beating together in the moment. Best to let the power and grace wash over you and carry you away - to forget the pointless questions as to whether this is jazz or rock or anything inbetween. From the subtle stylings of Svensson on "Tuesday Wonderland" the hypnotic, repetitive effects-laden "Definition Of A Dog" there is both power and grace aplenty on this album. Each player follows where another leads, constantly pushing and probing to find a harmony - a very muscular, very male, harmony to be sure - that is genuinely moving. I wish I had been in Hamburg that night in 2006... but fortunately I can join them now. You should come along too. - Guy Hayden
Tracks
1.1 Tuesday Wonderland
1.2 The Rube Thing
1.3 Where We Used To Live
1.4 88 Streets By Feet
1.5 Definition of a Dog
2.1 The Goldhearted Miner
2.2 Dolores in a Shoestand
2.3 Sipping on the Solid Ground
2.4 Goldwrap
2.5 Behind the Yashmak
ESBJÖRN SVENSSON piano
DAN BERGLUND bass
MAGNUS ÖSTRÓM drums
All music composed by E.S.T.
Recorded November 22, 2006 by the NDR mobil crew
ACT Music - ACT 6002-2 (Germany)