Magnus Öström and Dan Berglund celebrate 30 years of Esbjörn Svensson Trio with new live album
Mike Flynn
Wednesday, May 29, 2024
The revered Swedish bass and drum team return with a stunning new live album to mark three decades since the formation of their much-missed trio with the late great pianist Esbjörn Svensson
In 1993 three Swedish musicians – pianist Esbjörn Svensson, drummer Magnus Öström and bassist Dan Berglund – started what was soon to become known as e.s.t. (Esbjorn Svensson Trio). Their snowballing success was cut short by the pianist’s untimely death aged 44 in a tragic diving accident on 14 June 2008, ending a 15-year run in which the band became regarded as the most influential jazz group of the time; their blend of high-octane improvisation and Nordic and electronic influences won them a huge global fanbase.
To mark the 30th anniversary of the group’s formation, Öström and Berglund joined forces with close musical friends – pianist Joel Lyssarides, multi-reedist Magnus Lindgren, trumpeter Verneri Pohjola and guitarist Ulf Wakenius – to give two major concerts in October 2023, one at the Kölner Philharmonie, the other at the Filadelfia church in Stockholm. These saw the larger line-up play a selection of quintessential pieces from the e.s.t. repertoire.
The results are to be released as an album, e.s.t. 30, on 31 May on ACT Music, with the tracklisting including extended versions of favourites such as ‘From Gagarin’s Point of View’, ‘Eighthundred Streets by Feet’, ‘Tuesday Wonderland’ and the euphoric ‘Elevation of Love’.
For more info visit www.actmusic.com/en
