Jazz breaking news: Pat Metheny Pays Tribute To Esbjörn Svensson On Magnus Öström’s Album Thread of Life
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Since Esbjörn Svensson’s untimely death in 2008 his childhood friend the distinctive drum ’n’ bass-influenced drummer in EST Magnus Öström (left) has taken time to adjust to his sense of loss following the devastating death of Svensson as a result of a scuba diving accident.
Last year Dan Berglund, EST’s bassist, debuted Tonbruket, a prog rock-tinged group that successfully toured its debut album in the UK. Like Berglund Öström has paid tribute to their great friend on the album which features a new grouping of Stockholm musicians, with Andreas Hourdakis coming in on guitar; Gustaf Karlöf, piano and Thobias Gabrielson (electric bass) to join Öström.
The album titled Thread of Life was recorded in Magnus’ favourite studio, Atlantis in Stockholm, with all of the 10 songs written by the drummer. Pat Metheny, who famously performed on a staggering version of ‘Dodge The Dodo’ with EST at the JazzBaltica festival in Germany in 2003, got close to the band over the years and was greatly affected by Esbjörn’s death. He and Berglund join on the poignant sixth track ‘Ballad For E’ recorded at Avatar in New York at the end of last year.
The album is released in the UK on 7 March and Magnus Öström plays the Pizza Express Jazz Club in London on 12 March. Check out Jazzwise in March for an exclusive interview with Magnus from our man on the spot at Avatar when Metheny joined Öström for the session.
– Stephen Graham
photo: Tim Dickeson