HOME.S.

Esbjörn Svensson Trio e.s.t. - e.s.t. Plays MonkCD / Vinyl / digital Esbjörn Svensson piano Dan Berglund bass Magnus Öström drums Thelonius Monk was one of the truly great piano geniuses on the international jazz scene. Esbjörn Svensson is one of the truly great piano talents on the Scandinavian jazz scene. In EST, who previously has released some critically acclaimed albums – „From Gagarin´s Point Of View „(ACT 9005-2), „Winter In Venice“ (ACT 9007-2) and lately „Good Morning Susie Soho“ (ACT 9009-2) – we have Magnus Öström on drums, Dan Berglund on double-bass and, of course, Esbjörn Svensson himself, who was an infant when he practically learnt to walk to the sound of „In Walked Bud“. „My father was and is a great jazz lover. So I was very young when I first came in touch with Monk´s music. He is the kind of composer that cannot be avoided“, says Esbjörn Svensson. „Plays Monk“ is the telling title of the CD from 1996 by Esbjörn Svensson Trio (EST), now released on ACT. Ten of the most beloved songs by Monk, from nocturnal, lovingly caressing „`Round Midnight“ to the gay and sprightly „Rhythm-A-Ning“, gets here a becomingly shining new colour. The music of Thelonius Monk is a peculiar mixture of simplicity and and complexity; of larguorous ballads and rhythms turned inside out. The music is a challenge. „You can always give it your personal touch“, explains Esbjörn. On „Plays Monk“you notice this over and over again. Credits: Recorded by Åke Linton and Johan Ekelund at Swedish Radio, Studio 9, January 1996 Mixed by Johan Ekelund and Bernard Löhr Produced by Johan Ekelund

Esbjörn Svensson Trio e.s.t. - Live in LondonCD / Vinyl / digital Esbjörn Svensson piano Dan Berglund bass Magnus Öström drums The release of this album marks a poignant moment: the tenth anniversary of the tragic and premature death of Esbjorn Svensson on 14 June 2008. During the last ten years after the end of e.s.t. there have been constant reminders of the indelible mark which the band has left on the international jazz scene. Indeed it is hard to imagine a whole generation of currently highly successful young bands all over the world, often attracting an audience of same age, without the deep and lasting influence of the sound and the aesthetic of e.s.t. It might sound like a cliché but it is evident that through his music, Esbjörn Svensson will stay with us forever. The trio really was a phenomenon. Its scale, recognition and impact grew progressively and internationally during the seventeen years of its existence. British audiences, for example, took e.s.t to their hearts, and in a special way. Things began quietly when they first performed one night in the tiny Pizza Express Jazz Club in Dean Street in the late 1990’s, and their footprint in the UK just kept growing steadily from there, until they were packing out concert halls. It is part of a similar story in many European countries. They were not just met with massive success in Germany and France, they truly went Europe-wide. And they also reached out further: they were the first European band ever to appear on the cover of Downbeat in May 2006, the magazine’s seventy-third year. In 2006, one year after „Live in London“ was recorded, they played over 100 concerts in 24 countries and were heard by 200,000 people. That unforgettable experience of e.s.t. playing live has been caught before on CD, notably in "Live in Hamburg", which was named the “Jazz album of the decade 2000–2010” by The Times, whose critic wrote: “In a decade when Scandinavia staked a claim as the home of progressive jazz, no one had more success than this piano trio.” Jamie Cullum described the appeal of their live concerts: „e.s.t. are a jazz trio, only I can take my non-jazz friends along to see them.”This new release was recorded at a completely sold-out Barbican Centre in 2005, during a hugely successful and highly popular UK tour. It is e.s.t. at the peak of their creativity touring after the release of their to-date best selling album “Viaticum”. The organic and natural way in which the set evolves is remarkable, and there is plentiful evidence of what Canadian critic John Kelman has called their “unique simpatico.” For people who know and remember the band well, the absolute gem here is a serene, deliciously poised account of “Believe, Beleft, Below.” The Independent’s critic Stuart Nicholson was clearly moved by the concert. Here we reproduce his thoughtful and vivid review: The Esbjorn Svensson Trio, or EST as they like to be known these days, do to the jazz piano trio what James Joyce did to coming-of-age tales by cutting up the form and starting afresh. This acclaimed Swedish group have been a hit on the European scene for a while now. In 2000, the German news weekly Der Spiegel hailed Svensson as "the future of the jazz piano", and since then his trio have consolidated their position as one of the top bands on the circuit. They are currently more popular than most big American jazz names. Attracting the kind of following EST enjoy prompts accusations - often well founded - of dumbing down. But Svensson is one of those rare musicians who dispenses the common touch without compromising his art. He avoids the usual jazz musician's stock-in-trade of cramming as many notes as he can into the square inch, instead favouring innovative silences and a darkly intense lyricism that allows his emotional honesty to show through. Although he once dabbled among the magical spells of the pianist Keith Jarrett's Belonging period, the new spirit Svensson has come up with is shorn of Jarrett's angst and the feeling that a good thing has been taken to wearying extremes. Featured were several tunes from EST's current album, Viaticum (which went gold in France and platinum in Germany), including "Tide of Trepidation", "Eighty-eight Days In My Veins" and the title track. The suave use of lighting underlined the shifting moods of EST's music while their careful use of dynamics, unusual in jazz, which usually opts for fast-equals-loud, slow-equals-soft, made Svensson's lyrical intensity stand out in sharp relief. Yet the non-conformist Dan Berglund likes Jimi Hendrix and Richie Blackmore (of Deep Purple) and is not afraid to use a wah-wah pedal or feedback with his acoustic bass ("Mingle In the Mincing Machine"), while the drummer Magnus Östrom dances around formal regularity with a variety of techniques, such as using his fingers on his snare to emulate pop's rhythm samples. EST renew the notion that the cutting edge of jazz need not involve volatile experimentation. At the head of a sense-sharpening breeze of change currently blowing through European jazz, Svensson [..] gave further evidence that the best European jazz is no longer a pale imitation of what is happening in the United States. Indeed, here was evidence that Europe is now moving ahead in creativity and originality.Credits: All songs composed, arranged, performed and produced by e.s.t. (Svensson/Berglund/Öström) Recorded by Åke Linton at the Barbican Centre, London 20 May 2005 Mixed by Åke Linton at Room 307 Svenska Grammofonstudion Mastering by Classe Persson at CRP Recording Perler Bead

Esbjörn Svensso Trio e.s.t. - e.s.t. live in GothenburgCD / Vinyl / digitalEsbjörn Svensson pianoDan Berglund bassMagnus Östsöm drums“...and finally evening comes. We usually meet in the dressing room. Magnus’ drumsticks are pattering against his legs. Åke is talking—saying something about different sound systems or complaining about the US and Bush. Dan and I are jumping up and down to get our energy going. Then we go on stage, meet the audience, the music. Timeless, without a program, without a set list. We want to be open to what fits just then. Sometimes nothing comes to mind and it’s frustrating, but things always work out and it is definitely worth it [...] because when it does we can just go with the flow. Then it’s the music that carries us and we just make ourselves available. It’s fantastic, near religious I suppose. All of a sudden we can hear ourselves playing things we’ve never played before. And suddenly colour returns to life. When that happens I think the audience feels it too. They and we get to be in on something that will never happen again, that’s impossible to recreate. Sometimes you fall into that trap anyway, wanting to recreate, to repeat what was good. It’s almost always doomed to fail. The present cannot be recreated. We have to be content to be in it while it’s happening. And every evening there’s a present that’s waiting for us. We know that it’s going to be different from what made it good yesterday, but what is fantastic is if we can forget the past and just be. Now.” - Esbjörn Svensson (from Swedish radio programme "Sommar") On 10 October 2001 the Esbjörn Svensson Trio e.s.t. played a concert at Gothenburg Concert Hall in Sweden. Thereafter, Svensson would always refer to it as one of the very best that the trio ever played. The recording of that performance is now appearing for the first time as the album "e.s.t live in Gothenburg", and it was indeed, as Svensson described it, one of those very fortunate moments. Everything just flows naturally, the energies of the musicians and the listeners inspire each other, boundaries between composition and improvisation become blurred, melodies follow through seamlessly from the tunes and into the solos. At this point in its development, e.s.t. as a band has coalesced and found a genuine sense of unity. The tunes serve as mere starting points for the musicians to head off without any fixed ideas as to where they will end up. What is clear is that each of them is fully enjoying every step of the journey.On "e.s.t. live in Gothenburg", Esbjörn Svensson, Dan Berglund and Magnus Öström explore and expand the repertoire from their albums from that time, "From Gagarin´s Point of View" and "Good Morning Susie Soho". This was a period in which the foundations were laid for what would mark a glorious, and ultimately a tragic episode in the history of European jazz. E.s.t. was well on the way to becoming probably the most important European jazz band of the noughties. As the band got to play in larger halls and at bigger festivals, e.s.t.’s music became more ecstatic, rockier and more hook-based. "e.s.t. live in Gothenburg", documented by sound engineer Åke Linton who was the hidden fourth member of the band, has compellingly caught the point of transition of the acoustic jazz trio e.s.t. into the one-off phenomenon that they were to become, setting jazz off in new directions and bringing it to new and younger audiences for most of the following decade. Whereas the two previous live albums "e.s.t. live in Hamburg" and "e.s.t. live in London" have a tendency to to show the band’s bigger, concert hall sound, "e.s.t. live in Gothenburg" documents the trio at an earlier stage – with more emphasis on fine craftsmanship, a sound-world that is acoustic and in places almost weightless, influenced both by jazz and classical music. There are also some early pointers to the future in rock and electronica, especially in the second half of the concert.On "e.s.t. live in Gothenburg" one can hear what Svensson means by the ‘being in the moment while it happens’. The live versions of the pieces depart significantly from their studio counterparts. In extended collective improvisations and unaccompanied solo passages, music which is completely new and unimagined emerges, seemingly without any effort or interruption. The range of dynamics is wide, there is a genuine band sound and a sense of groove that remain unmatched to this day. A music in which jazz becomes audible more than just an attitude, a specific aesthetic or vocabulary. And jazz itself is just one of the many elements that make up a big picture which includes European classical music, rock, drum'n'bass, minimal music, indie rock and much else besides. The shot in the arm that e.s.t. gave to jazz, and especially to European jazz, and to the format of the piano trio continues to this day. Widespread enthusiasm for the band's music is undimmed. It may sound like a truism, but Esbjörn Svensson really has become immortal through his music... and through his recordings, which have such a freshness and an excitement about them, it is as if they have just been made... and through the influence that he continues to exert on jazz and especially on the jazz piano trio, both directly and indirectly. "e.s.t. live in Gothenburg" shows why this is true – and does so compellingly: with originality, power, refinement, fantasy, and playfulness.

Esbjörn Svensson Trio e.s.t. - Good Morning Susie SohoCD / Vinyl / digital Esbjörn Svensson piano Dan Berglund bass Magnus Öström drums Traditionally, jazz is by invitation only. Those in the know guard their secrets tightly, and deviants are regarded with a certain amount of suspicion. To be commercial is to sell out and if you sell out you'll loose the hard core fans. Not so with Esbjörn Svensson Trio. The trio has sold three times as many albums as jazz acts normally do, but they still manage to stay on the good side of jazz aficionados and critics. The trio plays upwards of 100 shows each year to a very varied audience. Besides the usual jazz audience you'd be as likely to spot a little old lady as an advertising exec or high school kids. This year, the trio will include matinees on their tours to give their younger fans a chance to see them live. Their favourite moments are spent improvising on stage, and this is how they keep their material fresh and ever evolving. No two shows are the same and to a large extent, the band tries to capture this loose, improvisational vibe on record, and they rarely do more than one take in the studio. The recording process that led to "From Gagarin's Point of View" (ACT 9005-2), that also became the first Swedish jazz video shown on MTV, is significant to how the band works: “We were working on another project, and had a few hours to spare, so we sat down and played a few songs”, Esbjörn says. “Those songs make up about half the album, with the other half recorded in two similar sessions”. “Keeping the spontaneity is extremely important to us”, explains Magnus. Esbjörn Svensson can't imagine life without music. He's been making noise for as long as he can remember; on pots, pans, tabletops and briefly playing the mandolin before settling in by the piano. Grade school was spent planning tours and designing album covers for the bands he was in, most of them including drummer Magnus Öström. 1993 Dan Berglund joined the band, and the three of them have since held what they call a "musical conversation" ­ the critics call it "breathlessly beautiful", "the most touching moment I've ever heard on record", "a brutal force" and "jazz at it's best". The critical acclaim and awards haven't changed how the three good friends view their musicianship. “We set the highest standards for ourselves. What anybody else thinks is secondary”, Dan states. “We are still inspired by any and all music; Björk is one of my personal favourites”, says the former metalhead. No surprise then, that the collaborations that the trio has been involved in have spanned a wide variety of Sweden's most successful artists. Their 1997 recorded album "Winter in Venice" (ACT 9007-2) received the Swedish Grammy. 1999 EST has participated in Cool Sweden at Midem in Cannes as well as the Swedish Jazz Extravaganza in London. The same year the group also has played at the Kongsberg Jazz Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival along with Eagle Eye Cherry and Nils Landgren, at the Red Sea Jazz Festival in Israel together with Viktoria Tolstoy and at the Hultsfreds Festival. Besides that there have been tours to Germany, Switzerland, England, Nothern Ireland and South Africa, and the group has shared the stage and master classes with Chick Corea, John Scofield, Brad Mehldau Trio and others. Credits: Recorded at Atlantis Studio, March - April 2000 Mixed in May 2000 Technician: Janne Hansson Mastered by Johan Ekelund at Stereolab in June 2000 Produced by e.s.t.

Esbjörn Svensson Trio e.s.t. - e.s.t. Live 95CD / Vinyl / digital Esbjörn Svensson piano Dan Berglund bass Magnus Öström drums They have been lauded as the "New sound in the Old World", and as "high voltage out of Sweden"; the group has been called "possibly the best jazz trio in the world". The Esbjörn Svensson Trio's - known as EST - rise to the heights has been almost frightening. After their first major success in Sweden, their international breakthrough came in 1999 during the ACT World Jazz Night at the Montreux Jazz Festival. In the following years EST was a sensation throughout Europe, and they are now on the path to continuing their success story in the USA. It's no wonder that, especially when playing "live", EST lets loose an almost unbelievable energy - and this energy appears to grow from tour to tour - a rising star that shines ever brighter. Stars sometimes shine much longer than one would think. And here are recordings that demonstrate this is true for EST. The band, which was first formed in 1993, quickly found their very special sound. However, at first, no one outside EST's homeland was aware of them. Six years ago, in 1995, when Esbjörn Svensson still had long hair, and wore a headband, a record titled "Mr. And Mrs. Handkerchief", which consisted of live air shots from various towns in Sweden, was released. A year later, EST recorded the album "Esbjörn Svensson Trio Plays Monk" (recently re-released as ACT.). It reached the undreamed of sales of 10,000 CD's nationwide. Those who have heard how the trio played back then can attest that it was breathtaking music (for a quick listen: track 5).Much of what characterizes EST's play today was already well-defined in 1995: the unity and riveting strength of the inter-play, the compelling themes - themes that immediately jump out at the listener, and yet are never burdened with cliches. Then there are the musical influences of the likes of Thelonious Monk and Kieth Jarrett, which are fused into a unique style that is again and again infected by the forward-thrust of rock. Magic moments are preserved for posterity in these live takes. In tracks three and seven, Svensson plays on an upright piano that doesn't even come close to the brilliance and clarity of a concert grand - and yet, these recordings are pearls. The trio had by this time mastered the ability to react spontaneously to the inspiration of the moment.Absolutely no difference from today? On their latest tours EST sounded tighter, less raw, with the impetuosity of wilder times more under control. Comparison with the masterpiece "Dodge the Dodo" from the 1999 Montreux concert (bonus CD) shows that the trio's development has not been by leaps and bounds, but has been a continual process. Esbjörn Svensson himself has stated most clearly how much the music from past periods influences the band; "Obviously we develop all the time, both as individuals and as a group. But development isn't only about blind process. So instead of just going forward, in places we've chosen to refer back to our earlier sound, to what we had on our first two albums." That's already reason enough to pay new attention to "EST LIVE '95". Roland Spiegel, translated by Marty Cook Credits: Recorded by Åke Linton in March 1995, except # 11 recorded by Manu Guiot at Montreux Jazz Festival July 16, 1999, # 5 by Per Åke Hermansson, Radio Dalama and # 6 by Verner Kjersgaag, DR Östjüllands Radio Mixed by Åke Linton at Bohus Studio Produced by e.s.t.

Esbjörn Svensson - HOME.SCD / Vinyl / digitalEsbjörn Svensson pianoThere are only a few figures in music whose work influences and shapes a genre as a whole. This is undoubtedly true of the Swede Esbjörn Svensson. With his trio e.s.t., the pianist and composer wowed audiences beyond age and genre affiliations. And his influence on jazz as a whole reverberates to this day and already within the second and third generation of musicians worldwide. HOME.S. is Esbjörn Svensson's only solo album and the sheer existence of such a recording and its completely unexpected discovery over a decade after its creation are nothing less than a sensation: Since the early 1990s, Svensson focused almost his entire creative energy and recording activities on his work with e.s.t.. Thus, these new recordings are not only the first, but practically the only ones that show Svensson in a setting other than that of the trio: Intimate, concentrated and completely one with himself. The recordings for HOME.S. were made only a few weeks before Esbjörn Svensson's sudden death on June 14, 2008. Svensson recorded the music in his Swedish home. For almost ten years afterwards, the album rested untouched in his wife Eva's personal archive. In this interview, she tells the story behind the discovery of the album and the music: How exactly did you find this music? After Esbjörn’s passing, I made sure all the contents of his computer were saved to backup hard drives. And then I basically left them untouched for the next ten years. At the point where I eventually felt ready to look into the material, I soon realised that there was something I wanted to look into. I took the hard drive and went to Gothenburg to meet with Åke Linton, the sound engineer who had worked on all e.s.t. albums as well as on their live shows. He was also the one who had helped me to save the material from Esbjörn’s computer in the first place. So he probably already knew that there was something hidden in there. But nobody had listened to it. We went to his studio. And we pressed the start button. Then there was a total silence and we couldn't speak for the entire time the music was playing. After it finished, at first we were not able to say anything, because we were both so touched and surprised that it was all there, and that it was so beautiful. The tracks seemed to follow one another like pearls on a string. After we just had sat there for a while we agreed: This is really good. Musically, but also from a sound perspective. At first Åke wasn't sure if Esbjörn had recorded everything at home and just by himself. So he called different studios in Stockholm that he knew Esbjörn was in contact with and asked them whether he had been there, recording anything. But no, he hadn't been anywhere. I know he had bought some very nice microphones and in the course of touring had learned from Åke how to use them. So it became clear that this music had to have been played and recorded in the basement of our house. So there was nobody with him? He was all alone doing that? He was all alone. In retrospect I have been thinking about it because the few people who know that this exists were asking me if I knew about it. What I did know was that Esbjörn was constantly working, as he always did. He was in the basement, and I could hear him play. But to me, this didn’t raise any questions. Is he doing something? Yes, of course he's doing something. That's what he always did. Rehearsing, practicing, composing. But for me it wasn’t clear that something new was happening. I did know that he was longing to have time to compose and play in different kinds of constellations, but I had no idea that it might be piano solo. Just weeks after making these solo recordings, Esbjörn died. Everything suddenly took on another perspective. There was no way for me to focus on music. All I could do at that time was to make sure all the material he was working on was kept safe.When did you hear the music for the first time? I think it was in 2017 or 18, maybe. This was really the first time? Yes, the first time. After almost ten years. And you kept everything safe and untouched until then? Technically, yes… Well, I don’t know about safety, because it was in the cupboard. *laughs* But safe enough to be released now anyway. Life changed so dramatically after Esbjörn’s passing. For me and for us, it was not just Esbjörn, the musician, it was my husband and the children's father who was gone. That was what we had to deal with and find a way to live without. What made you choose that the time was right to share this with the public? It was really not about choosing the right time. At the time when I heard the music, I simply understood that it was important for me that it happened. To be able to hear it and to have it physically in my hands. And when I realized this, I also wanted to share it with more people. By making an album and having it released, but also, just as importantly, by creating some spaces for myself and for others, to meet and to listen together and to hear the voice of Esbjörn.Do you know where the repertoire of the record comes from? Has any of this been previously written or do you think it’s fully improvised? I think individual tracks and compositions were prepared. At least I am sure there were some kind of sketches. I don't think Esbjörn was just sitting down improvising from start to end. It was not how I remember that he worked. There is actually a lot of sheet music around and I am sure some of it is connected with this recording, but I wasn’t able to go through all of it. Yet. You decided to have the tracks to be named after the letters of the Greek alphabet, and one reason to do so is Esbjörn’s passion for astronomy. Something that also inspired one of e.s.t.’s most popular pieces “From Gagarin’s Point of View”. There is this feeling of being far away from everything, in zero-g with a totally different perspective. And at the same time at great risk. Yes, I could imagine that Gagarin’s adventure and his urge to go to new places must have been so much more thrilling to him than his fear of death. To take that leap out into the universe and taking as opposed to just staying home. I don't think that was an option. In a musical way, Esbjörn was just like that. This is probably why the stars and space were such a big deal for him and what fascinated him about astronomy. At the same time I remember that he said that he in some way regretted that he learned more about it because then some amount of the mystery was gone. He was always keen to look into things that he didn't know that much about. And then in a way try to find out how they work and how they’re connected to other things. In life and in music. He heard something, but he didn't know how to connect it. And then he, and also Dan and Magnus of e.s.t. would explore things together, without any outside guidance. From their childhood days they would just meet at Esbjörn’s house, play around, explore and to find things out. Esbjörn knew the Greek alphabet by heart and also all of the Greek Zodiac signs. So along with this being a metaphor for the desire to explore and discover new spaces, by naming the pieces on the album just by Greek letters, we are not explaining something that we don't want to explain, and we leave space for the listeners to find their own associations with the music. Any closing thoughts? When the solo piano recordings were found at our home it felt like “getting a message smuggled over the border. This music is like having Esbjörn’s voice in the room. It couldn't be anybody else that played. Never. It is his voice. And he still has something to say. And I'm having the chance to let people hear that. My feeling is that we’re doing this together. …Thank you Esbjörn. This is beautiful. Credits: Music composed, recorded, mixed and produced by Esbjörn Svensson in spring 2008 Executive Producer: Eva Svensson Mastered by Åke Linton, Eva Svensson and Classe Persson at CRP Recording AB

Nils Landgren - Layers Of LightCD / Vinyl / digital Nils Landgren trombone Esbjörn Svensson piano All music has its roots in folklore. In some playing styles this is easy to recognize. In others hundreds of years of cultural development and change have effectively sublimated those roots. Stripped of ornamentation and structural artifice, however, the foundation remains the same. The melodies and structures that affect and influence people in their day to day lives remain the basis of musical knowledge and experience. They are the blueprints of the collective consciousness and a challenge to the creative spirit. Individuality along with innovation in its surprising, unconventional workings emerge as a contrast to those folk origins. So is the secret art by which the balance between memory and fantasy, between folklore, tradition, and improvisation is weighed. Nils Landgren was born in 1956 and grew up with the music of his father, a jazz cornetist, and the church music of his grandfather, a pastor. He never lost his strong affinity for his own musical heritage.  Esbjörn Svensson, born in 1964, didn't want to play folk music at first. At home with the music of Chopin, Ellington, or disco-pop groups such as The Sweet, the pianist had first found his place in the competitive music scene in Sweden. His trio was a success, and in his homeland he was voted jazz musician of the year in 1995 and 1996. The first sprinkling of jobs became a steady flow. Svensson proved himself in the bands of his friend Nils Landgren. The music was about funk and soul, occasionally pop, and in the main, classic jazz. But not folklore. It was through the influence of Landgren and Svensson's former teacher Bengt-Arne Wallin, who recorded the landmark album "Old Folklore In Swedish Modern" back in 1962 (ACT 9254-2), that Svensson and Landgren were inspired to make a duo album centered around folk songs. In August 1997 both went into the studio and with only trombone and piano recorded Swedish Folk Modern (ACT 9257-2). Their improvised treatments of the classic songs of the folk culture not only impressed the public; it brought praise from the press. Svensson and Landgren had created more than just a few impressions in duo. Discarding any sort of large conceptual superstructure, they had continued what Jan Johansson's Jazz på Svenska and Bengt-Arne Wallin had begun in the early sixties and what has since become a major force within the inner workings of European jazz.  The time after Swedish Folk Modern was hectic and exciting. Nils Landgren's Funk Unit advanced to the position of a celebrated festival act. Svensson's own trio, EST expanded beyond Scandinavia's borders, where the band's fortunes skyrocketed. Inundated with jobs, the musicians finally found the time to once again get together in December 1999 in Oslo's Rainbow Studio. It would be a meeting full of exceptional jazz energy. Even more than the first time, they would rely on the force of reduction. Moods would be suggested, left open. Melodies worked out in simple clarity. Delicate variations supplemented and amplified both the original and traditional motifs of the central musical im- pressions. Layers of Light is an affair of the hearts of two artists who went back to their roots. That makes their music truthful, direct, and authentic in a wondrous way. Credits: Recorded at Rainbow Studios, Oslo - Norway on December 2 - 3, 1999 Engineered and mastered by Jan-Erik Kongshaug, 24 bit digital supermapping Produced by Siegfried Loch

Various Artists - Fahrt ins Blaue III - dreamin in the spirit of jazzCD / digital Esbjörn Svensson E.S.T. Symphony Youn Sun Nah, Ulf Wakenius & Lars Danielsson Wolfgang Haffner Quartet feat. Dusko Goykovich Nils Landgren Quartet Paolo Fresu, Richard Galliano &Jan Lundgren Julian & Roman Wasserfuhr, Tim Lefebvre & Nate Wood Viktoria Tolstoy Cæcilie Norby & Lars Danielsson Matthieu Saglio &Vincent Peirani Ulf Wakenius Norah Jones, Joel Harrison & David Binney Jan Lundgren Quartet Michael Wollny & Vincent Peirani Natalia Mateo Jens Thomas & Christof Lauer Daydreams and soothing stories...in the Spirit of Jazz "There's a place for us, somewhere a place for us. Peace and quiet and open air wait for us. Somewhere…". These words from the classic song from Leonard Bernstein's “West Side Story” set the tone for "Fahrt ins Blaue III - dreamin' in the Spirit of Jazz": this is uplifting music, to take the mind and the soul to a place of safety. The kind of quiet interlude in a day which is always restorative. Switch off and then switch back on – better focused. We find calm, intimacy, thoughtfulness here; the sixteen tracks in this compilation have a sense of flow, while also allowing the listener to wander off into all kinds of musical dream worlds....From the very first spacious piano tones of Esbjörn Svensson’s "Ajar", one feels time standing blissfully still. This little gem, and the "e.s.t. Prelude" which follows it, is our entry point into the dreamy universe which will open itself up to us over the next 67 minutes. Youn Sun Nah's bittersweet "Lento", based on the music of Russian composer Alexander Scriabin, gently emerges, seamlessly followed by Dusko Goykovich’s wonderfully warm and sad muted trumpet as he contemplates the falling of "Autumn Leaves" with Wolfgang Haffner's "Kind of Cool" ensemble. Then we hear singer/trombonist Nils Landgren, gentle almost to the point of weightlessness in "Somewhere". There is poetry and the originality in Paolo Fresu, Richard Galliano and Jan Lundg-ren’s Mare Nostrum Trio: we hear Swedish pianist Lundg-ren’s earwormish ballad “Aurore”. Lundgren also appears with his own quartet, with some hushed lyrical magic from Finnish saxophonist Jukka Perko in "No.9". On "Fahrt ins Blaue III", Michael Wollny and Vincent Peirani show their astonishing kinship of spirit and their serendipitous ability to move together in their duetting on "The Kiss". Accordionist Peirani is also to be heard with Ricardo Esteve’s heart-rendingly lovely flamenco guitar and cellist Matthieu Saglio on the poignantly sad but uplifting and warmly Mediterranean "Bolero triste". We then hear the Wasserfuhr brothers transport us to New York's Brooklyn Bridge with a sweeping view of the shimmering Manhattan skyline at dusk with their relaxed grooving jazz ballad "Carlo". For peace and inspiration, there’s a man and his guitar: Ulf Wakenius plays Keith Jarrett's "My Song". That is followed by the duo of Caecilie Norby and Lars Danielsson enchanting us with an intimate version of Leonard Cohen's “Hallelujah”. Two more singers take us to the world of cinema: Natalia Mateo sings Wojciech Młynarski's gorgeous lyrics to Krzysztof Komeda’s “Lullaby” from "Rosemary's Baby", starting in her native Polish, and drifting into utterly beautiful wordlessness; and Viktoria Tolstoy offers that most pensive and gentle of breakup songs, "Why Should I Care". from the Clint Eastwood film "True Crime", with some stupendous guitar work from Krister Jonsson. And then there is an appearance by inimitable Norah Jones alongside guitarist Joel Harrison and saxophonist David Binney. She recorded a languid version of the country song "Tennessee Waltz" on ACT, on the album "Free Country", from the same era as her 27 million-seller "Come Away With Me". Pianist Jens Thomas and saxophonist Christof Lauer give us the quiet poise of “Green Dance”. This epilogue sums up the aesthetic of "Fahrt ins Blaue III": dreamlike music of beauty, tranquillity and calm – that it is well worth spending some time with. Credits:Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann

Various Artists - Romantic Freedom - Blue in GreenCD / digitalACT is a label with a clear sense of its own identity, values and mission, and these virtues find strong expression in this new compilation. ACT has been a major force since 1992 in bringing to the fore Euro-pean jazz which transcends the old genre boundaries, and has played a major part in helping this music to become far better known in its many and varied forms. This is in fact the second compilation album from the label to bear the motto “Romantic Freedom”. Back in 2006, fourteen years after the label was founded, the first album with this title focused on performances by solo pianists, a particularly strong area for ACT. Now, another fourteen years on, "Romantic Freedom - Blue in Green" brings the story and the message up to date - and does so in several fascinating ways.The ACT family continues to grow with the addition of fascinating artists from all over Europe, so it is fitting that David Helbock, a pianist who has only recently risen to prominence beyond his native Austria, and whose association with ACT started in 2016, should be given the honour of starting the album with his Random Control Trio in a moodily, atmospheric version of the modal Miles Davis/Bill Evans ballad “Blue in Green”. Another pianist who has only recently made his album is Carsten Dahl from Denmark. Dahl's “Sailing with no Wind” has calm, balance and great beauty. And for contrast there is the catchy, rock-inspired immediacy of the Stockholm-based Jacob Karl-zon Trio in “Bubbles”. The nurturing of fruitful dialogue across national borders and styles of music is a real strength at ACT, and is a key feature of "Romantic Freedom - Blue in Green". As Chris Pearson of The Times of London reflected in early 2020: “Since 1992 Act, the German label, has been building its own European union of musicians, fostering a freedom of movement between nationalities and genres.” It is worth noting that, whereas almost half of the pianists on the 2006 album were from North America, all the musicians apart from three on the new album were born in Europe. A band which epitomizes civilized conversation across borders, indeed has it at its very core is Mare Nostrum, the trio of Sardinian trumpeter Paolo Fresu, French accordionist Richard Galliano und Swedish pianist Jan Lundgren. They play Michel Legrand’s “The Windmills of Your Mind” . Fresu’s appealing and warm flugelhorn sound is to also be heard irresistibly on Komeda’s “Sleep Safe and Warm” (also known as “Rosemary’s Lullaby”) in duo with Lars Danielsson. We also hear the very different heritages of Polish violinist Adam Bałdych and French/Israeli pianist Yaron Herman as the pair create and then release tension in “Riverendings”, the first of two tracks on this album featuring a violin.Musicians from Europe walk, quite literally, in the footsteps of the great classical composers. The young German pianist Johanna Summer, the youngest musician on this album and rapidly becoming a star of the label was born in Saxony very near Zwickau, the birthplace of Robert Schumann’s. She is heard here in her affecting “instant com-posing” version of Schumann’s “Of Foreign Lands And People” from “Scenes of Childhood”. David Helbock lived for some years in Vienna, and in “Beethoven #7, 2nd Movement”, we hear the Austrian in a delicate and thoughtful version on prepared piano. Norwegians pia-nist Bugge Wesseltoft and violinist Henning Kragerrud have a deep feeling for the melodic beauty of their compatriot Grieg’s “Våren” (Last Spring). ACT is home for pianists with a central role in European jazz in recent decades, such as Michael Wollny, Joachim Kühn, Leszek Możdżer. All three (and also Bugge Wesseltoft) were represented on the 2006 and the listener can reflect on the journey they have travelled over the decades with a label that above all help to ensure that their reputati-ons can build beyond their home countries. Michael Wollny’s “Little Person”, a cover of Jon Brion’s song from the film “Synecdoche, New York.” is quietly reflective with a gentle pulse and a deliciously open ending. We also hear Wollny on prepared piano accompanying another core member of the ACT artist family, Nils Landgren on both vocals and trombone), in Sting’s “Fragile”. We have the decisively carefree and rocky side of Joachim Kühn’s New Trio in “Sleep on it”. On this compilation we go back to the beginning and hear the very first track from “Pasodoble” Leszek_Możdżer’s 2007 debut on ACT: “Praying” in a duo with Lars Danielsson. Another massively influential figure in European jazz, and until his untimely death in 2008 a core member of the ACT label family was the late Esbjörn Svensson. He was also on the 2006 album. We hear an e.s.t. track which has become a classic, “Believe Beleft Below”, and also a homage to the Swedish visionary from another pianist who has revealed many sides of his character and his story on the ACT label, the Finn Iiro Rantala, who plays his heartfelt tribute “Tears For Esbjörn”. If we now know what European jazz is, that is at least in part because ACT has shaped an important part of its story. "Romantic Freedom - Blue in Green" shows how appealing, how approachable and how universal European jazz at its best can be. Credits: Curated by Siggi Loch Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann

Esbjörn Svensson Trio e.s.t. - Winter in Venice CD / Vinyl / digital Esbjörn Svensson Grand Piano, Keyboards, Percussion Dan Berglund Doublebass, Percussion Magnus Öström Drums, Percussion Esbjörn Svensson has stood not only once on stage in Montreux. He was already a guest in the summer of 1998 at the jazz festival on Lake Geneva. At that time he was a member of the Nils Landgren Funk Unit. He had left his piano in Sweden in favor of the Fender Rhodes. Svensson's feel for the right sound at the right moment and artful ease of style helped make his trombone-playing countryman's concert a success. Lots of applause, ample praise, and a refreshingly direct jazz-funk CD were the reward for all the work (Nils Landgren Funk Unit: „Live in Montreux“, ACT 9265-2). The line-up's crisp, concise work is only one side of Svensson's talent. Born in 1964 in the Swedish town of Västeras, the pianist and composer belongs to the handful of original stylists of the modern jazz piano. He digs into the mountain of tradition with the curiosity of a musical prospector, and with clarity and wit sifts through its ringing fragments. Some motives seem to be familiar, some changes are commonplace; nevertheless, the musical effect is unique, occasionally eccentric, emotional, impulsive. Svensson only hints at his connection to players from Bill Evans to Keith Jarrett as he adds their innovations to his own inventory of improvisational styles. The rest comes from intuition based on solid musical analysis,which allows his musical world to evolve on solid, self-sufficient ground. Svensson enjoys experimenting with the details. Besides that, he has the good luck of working with a trio that shares his enthusiasm for taking paths seldom traveled. Already in his youth Svensson, along with his childhood buddy Magnus Öström on drums, had extensively honed his skills in the rock idiom, and had developed a symbiotic surety playing together with Magnus. That's why Öström was also an original member of the Esbjörn Svensson Trio (EST), which was formed in 1990. Bassist Dan Berglund joined three years later. The musicians use the fortuitous occasion of their similar tastes to fuse their personal qualities into a coherent overall form. The strength of a working band gives them a relaxed naturalness which is a far cry from the glitzy artificial sheen of being hip. EST shines through concentration, precision, and above all through the spirit of a joint aesthetic framework. Jazz is again an experimental adventure where parallel paths and innovation, false turns and success are allowed. So in July 1999 the pianist found himself once again in Montreux, this time as leader of his own band. In the late hours of the evening, as most of his colleagues were already cavorting with their drinks at the bar, Svensson, Berglund, and Öström climbed onto the stage. As they had already done weeks before at the Jazz-Baltica Festival in Salzau, they were able to quickly create a bond between themselves and the people in the Miles Davis Hall. With the material of their recent CD „From Gagarinís Point of View“ in tow, they invited the late-night audience to a delightful, colorful spectrum of sounds, alternating between groove and modern, contemplation and freedom, contrast and harmony. Once again they were greeted with a storm of enthusiasm, despite the late hour. With the success of the live performances and the enormous media response to the release of „From Gagarinís Point of View“, ACT determined to make an earlier album of EST available. Originally released in 1997, „Winter in Venice“ (ACT 9007-2) is the band's fourth CD, following „When Everyone Has Gone“ ((Dragon, 1993), „Mr. And Mrs. Handkerchief“ (Prophone, 1995), and „EST Plays Monk“ (BMG, 1997). „Winter in Venice“ is at the same time the group's first CD, in that it is the first independent profile that exhibits the three musicians in their present form. The 13 original compositions show them as sensitive masters of communication with the penchant for transforming simple, pretty melodies into complex networks of motifs. Sometimes balladic, sometimes joyously swinging, „Winter in Venice“ lays out a lively tonal tapestry which, despite its suggestive title, seems to have little to do with the morbid feeling that exists in Venice during that dark time of year. It received the Swedish Grammy in 1998 as best jazz album of the year, and on top of it all, it helped Svensson to the title of Songwriter of the Year. And like „From Gagarinís Point of View“, it is a collection of chamber-jazz rhapsodies that leaves the listener a lot of room for internal and external impressions, associations, and discoveries.Credits: Recorded by Johan Ekelund and Åke Linton at Emi Studios on August 20 - 22, 1997 Mixed by Johan Ekelung and Bernard Löhr at Little Big Room on October 6 - 8, 1997 Mastered by Johan Ekelund Produced by Johan Ekelund

Esbjörn Svensson Trio e.s.t. - Strange Place For SnowEsbjörn Svensson Piano Dan Berglund Double Bass Magnus Öström Drums It is widely accepted today that European jazz has developed its own unique vocabulary alongside its Afro-American counterpart, and e.s.t is an exceptional example. The Esbjörn Svensson Trio, or e.s.t. as it is known internationally, has taken this musical development several steps further. At the same time it is linked with the same Swedish tradition that has made Sweden famous for jazz. The result is a structurally unified album in which the personal sound of the group has become more intense and projects an even greater depth from which it is able to reach new musical heights. Welcome to e.s.t. country! Swedish jazz has a long tradition. Lars Gullin and Jan Johansson were already international stars in the 1950s. Today a new generation of Swedish jazz musicians (i.e. Bobo Stenson, Nils Landgren) is knocking on fame's door. It is not surprising - the collective unconscious should never be under-estimated - that the trio's scintillating jazz-mix comprises a trade mark "Swedish Sound", even when the music encompasses diverse elements which include their own rich folk tradition, the European classic tradition and rock n roll. In 1993 Esbjörn Svensson, Magnus Öström, and Dan Berglund set out the direction for e.s.t. In December of that year their first album, "When Everyone Has Gone", was released, winning praise from the critics. The trio's continuing development occurred mainly through its intensive "club-hopping"; an important consequence was the 1995 release of "e.s.t. Live ´95" (ACT 9295-2). Soon the trio made a name for itself in its native country and this led to a recording contract with the more pop-oriented record label Superstudio Gul/Diesel Music. In the same year the now classic "Esbjörn Svensson Trio Plays Monk" was released and overnight they were not only blessed with positive press; 10,000 Swedish record buyers were rejoicing. In 1996 Esbjörn Svensson travelled to Germany with his friend Nils Landgren to play with the Funk Unit at the Jazz Baltica festival; Esbjörn also left his unmistakable imprint on the Funk Unit. German Jazz Award-winning hit album "Paint it Blue" (ACT 9243-2) marked the beginning of his relationship with ACT label owner and producer Siggi Loch who invited Esbjörn also to make a first duo recording with Nils Landgren “Swedish Folk – Modern”.  In late fall 1997 the spine-chillingly beautiful "Winter In Venice" by e.s.t. was released in Sweden. It is an album in which, aside from Gunnar Svensson's ambiguous "Herkules Johnssons Melodie" Esbjörn's own compositions are strung together like so many precious pearls. Without exception, every piece was conveyed with a seemingly unearthly elegance and naturalness. The album was rewarded with a Swedish Grammy, and Esbjörn Svensson himself was selected as the year's best composer. The 1999 issue of "From Gagarin's Point Of View” was a milestone in e.s.t’s career. The group sounded more unified, more concentrated than ever before. In "The Chapel", "Cornette", and "Definition Of A Dog" they literally touch the heavens. Through its connection to the ACT label, "Magic Trio's" long overdue breakthrough onto the international scene came with an appearance at the ACT World Jazz Night at the Montreux Jazz Festival in July 1999. A new star was born.  Fall 2000 was time for album number four with the puzzling title "Good Morning Susie Soho". After Germany, England now also discovered e.s.t., and voted the group "Best Trio 2000", and the album "CD of the Year". To describe and explain the quality and strong impression of "Good Morning Susie Soho", it should be noted that in the magazine Mojo, the CD was named among the "your 400 essential albums".  We are now writing in March 2002. It is once again time for another perfectly conceived e.s.t. album. And as usual, we invite you to a "joyous dance" to the trio's very special mixture of modern jazz, melancholy folk, serious music, along with the irrepressible influence of rock. Already on the first piece, "The Message", the album's tone is made clear. It originates out of the so-called "free play" that was recorded in May 2001.The soft, gospel-like quality of "the Message", in which Jan Johansson's ubiquitous spirit can be felt, is not really typical for e.s.t. Which on the other hand makes it very typical for e.s.t. Before "Serenade For The Renegade" was named, it was simply called "Radiohead-Melody". One can understand why, even when Chopin and Roxy Music appear on the reference list. "All three of us love Radiohead" Esbjörn declared, his whole face shining with pleasure.  The title piece "Strange Place For Snow" in fact shouldn't be on this album. Esbjörn related that "Before it got its final form, it sounded too much like pop". In retrospect one can't say enough about how lucky it was that the trio finally decided to record "Strange Place For Snow" - it's clearly a future classic. "Behind The Yashmak" is pure celebration-music. After a somewhat searching introduction, "Behind The Yashmak" finds its musical expression in a direction that previously could only be found in some of Pat Metheny's most joyous sound adventures. The ending, with the "hockey celebration" blended in, is, to put it mildly, ecstatic.  The meditative "Bound For The Beauty Of The South" is a virtual hymn of praise for Schloss Elmau castle. This "unusual" castle, which lies near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, had become something of a refuge for e.s.t. They found themselves continually returning, either to recuperate or to give a concert.Credits:Recorded by Janne Hansson at Atlantis in December 2001, except track 01 recorded by Åke Linton at Roam Studio in April 2001 Mixed by Janne Hansson at Atlantis, January 2002 Mastered by Tommy Lydell at Atlantis Produced by e.s.t. Manufacturer

Esbjörn Svensson Trio e.s.t. - Seven Day Of FallingEsbjörn Svensson Piano Dan BerglundDouble Bass Magnus Öström Drums On Saturday March 9, 2002 a select number of people assembled at midnight for a secret release party – by invitation only - at London´s legendary “Pizza Express Jazzclub”, the same place that had been the inspiration for e.s.t.´s former “Good Morning Susie Soho” album (ACT 9005-2). It was like a Who’s Who of Europe´s festival programmers, record company executives and journalists. And the event? The release party for e.s.t.´s brand new album “Strange Place for Snow” (ACT 9011-2). That evening was to signify the starting point for the international breakthrough of the band. Nearly 100 concerts (in 18 countries) and 6 major European awards later, the band had taken Europe by storm. e.s.t. had been voted “best international act” by the Victoires du Jazz in France and by the BBC in England. They had received the German Jazz Award and the German Critics Award for the “Best Album of the Year”. They had been given the Guiness Jazz in Europe Award in Ireland and the “Revelation of the Festival Award” at Midem in Cannes. “Strange Place for Snow” nearly tripled sales of previous e.s.t. albums and even took the band to the USA where it was released by Sony Columbia. As a result, the band played a complete tour of the States – probably the only European jazz act that did so in 2002. On Monday March 10, 2003 almost exactly a year after that remarkable evening in London Esbjorn Svensson, Magnus Öström, and Dan Berglund met at Stockholm´s Atlantis studio to begin sessions for a new album. It took them eight days to record and five days to mix “Seven Days of Falling” – an unusual amount of time for a jazz recording and more in keeping with a pop production. This whole approach reflects the philosophy of the band - whether it be their live performances (they have their own sound and lighting engineers), their image, or their recordings (prepared in week-long rehearsals, culminating in two recording sessions, each one four days long). Nothing is left to chance – attention to detail can be seen throughout the entire process.  To gain the necessary inspiration the band likes to take time off in the months previous to a recording. Residents of Esbjörn´s home town Enskededalen (which is located on the outskirts of Stockholm) can witness the long walks of their now famous musician through the nearby woods. “I love to walk – two three hours a day – no problem – it gives me inspiration”. This inspiration is the key to the music of e.s.t., to the melodies that catch your ear and pull you into their magical world.  During the ten years between the recording of their first album “When Everyone Has Gone” (Dragon 1993) and “Seven Days of Falling”, the band has grown together and formed its own unmistakable voice and sound. They have never followed trends or mimicked past heroes: e.s.t. have created their own music and their own style.  None of the trio took the conventional route of the jazz musician by attending university and learning about how their forefathers played, or how to be technically perfect. As a result, their ears have been open to all types of music and approaches to playing – which is probably why you get answers like “The Police” or “Deep Purple” or “Radiohead” or “Aphex Twin” when you ask them their favourite bands. “Seven Days of Falling” is the most mature recording of e.s.t. to date. It is a development that can be traced back to “Dodge the Dodo” from “From Gagarin´s Point of View”, continued with “Spam-Boo-Limbo” and the hidden track on “Good Morning Susie Soho” (on which e.s.t. experimented with the most amount of electronics and unusual sounds than ever before) to “Behind the Yashmak” on 2001’s “Strange Place for Snow” album.“Seven Days of Falling” features wonderful ballads “Ballad for the Unborn” and “Why She didn´t Come” and guides us through great musical landscapes, but it is songs like “O.D.R.I.P.” and “Elevation of Love” that set the pace. The e.s.t. magic that has captured so many admirers is still very much present in their compelling themes, Esbjörn Svensson’s seductive piano melodies, bassist Dan Berglund’s use of bow and sound effects (with Hendrix-like results) and drummer Magnus Öström’s accelerating drum’n’bass beats.  Asked what creates the magic of e.s.t. recordings and concerts most people say that it is “in between what is being played”. Esbjörn, Dan, and Magnus leave room for the music to breathe into the minds and souls of the audience. e.s.t. have become one of Sweden´s success stories and when Esbjörn opens the shows with his “we are e.s.t. from Sweden” everybody is taken by the charm and modesty of these Ambassadeurs of great music.Credits:Produced by e.s.t. Manufacturer

Esbjörn Svensson Trio e.s.t. - e.s.t. essentials3-CD / digitalEsbjörn Svensson grand piano, keyboards Dan Berglund doublebass Magnus Öström drums 

Esbjörn Svensson Trio e.s.t. - e.s.t songbook Volume 2The Swedish jazz pianist Esbjörn Svensson was a stylistic pioneer and created a very special sound with his trio. At the highest level of interaction, jazz, pop, rock, classical music and Swedish folk music tradition merged into a sound world of their own. The trio was an outstanding musical phenomenon whose reputation and impact with the public and other musicians grew over the years. 2018 marks the 10th anniversary of the death of this exceptional artist - and to this day, the influence and inspiration of Esbjörn Svensson can be heard in many young jazz musicians. With its selection of titles, the Songbook Volume 2 follows on from its predecessor and contains 21 of the best songs by the extraordinary trio as well as many photos of the musicians. All titles are notated for piano with chord notation and bass (optional). Included songs: -a picture of doris travelling with boris -brewery of beggars -carcrash -dating -definition of a dog -did they ever tell cousteau? -good morning susie soho -in my garage -letter from the leviathan -o.d.r.i.p. -picnic -reminiscense of a soul -serenade for the renegade -sipping on the solid ground -somewhere else before -spunky sprawl -strange place for snow -the chapel -the well wisher -what though the way may be long -where we used to live

VArious Artists - Twenty Five Magic Years - The Jubilee AlbumCD / Vinyl / digitalIt is now 25 years since Siggi Loch properly set about being “useful rather than important” (the phrase is from his autobiography) and to move on from a successful and distinguished career in the international record industry to found his own independent jazz label, ACT. What he had in mind from the start was that it should be a platform to promote the kind of musicians who are capable of touching the emotions of their audience, of creating excitement and winning people over, artists who tend to court danger by avoiding the well-trodden paths – in other words they make their music “in the spirit of jazz.” Now, a quarter of a century and over 500 albums later, it is definitely a case of having delivered on that promise. As a “discovery label”, ACT has written part of the continuing story of jazz, and its family of musicians are now leading figures in the genre. ACT is proud to mark this milestone with a “Jubilee Album”. However, the label has taken care to steer well clear of the predictable. Except three tracks everything on the album is being released for the first time. Furthermore some tracks were in fact especially recorded at sessions involving a gradually permutating all-star line-up at the Hansa studios in Berlin. The result is a newly crafted summation of the kind of music for which ACT exists: music that can touch the heart, stir the soul and lift the spirit of the listener. It is a kaleidoscope of magical musical moments by artists with an openness of mind to all genres and styles. The opening track is the Beatles’ “Come Together”, interpreted by Nils Landgren, Ulf Wakenius and Lars Danielsson. This placing is deliberate. First it is a particularly fine example of the ACT motto of “connecting the unexpected,” following the long-standing jazz tradition of taking material from other musical areas and repossessing and transfiguring it through improvising. Great musicians reveal all kinds of unimagined things in seemingly well-known music. This stellar trio is also representative of another distinctive achievement by ACT, namely that the label is out in front as the leading exporter of Swedish jazz to the rest of the world. Landgren has been an exclusive ACT label artist since 1995 and has become the label’s most successful artist. Here on the “Jubilee Album” he also shows his funky side in “Walk Tall”. In “Paco’s Delight”, Ulf Wakenius pays homage in a duo with his son Eric to flamenco icon Paco de Lucía. The Swedish connection has been particularly fruitful for ACT. It was through her one-time accompanist Esbjörn Svensson that vocalist Viktoria Tolstoy joined the label, and the “Jubilee Album” features her singing his irreplaceable and bittersweet composition “Monologue”. The album’s closer is Svensson’s “Prelude in D Minor” and that placing has been done on purpose too. Svensson was the most important innovator in European jazz right up to the time of his tragic and fatal accident in 2008, and this solo piano piece was the only completed track from a solo album which was planned but sadly never completed. “Dodge The Dodo” reminds us of the massive charisma of the Swedish genius. Svensson’s classic tune is brought to us emphatically yet subtly by a quartet consisting of Polish violinist Adam Bałdych, Finnish Pianist Iiro Rantala and flautist Magnus Lindgren. Alongside Svensson, Bałdych and Rantala, the Norwegian saxophonist Marius Neset with “Prag Ballet“ is another example for the “Sound of Europe” which the ACT label has welcomed into its fold since the start. This commitment has been followed through with continuing and growing success, as can be vividly heard in “B&H”, a track from a live album recently recorded by the brand new combination of French stars Vincent Peirani and Emile Parisien with Swiss vocal phenomenon Andreas Schaerer and pianist Michael Wollny, who “breaks new ground for his instrument.” (The Observer, UK) Wollny is a once-in-a-lifetime talent. He is also rare among German jazz musicians in that he has successfully carved out an international profile. He is heard on this album as part of two more units: “Swing, Swing, Swing” is an explosive performance in a duo with Germany’s foremost drummer Wolfgang Haffner. This track demonstrates another important tenet for ACT: that home-grown German talent should never be overlooked. Wollny also plays “White Moon” in a duo with Iiro Rantala recorded live at the Philharmonie in Berlin, and this reflects the mission of ACT to present exceptional and pre-eminent jazz pianists to the widest possible audience. Finally, this birthday party could hardly be complete without the “great artistry of a genuine vocal marvel” (Vogue): we hear Youn Sun Nah’s “Bitter Ballad”. The “Jubilee Album” is a retrospective, a panoramic view and a peek into the future all rolled into one. As these exceptional artists perform unforgettable compositions, it becomes clear what ACT has been, what it is, and what it intends to remain: a reliable compass for new and exciting music “in the spirit of jazz.”Credits: Curated by Siggi Loch Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann Cover art by Jiri Geller, SMILE!, 2016 @ ACT Art Collection  

Esbjörn Svensson Trio e.s.t. - EST SYMPHONYCD / Vinyl / digital Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra Hans Ek conductor & arranger Marius Neset saxophone Verneri Pohjola trumpet Johan Lindström pedal steel Iiro Rantala piano Dan Berglund bass Magnus Öström drums With their all-embracing vision of jazz, Esbjörn Svensson Trio (pianist Esbjörn Svensson, bassist Dan Berglund and drummer Magnus Oström) was without doubt one of the most widely admired and influential European instrumental ensembles in the first decade of the new millennium. e.s.t., as they came to be known, rode the crest of a wave with their combination of highly singable themes, mesmerizingly chilled grooves and visually stimulating, high energy ‘live’ performances. They filled large rock stadium venues and reached out to non-jazz audiences in a way that has not been equaled previously in the history of homegrown European jazz. e.s.t. regularly topped pop as well as jazz album sales charts and became the first band from Europe to make the front cover of the illustrious US jazz journal Downbeat. All the more tragic then, that on reaching even greater heights of creativity and new audiences into the latter half of the noughties, e.s.t. were cut off in their prime in 2008 when the trio’s pianist, composer and talismanic leader Esbjörn Svensson died suddenly in a scuba diving accident. Tributes poured in as the contemporary jazz world mourned the loss of a truly illuminating figure, especially for a younger generation of musicians. Eight years on and it’s perhaps an appropriate time to not only celebrate but begin to reevaluate the rich recording legacy left by the band. The striking new release E.S.T. SYMPHONY on the trio’s former recording label ACT does just that. It benefits from the skillful hand and colourfully expressive musicality of the esteemed, musically eclectic Swedish arranger-conductor Hans Ek. He has arranged an outstanding selection of Esbjörn’s compositions from e.s.t.’s rich 13 album catalogue for a widescreen orchestral canvas. Performed exquisitely by the 90-piece Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Ek’s orchestrations integrate organically with solo contributions from a handful of Scandi-jazz superstars of today and tomorrow. Featured are the saxophonist Marius Neset, trumpeter Verneri Pohjola, pianist Iiro Rantala and the unique pedal steel guitarist Johan Lindström, a member of Tonbruket, a band led by the innovative ex-e.s.t. bassist Dan Berglund who’s clearly the lynchpin of this project alongside his ex-bandmate/drummer Magnus Öström. The roots of the project go back as far as 2003, when Esbjörn Svensson decided to create a chamber orchestral canvas for his compositions for a series of live international performances. “This was the initial inspiration for E.S.T. SYMPHONY,” says Hans Ek. It all began, says the former e.s.t. manager Burkhard Hopper, with Esbjörn’s arrangement for ‘Dodge The Dodo’ (the only arrangement on the album not written by Ek) performed that year at Jazz Baltica in Salzau alongside a very special guest Pat Metheny, who has cited e.s.t. as “one of his favourite bands.” “Since there had been discussions of a symphony orchestra project prior to Esbjörn passing away I felt that the most important thing was to go on with the vision the trio had about such a collaboration,” says Ek. “But for me personally it was the possibility of seeing the trio’s great repertoire live on in a new form that was the great challenge.” Hans Ek has therefore taken an extremely thoughtful approach to the enormity of the task. “I have of course tried to write in the spirit of Esbjörn, but I did not just want to imitate,” he says. “His compositions and fantastic playing have been my inspiration. I think this whole project is about to let the music live on, to give another perspective to the geniality of these songs. The special magic of the trio’s telepathic playing we can’t recreate, but maybe we let the great compositions take on a new path.” However says Ek, e.s.t.’s music’s combination, of “large scale formal developments, the impressionistic soundworld and of course the quality of the compositions,” lends itself beautifully to a symphonic interpretation. The opening ‘e.s.t. Prelude’ echoes a few of Esbjörn’s themes as it evolves through richly impressionistic layers of orchestration that pass from a strings-laden ‘romanticism’ through a dramatic brass-texture before string harmonics and a vibraphone combine to reflect the more melancholic, intimate nature of e.s.t.’s work. ‘From Gagarin’s Point of View’, released on the cusp of the millennium, was the album that initially brought international acclaim to the trio. Its title track is reinterpreted here and along with ‘Serenade for the Renegade’ reveals something of Esbjörn’s genius for seductive, ‘less is more’ piano themes, the latter arrangement echoing something of Gil Evans-Miles Davis’ work. On a pair of suites dedicated to albums ‘[Tuesday]Wonderland’ is Copland-esque in scope revealing e.s.t.’s influences from ‘Americana’ in parts playful and country music-like, while ‘Viaticum’ takes on a darksome flavour. “For each song I have tried to find a function for the orchestra,” says Ek. “Sometimes it has the role of imitating one of the trios members like Dan’s bass or Magnus’ beats. In some places I have transcribed solos by Esbjörn, like the interlude in ‘Coffeebreak…’ and ‘Ajar’ (from the album ‘Leucocyte’) in the ‘e.s.t. Prelude’. Sometimes I have tried to create electronic soundscapes that surrounds the original compositions - e.s.t. worked a lot with electronics and distorted sounds. There are also a lot of classical references in Esbjörn’s playing that I have tried to pick up. It has been very important to choose a solo instrument for each song. That has affected my writing.” Among the stand-out soloists is the striking new Norwegian sax star Marius Neset. His inventively virtuosic and fiery improvisation on ‘Seven Days of Falling’ in duo with bassist Dan Berglund is one of the many highlights on the album, as is Verneri Pohjola’s ethereal, muted trumpet on ‘Eight-Hundred Streets by Feet’. Meanwhile on Svensson’s previous arrangement for ‘Dodge the Dodo’, Dan Berglund’s explosive overdriven Led Zeppelin-influenced arco bass solo reflects e.s.t.’s shared interest in rock and prog music By both imaginatively expanding upon and saluting the broad-based contemporary sonic universe created by e.s.t. in the first decade of the new millennium, Hans Ek has created on E.S.T. SYMPHONY an enduring and entirely fitting monument to a much-missed and highly inspirational contemporary jazz trio.Credits: Recorded at Konserthuset in Stockholm on June 10, 11 and 12, 2016 by Lars Nilsson, Michael Dahlvid and Joakim Nilsson. Mixed and Mastered by Lars Nilsson at Nilento Studio in Gothenburg in June and July 2016. Executive Producer: Burkhard Hopper

Esbjörn Svensson Trio e.s.t. - Tuesday WonderlandCD / Vinyl / digital Esbjörn Svensson piano Dan Berglund bass Magnus Öström drums What’s so special about Tuesdays? “That’s exactly the point – most people don’t find anything special about Tuesdays, but if you start paying attention to the little things in life, you might begin to see Tuesdays in a different light,” says Magnus Öström, who usually comes up with the song titles for e.s.t. Esbjörn Svensson and Dan Berglund nod in agreement. “What we do – making music – may not mean much to most people, but if you allow yourself to fall into the music, you’re taken on a journey where you can discover your own wonderland – a journey that could change your whole life.” Seen in this way, the connection between Tuesday Wonderland and Viaticum (ACT 9015-2), the 2005 predecessor album, becomes clear: Viaticum spoke of music as a kind of provision that we take with us on a spiritual journey. Tuesday Wonderland takes us ourselves on this journey – opening up new worlds and guiding us into the musical wonderland of e.s.t. e.s.t. – currently Europe’s leading force in jazz and the first European jazz band ever to grace the cover of the world-renowned U.S. jazz magazine DownBeat – believe in consistency. Thirteen years ago, Esbjörn, Dan, and Magnus founded the trio, and Tuesday Wonderland is now their tenth album on their journey of musical exploration – and perhaps even their best to date. They also believe in equality among themselves. This is another key to the trio’s enduring success: three individuals working toward a shared goal unleash more creativity than one person dictating the direction. From their very first album, it was clear that they were exceptionally gifted musicians. But it wasn’t until 1999’s From Gagarin’s Point of View (ACT 9005-2), when they began experimenting with sounds and electronics, that the unique sound of e.s.t. emerged – a sound that has since become their unmistakable trademark. To be clear: e.s.t. is more than just a distinct sound – that’s just one ingredient. It’s the melodies, the complexity, and at the same time, the immediate accessibility of their music that set e.s.t. apart. The more you listen, the more there is to hear – which makes it hard to stop the CD player once you’ve started one of their albums. The immense influence that e.s.t. has had on the contemporary music scene is reflected in the enthusiasm of music critics (“Trio of the Decade,” “The hippest thing in jazz right now”), the overwhelming commercial success (Viaticum was the best-selling instrumental jazz album in Europe in 2005!), and their concerts, which draw thousands of listeners around the world. And last but not least, it shows in the praise of their peers – from Pat Metheny (“The most exciting act I’ve seen in the last 15 years”) to Jamie Cullum (“My favorite band – I’m a fan”). TUESDAY WONDERLAND – Get ready for the journey!Credits: Recorded and mixed by Åke Linton at Bohus Sound Recording Studios, Gothenburg, Sweden in March 2006 Mastered by Dragan Tanaskovic at Bohus Mastering Produced by e.s.t.

Esbjörn Svensson Trio e.s.t. - ViaticumCD / Vinyl / digital Esbjörn Svensson Piano Dan Berglund Double Bass Magnus Öström Drums The Esbjörn Svensson Trio has now been in existence for a good ten years and in the past three has been at the centre of international attention. But even so, the pianist can’t quite absorb the level of excitement about him and his trio. The talk is of “wonderfully exciting sound masterpieces”, of the “art of effective simplicity”, of “hypnotic hymns” and of “jazz, which gives enough air to breathe, while on the other hand taking one’s breath away.” Esbjörn Svensson is slightly amused whenever he reads the adulatory critical praise after every new release: “We have been making music together for such a long time. And we are just playing what seems most natural for us.” Now we are waiting to see if the euphoria about the release of the new CD Viaticum will, despite the eye-dropping modesty of its creators, will be of a similar magnitude to that which accompanied the release of predecessors Strange Place for Snow (2002) and Seven Days of Falling (2003). These releases seemed to win every prize going in the international music world: two German Jazz Awards, the annual German critics’ prize in 2002, BBC Jazz Award for Best International Artist of 2003, the special prize at MIDEM 2003 and the French Grammy “Victoire du Jazz 2003”. And those are only the most important. The latest is the award of the “European Jazz Prize” to e.s.t. in December 2004, which is given by the Austrian Music Office (AMO) in conjunction with the Austrian Ministry of Culture and the City of Vienna cultural department. A jury from 23 European countries choose the winner “who has attracted major attention on a high artistic level in the international jazz field”. e.s.t. is almost permanently on the road. In the last two years the band has performed hundreds of concerts around the world and already it seems as if 2005 will also be fully booked. But the enormous strain of travel doesn’t seem to bring the cool Swedes out of their stride. In Summer 2004 the band took a month to record their new album in the well-known surrounding of the famous Atlantis Studios in Stockholm, and with an old friend, engineer and studio boss Janne Hansson. Svensson doesn’t really like to describe the music on his album, but he explains: “It is clear that the proportion of the composed elements has grown, as we don’t jam as much as we used to.” When the talk is about the melodies and arrangements, Chopin has still a very special influential role for Svensson, but that of Johann Sebastian Bach should not be underestimated. An almost telepathic understanding for one another means that the trio is able to record an album in which they know how to merge the intensity of their almost legendary live shows with the technical possibilities of the recording studio. The trio places great weight on the titles of the individual compositions. Their titles invite, in just a few words, the opportunity to allow a deeper understanding of the music: “Letter From The Leviathan”, “Twenty-Eight Days In My Veins”, “In The Tail Of Her Eye”. Don’t they sound like a sort of poetry? Svensson replies: “It’s really important to us to have titles that sound right. When the decision for the specific tracks is made, it’s usually left to (drummer) Magnus Öström. He takes the time to find the most appropriate concept. The art of this however lies in the fact that the imagination of the listener shouldn’t be distorted and each should be able to create their own image in their head.”Credits: Recorded and Mixed by Janne Hansson at Atlantis Studios, Stockholm between August 30 and October 11, 2004 Mastered by Claes Persson at CRP Recording Produced by e.s.t

The first internationally released e.s.t. album – the beginning of their global success. A jazz milestone, full of innovation and unique sound.

Duo Art - it is the most reduced form of making music together. No less rich, if it succeeds, the smallest "big band" in the world. Two musicians on their own, in harmony and competition. Complementing each other, questioning each other and giving each other their opinion - a fascinating dialogue ear to ear. Spontaneous and intense, call and response - jazz in its purest form. Sometimes less is more to create magical moments - as "Duo Art Creating Magic" proves.

Öberg's acquaintance with Svensson and drummer Magnus Öström makes this e.s.t. biography well worth reading:"When the facts are mixed with personal experiences, when a look is taken behind the façade of e.s.t.'s success, as it were, and the curtain is lifted on the official band history, then the reader gets a different picture of the three friends Esbjörn, Magnus and Dan Berglund and their joint "jazz" piano trio." (Jazzthing)This book is only available in German!

The Legacy - Part II: More original recordings by the legendary Esbjörn Svensson Trio from their last session at Studio 301 in Sydney, Australia. A triumphant echo of an unforgotten band and homage to the jazz innovator who died in 2008.

For the 20th birthday of ACT-Music, the Jubilee Album presents 20 highlights from the moving history of the Munich label. A real treat for connoisseurs, explorers, researchers and the curious, as well as for anyone seeking the Spirit of Jazz.

Retrospective – The Very Best Of e.s.t. is a collection of Esbjörn Svensson's unique work, a tribute to the late pianist and his trio.