E.S.T.
Seven Days of Falling
215
Records
E.S.T. (Esbjorn Svensson Trio) are like rock
stars in their home country of Sweden. But don’t let
that fool you—though they possess an edge that is
born of electro-techno pop sensibility, they are very much
working in a jazz trio tradition. What makes them special
is their ability to fuse techno and ambient elements onto
a jazz fuselage in a way that seems completely organic,
so that neither element becomes the odd man out. Pianist
Esbjorn Svensson often calls to mind Keith Jarrett’s
gospel and blues infused playing with his European quartet,
yet the group is unafraid to incorporate samples and loops
into their overall sound as well as some electronic effects.
But they can definitely burn as an acoustic trio as well.
Unfortunately, Columbia Records, which had
signed the group and released the albums Somewhere Else
Before in 2001 and Strange Place For Snow
in 2002, dumped them without releasing this CD, which was
recorded and released in Europe in 2003. Thanks to independent
label 215 Records, we can now hear what is possibly this
group’s finest recording. In the meantime, Columbia
has moved on to new populist trio The Bad Plus, a group
that seems gimmicky by comparison with this supremely lyrical
trio that has been playing together for nearly a decade.
True, it’s not so novel these days to be holding or
plucking piano strings or to utilize electronic music elements,
but these guys have been doing it for a while and are still
better at it than most newcomers.
The band displays one of its main strengths—an
overwhelming sense lyricism that helps distinguish them
from other newcomer piano trios—on the opening track.
“Ballad For the Unborn” begins with some soft
fade-in sound effect loops before Svensson enters with the
stately, introspective melodic statement, supported by Dan
Berglund’s simple bass underpinning and periodic cymbal
swells from drummer Magnus Ostrom. It is very difficult
to make music this uncluttered and filled with space, but
the group makes it sound as natural as breathing. It’s
the kind of awestruck quietness that Bill Evans could also
effortlessly create, though the two pianists do it somewhat
differently. As a statement of intent, “Ballad For
the Unborn” lets the listener know that E.S.T. is
concerned with creating music that is beautiful and not
difficult for the listener to apprehend. That does not mean
that there isn’t a lot happening in the group’s
music, however.
The title track begins with an ostinato bass
figure over which Svensson glides effortlessly, propelled
ever so slightly by Ostrom. The piece builds slowly over
its first minutes until Berglund bubbles up with some bass
effects, which he uses very skillfully to add to the trio’s
sonic arsenal. It’s not unusual to hear some elements
of the group’s music traced to Radiohead, and indeed
it’s likely that just as the rock band was influenced
by some of the ambient, minimalist work of jazz pioneers
like Miles Davis, modern jazz-oriented groups are now incorporating
elements of the band’s brooding, melodic sound, buoyed
by electronics, into their work. Indeed, a track such as
“Did They Ever Tell Cousteau?” with its stuttering
drum n’ bass-influenced brushwork drumming and electronic
bass effects cannot help but call to mind popular ambient-influenced
electronic music. Over this base, Svensson plays a solo
that is grounded heavily in jazz piano tradition, yet it
somehow manages to sound completely modern and even fresh.
Not that this band lacks fire and energy.
“Mingle In the Mincing Machine” is much more
rhythmically based and treads some of the same ground as
The Bad Plus and Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, but still E.S.T.
hangs on to a melodic sense that these other bands display
too infrequently. Each track is simply a new discovery that
listeners will enjoy more with each listening.
Also included is a DVD disk that includes
an edited version of the band’s full-length concert
DVD Live In Stockholm. Edited it may be, but it
still provides 48 minutes of concert footage, a 13 minute
interview, and a music video of one of the group’s
tunes. The live footage demonstrates even more strongly
than the CD the manner in which E.S.T. can start from absolutely
nothing, the most basic elements, and build into a finish
that is spectacular, dramatic, and completely uplifting.
The live performances here of “Good Morning Susie
Soho,” “From Gagarin’s Point of View,”
“Definition of a Dog,” and “Dodge the
Dodo” are simply spectacular. The DVD is great and
no small add-on to the terrific CD that is the main reason
for buying this package. In short, Seven Days of Falling
would make a terrific introduction to E.S.T. for those who
have not yet heard them. For the already convinced, of course,
it is a must.
