E.S.T. Live in Gothenburg

Between 1993 and 2008, Swedens Esbjorn Svensson Trio (E.S.T.) shifted the argument for the jazz piano trios continued relevance while expanding the landscape for contemporary jazzs slipstream wholesale. Like the previous volumes in the seriews including Live 1995, Live in Hamburg, and last years Live in London, this marks the testament of a band of gifted improvisers and communicators who turned previously held notions about the formation on their head. Each of these men -- pianist Svensson, bassist Dan Berglund and drummer Magnus Ostrom -- was a frontline player in the late pianists compositions. Captured during the Somewhere Else Before tour in 2001, this gig at the Gothenburg Concert Hall was regarded by Svensson as a personal favorite because of its fleet and fluid connectivity with his bandmates. Given how much this band toured--never with a setlist or a plan-- this is no small assertion. Opener Dating reveals why. Its structure floats at the midpoint between the jazz pianism of Vince Guaraldi circa his Charlie Brown themes, and the euphoric musicality and precision of the Pat Metheny Group circa Speaking Of Now. While the Rube Thing (one of the trios live standards), commences as an intricate solo inquiry of Bach by Svensson, it opens into a sprightly, playful, slightly knotty groover with a fat, fleet, bass solo, chunky snare breaks and tight vamps; it eventually evolves into an intense bebop jam. While From Gargarins Point Of View is built around Berglunds mournful low register arco playing (deeply informed by Shostakovichs 15th string quartet), it becomes a balanced and pointillistic ballad when his bandmates join in. Good Morning Susie Soho weds a wah-whaed upright rockist bassline to a bluesy soulful piano and a funky snare strut. The Second Page, opens with an evocative pastoral beauty, before turning itself into one of E.S.T.s most hummable and poignant ballads. The sets closer is a twelve-and-a-half minute version of Dodge the Dodo, that contains all the drama and pathos of Kid A- era Radiohead, and Marillion-esque prog rock, with the instinctive modal sophistication of Bobo Stenson, and the improvisational canniness of Keith Tippett! Over two discs and a hundred-plus minutes, E.S.T. Live In Gothenburg, is the best of the four posthumous concert releases from the bands archive. Its a reminder of just how much this group opened up jazz for the 21st century to influence groups such as the AMP Trio, Marc Carys Focus Trio, and the Neil Cowley Trio. This is a must for all E.S.T. fans. While its a bittersweet reminder of just we lost when Svensson passed away, it is a guidepost for those younger and postmodern jazz fans who may not yet have encountered the trios sophisticated, accessible, and life-affirming music. ~ Thom Jurek