Esbjörn Svensson

Infobox musical artist
Name = Esbjörn Svensson


Img_capt = Esbjörn Svensson,
live in Ghent, 2007.
Img_size =
Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name = Bror Fredrik "Esbjörn" Svensson
Born = birth date|1964|4|16|mf=y
Skultuna, Sweden
Died = death date and age|2008|6|14|1964|4|16
Stockholm, Sweden
Instrument = Piano
Genre = Jazz
Occupation =
Years_active = 1980–2008
Label =
Associated_acts = Esbjörn Svensson Trio
URL = [http://www.est-music.com/ www.est-music.com/]

Esbjörn Svensson (April 16, 1964 – June 14, 2008) was a jazz pianist and founder of the jazz group Esbjörn Svensson Trio, commonly known as E.S.T. Svensson became one of Europe's most successful jazz musicians at the turn of the 21st century before dying at the age of 44 in a diving accident.

Early life and work

Svensson was introduced to both classical music and jazz very early in life through his mother, a classical pianist, and his father, a jazz enthusiast, and first showed interest in classical music. In his teenage years, he developed an interest in rock music and started a few garage bands with classmates, before going back to classical music and finally making his way towards jazz. At age 16, Svensson went to a music college, where he took piano lessons. He later studied at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm, for four years.

In 1990, Svensson started his own jazz combo with his childhood friend Magnus Öström on percussion. Both had made their first appearances on stage as sidemen in the Swedish and Danish jazz scene during the 1980s. In 1993, bassist Dan Berglund joined the duo, and the Esbjörn Svensson Trio was born. The trio released its debut album, "When Everyone Has Gone", in 1993, and in the following years established itself in the Nordic jazz scene. Svensson was nominated for Swedish Jazz Musician of the Year in 1995 and 1996.

Rise to prominence, success, and death

The trio's international breakthrough came with their 1999 album "From Gagarin’s Point Of View", their first album to be released outside Scandinavia. With the release of their albums "Good Morning Susie Soho" (2000) and "Strange Place For Snow" (2002), the trio drew the attention of United States audiences. In 2002, they went on a 9-month tour through Europe, the U.S. and Japan. Their subsequent albums, "Seven Days Of Falling" (2003), "Viaticum" (2005), and "Tuesday Wonderland" (2006), were equally well received by critics and fans and resulted in several music industry award nominations as well as making the jazz and pop charts.

E.S.T. was the first European jazz combo to make the front page of the American jazz magazine "Down Beat" (May 2006 issue). Their last album, "E.S.T. Live in Hamburg", a recording of their fall 2006 concert in Hamburg, Germany, as part of the Tuesday Wonderland Tour, was released in November 2007. Before Svensson's death, the trio was working on the concept of integrating electronic and mechanical sound expansions into a jazz trio context. E.S.T.'s last performance took place in Moscow, Russia, at the Tchaikovsky Hall, on May 30, 2008. In addition to his work with E.S.T., Svensson recorded albums with Nils Landgren and Viktoria Tolstoy.

On June 14, 2008, Svensson went missing during a scuba diving session on Ingarö outside of Stockholm, Sweden. His diving companions eventually found him lying unconscious on the seabed. Having sustained serious injuries, he was rushed to Karolinska University Hospital by helicopter, but his life could not be saved. He was 44 years old, married and the father of two sons. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7456031.stm|title=Jazz champion Svensson dies at 44|accessdate=2008-06-16|date=2008-06-16|publisher=BBC]

Selected discography

* "When Everyone Has Gone" (1993) Dragon
* "E.S.T. Live '95" (1995, released in Sweden as "Mr. & Mrs. Handkerchief") ACT Music + Vision
* "Winter in Venice" (1997) Superstudio GUL
* "Esbjörn Svensson Trio Plays Monk" (1998) Superstudio GUL
* "From Gagarin's Point of View" (1999) Superstudio GUL
* "Good Morning Susie Soho" (2000) Superstudio GUL
* "Somewhere Else Before" (U.S. compilation from "From Gagarin's Point of View" and "Good Morning Susie Soho", 2001)
* "Strange Place for Snow" (2002) Superstudio GUL
* "Seven Days of Falling" (2003) Superstudio GUL
* "Live in Stockholm" (2003) DVD, recorded December 10, 2000 - including videos and an interview
* "Viaticum" (2005) Spamboolimbo
* "Tuesday Wonderland" (2006, Recorded and mixed by Åke Linton at Bohus Sound Recording Studios, Gothenburg, Sweden in March 2006)
* "Leucocyte" (2008)

References

External links

* [http://italia.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=1086 Photos of Esbjörn Svensson Trio] by [http://italia.allaboutjazz.com/php/contrib.php?id=2018 Luca D'Agostino] , 2006