Esbjorn Svensson (1964-2008)

Brian Patnaude sent the following email: “European jazz musician Esbjorn Svensson passed away last week in a scuba diving accident. The pianist was only 44 years old and his sudden death came as a shock that hasn’t quite sunk in yet. Other than saxophonist Michael Brecker, I cannot think of a musician who has had such a huge impact on me and the way I view music, jazz in particular. Svensson was the leader of the trio E.S.T. which, though the initials stand for the obvious, was truly a co-operative unit with bassist Dan Berglund and drummer Magnus Ostrum. The pianist wrote the music initially but the three musicians sculpted it in such a way that there really wasn’t a typical jazz situation of ‘leader & sidemen’ but rather a band. I think that is what appealed to me the most about the group – they created jazz music rich in improvisation and virtuosity but never at the expense of the overall group sound. You can learn more about E.S.T. here.”