Esbjörn Svensson 1964-2008

by Kosmopolit in misc

June 16, 2008 · 2 Comments

Esbjörn Svensson, the genre-defying Swedish jazz pianist and composer, has died in a scuba diving accident:

“Musically, he was the light that lit the world, because in what he did he was pushing boundaries. (…) “Himself, he said he was following the music inside himself. His music inspired people in all corners of the world.”

Formed in 1993, E.S.T. was the first European group to be honoured on the cover of the prestigious US jazz magazine Down Beat, in 2006. In 2006, the group – with Dan Berglund on double bass and Magnus Öström on drums – won the European Jazz Award and the BBC Jazz Award.

Very sad news indeed. He was one of the greatest European jazz pianists of all time. I was lucky to experience several e.s.t. concerts and it was absolutely incredible! I would recommend you to listen to Strange Place for Snow and From Gagarin’s point of view – two brilliant albums of contemporary jazz (or however you want to define it…)! Esbjörn Svensson once said in an interview “I guess it’s jazz, but it’s not what jazz was.“ The Guardian writes “Esbjörn Svensson was that rarest of musical breeds – the jazz artist who could reach a wider audience.”