Jazz Star Svensson Dies in Diving Mishap

Jazz Star Svensson Dies in Diving Mishap

By MALIN RISING, AP

Posted: 2008-06-16 14:58:49

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (June 16) - Swedish jazz pianist Esbjorn Svensson, whose fusion of lyrical melodies and rock-inspired electronics broke fresh ground in modern jazz, has died in a diving accident, his manager said Monday. He was 44.

Fabrice Coffrini, Keystone / AP

 

Esbjorn Svensson, June 14: The visionary Swedish pianist, beloved by fans worldwide for his efforts to marry rock-inspired electronics with traditional jazz, died while scuba diving near Stockholm. He was 44. His trio, E.S.T., had just completed their 12th album.

 

Svensson died Saturday in a diving accident off a small island near Stockholm, said Burkhard Hopper, manager of the musician's band, the Esbjorn Svensson Trio. Police will conduct a routine investigation of the accident, he said.

Svensson and his band won worldwide critical acclaim and several awards for their 2002 album "Strange Place for Snow," including the Guinness Jazz in Europe Award.

The group also was named best international artist in the 2003 BBC Jazz Awards. Two years later, the trio became the first European jazz band featured on the cover of Downbeat jazz magazine in the U.S.

Hopper said Svensson was instrumental in shaping contemporary jazz. "There was a certain mystique about his music and the interplay with his fellow musicians was absolutely unique."

The band, also known as E.S.T., released "When Everyone Has Gone" in 1993 and had their international breakthrough with the 1999 album "From Gagarin's Point of View."

Hopper said the band had just finished its 12th album, "Leukocyte," to be released in September. "Esbjorn was very happy with the result," he said.

Svensson is survived by his wife and two children. Funeral arrangements were not immediately available.

 

 

Esbjörn Svensson Trio (or E.S.T.) (formed 1990) was a Swedish jazz piano trio with Esbjörn Svensson (piano), Dan Berglund (double bass) and Magnus Öström (drums).

E.S.T are renowned for their vibrant style – playing in rock venues to young crowds. They have achieved great commercial success and critical acclaim throughout Europe. Their 1999 release From Gagarin's Point of View started their international breakthrough, being the first E.S.T. album to be released outside of Scandinavia through the German label ACT.

Pianist Esbjörn Svensson died during a scuba diving session on the 14th of June 2008.

In 1995 and 1996 Esbjörn Svensson was awarded Swedish Jazzmusician of the Year and 1998 Songwriter of the Year, and the 1997 release Winter in Venice – consisting mainly of original material – was awarded the Swedish Grammy. Strange Place For Snow, e.s.t.´s 2002 release earned numerous awards including the Jahrespreis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik (from the German Phonoacademy), the German Jazz Award, Choc de l'année (Jazzman, France), the Victoire du Jazz – the French Grammy – as best international act and also the Relevation of the Festival award, a special award from Midem. In December 2004 e.s.t. were awarded the Hans Koller prize as European Artist of the Year.

 

e.s.t. is a phenomenon: A jazztrio, which sees itself as a popband that plays jazz, which broke with the tradition of leader and sidemen in favour of equality within its members, which not only plays jazz-venues but also venues usually reserved for rockbands, which uses light effects and fog-machines in their live shows, which gets a whole audience to sing-a-long with jazz-standards as eg. Thelonius Monk’s “Bemsha Swing”, is a trio that goes beyond the scope of the usual classic jazztrio. Their music can be found in the pop-charts and their videos are playing on MTV Scandinavia. With their unique soundscape, combining jazz with drum ‘n’ bass, electronic elements, funk rhythm, and pop and rock as well as European Classical music, e.s.t. won an audience spanning from the classic jazz-fans to the youngest HipHop fans. Critics and audiences world-wide agree: e.s.t. is definitly one of the most innovative jazzbands of today.