A Tribute To Esbjorn Svensson & E.S.T.

Bill McCann once again invited me on his "Saturday Morning Edition of Jazz" radio program on WCDB 90.9 FM this morning, this time to pay tribute to the late Esbjorn Svensson and his group E.S.T.

Over the course of two hours we played a mix of tunes from the albums Somewhere Else Before, Strange Place For Snow, Seven Days Of Falling, Viaticum, Live In Berlin, Tuesday Wonderland and Live In Hamburg. Here's what was played:

A TRIBUTE TO ESBJORN SVENSSON & E.S.T. 6/28/08




“Elevation Of Love” (6:44)
CD: Seven Days Of Falling (2003)
Track: #7

“Goldwrap” (6:15)
CD: Live In Hamburg (2007)
Track: #4 on disc two

“Tide Of Trepidation” (7:13)
CD: Viaticum (2005)
Track: #1

“Dodge The Dodo” (5:25)
CD: Somewhere Else Before (2000)
Track: #2

“Eighthundred Streets by Feet” (6:49)
CD: Tuesday Wonderland (2006)
Track: #8

“Behind The Yashmak” (15:32)
CD: Live In Hamburg (2007)
Track: #5 on disc two

“The Well-Wisher” (3:47)
CD: Viaticum (2005)
Track: #3

“Seven Days Of Falling” (6:27)
CD: Seven Days Of Falling (2003)
Track: #2

“Tuesday Wonderland” (6:32)
CD: Tuesday Wonderland (2006)
Track: #2

“Serenade For The Renegade” (4:26)
CD: Strange Place For Snow (2002)
Track: #2

“Did They Ever Tell Cousteau” (6:05)
CD: Seven Days Of Falling (2003)
Track: #5

“What Though The Way May Be Long” (6:23)
CD: Viaticum (2005)
Track: #9

“A Picture Of Doris Traveling With Boris” (7:36)
CD: Viaticum – Live In Berlin (2005)
Track: #1 of disc two

“Dolores In A Shoestand” (17:39)
CD: Live In Hamburg (2007)
Track: #2 on disc two

Here are the two YouTube videos I made reference to during the broadcast of Esbjorn's playing outside of E.S.T. It's great to hear him doing his thing in a group with Michael Brecker, Pat Metheny and others. The song is spread over two videos but in my opinion it's best viewed as a whole, played back to back.

Melody/Michael Brecker's solo:



Solos by EsbJorn Svensson, Pat Metheney, Nils Landgren:



While I'm at it, here's a video of E.S.T. playing "Behind The Yashmak" live at Jazz à Juan Les Pins festival in France in 2003:

Esbjorn Svensson 1964-2008

It has been several days since I learned of the passing of Esbjorn Svensson. The pianist was only 44 years old and died in a scuba diving accident on Saturday. When Michael Brecker passed away last year it was after a fairly long illness. Svensson's death came as a shock and hasn't quite sunk in yet.

Other than 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 European 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.

While E.S.T. had become something of a pop phenomenon all over Europe the group never gained the same level of notoriety here in the states. I first learned of their music through a friend who passed along this N.Y. Times piece in 2001. I was intrigued enough to pick up a copy of Somewhere Else Before and later Strange Place For Snow. While I enjoyed the albums I was truly hooked after witnessing an amazing performance to a nearly empty amphitheater at the start of the 2003 SPAC Jazz Festival. Since then I've acquired everything the trio has ever recorded and saw them perform two sets at the Jazz Standard in 2006.

The song that sticks out in my memory from that SPAC performance and also embodies all that I enjoy about E.ST. is "Behind The Yashmak." It's really just a sketch of a tune that's fleshed out with some incredible group interplay and amazing drumming that builds to a frantic climax and abrupt ending. If you have the patience and 15 minutes to spare, I highly recommend putting on a pair of headphones and checking out this version of the tune from last year's Live In Hamburg recording (especially if you don't consider yourself a fan of jazz.) It's truly amazing music.

Behind The Yashmak (Live In Hamburg).mp3

If you like that, go buy some music.

Instant gratification

Next Friday I am venturing south - 116 E. 27th to be exact - to witness a performance by trumpeter Dave Douglas and his group "Keystone".



Douglas leads a plethora of bands but has focused quite a bit on his "Quintet" and "Keystone" groups in recent years. Keystone is what I would call the trumpeter's "electric band" featuring trumpet, saxophone, fender rhodes piano, electric bass, drums and turntables. The group creates soundtracks for the silent films of Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, a relativly unknown star with a tragic story. While I enjoyed watching the films as I listened to the music initially, the compositions and performances work just as well on their own.

Next weekend Douglas will record the four days of Keystone performances at the Jazz Standard and have them available for download on his website within 24 hours of each performance. This is the same set up he used for the Quintet's Live At The Jazz Standard recordings done in December of 2006. This was a pretty unheard of undertaking in the jazz world though I'm pretty sure genres outside of that realm have been doing the same for some time now. Since jazz is such an "in the moment" art form I'm surprised that other artists haven't followed suit.

In any case, we're looking forward to the instant gratification of witnessing a couple of sets and then downloading them when we get home to re-live the moment over and over again!

A Tribute To Michael Brecker 2

I went on Bill McCann's "Saturday Morning Edition of Jazz" radio program on WCDB 90.9 FM this weekend and presented another four hour tribute to the late Michael Brecker. In January of 2007 I went on the program and played a three part program made up of the saxophonist's early work as a sideman, his work as a leader and his sideman work from his later career. This time around I stuck mainly to his work as a leader, playing two or three of my favorite tracks from each of his nine solo releases. After that I had planned on playing a collection of his playing on various jazz standards but we wound up winging it as the next DJ was a wee bit late in getting to the studio. As enjoyable as it was to hear Brecker's music, both in preparing for the program and then listening to it as it aired, I was once again reminded of how great a loss the world suffered in his untimely passing.

Here's a list of what was played ...

A TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL BRECKER 2 - 3/1/08

Michael Brecker – Michael Brecker (1987)
7 – My One And Only Love (8:18)
Pat Metheny (guitar), Kenny Kirkland (piano), Chalie Haden (bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums)

Michael Brecker – Michael Brecker (1987)
4 – Nothing Personal (5:29)
Pat Metheny (guitar), Kenny Kirkland (piano), Chalie Haden (bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums)

Michael Brecker – Don’t Try This At Home (1988)
3 – Scriabin (7:47)
Herbie Hancock (piano), Charlie Haden (bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums)

Michael Brecker – Don’t Try This At Home (1988)
6 – Everthing Happens When You’re Gone (7:13)
Joey Calderazzo (piano), Charlie Haden (bass), Adam Nussbaum (drums)

Michael Brecker – Don’t Try This At Home (1988)
7 - Talking To Myself (5:10)
Mike Stern (guitar), Don Grolnick (piano), Jeff Andrews (electric bass), Peter Erskine (drums), Jim Beard (synthesizers)

Michael Brecker – Now You See It … Now You Don’t (1990)
2 – Minsk (9:03)
Jon Herington (guitar), Joey Calderazzo (piano), Jim Beard (synthesizers), Victor Bailey (electric bass), Adam Nussbaum (drums), Judd Miller (EWI programming)

Michael Brecker – Now You See It … Now You Don’t (1990)
6 – Dogs In The Wine Shop (6:33)
Joey Calderazzo (piano), Jim Beard (synthesizers), Victor Bailey (electric bass), Don Alias (percussion), Milton Cardona (percussion), Steve Berrios (percussion), Judd Miller (EWI programming)

Michael Brecker – Tales From The Hudson (1996)
3 – Song For Bilbao (5:44)
Pat Metheny (guitar), McCoyTyner (piano), Dave Holland (bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums), Don Alias (percussion)

Michael Brecker – Tales From The Hudson (1996)
5 – African Skies (8:12)
Pat Metheny (guitar), McCoyTyner (piano), Dave Holland (bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums), Don Alias (percussion)

Michael Brecker – Two Blocks From The Edge (1998)
1 – Madame Toulouse (5:20)
Joey Calderazzo (piano), James Genus (bass), Jeff “Tain” Watts (drums), Don Alias (percussion)

Michael Brecker – Two Blocks From The Edge (1998)
8 – Delta City Blues Into (:49)
9 – Delta City Blues (4:52)
Joey Calderazzo (piano), James Genus (bass), Jeff “Tain” Watts (drums), Don Alias (percussion)

Michael Brecker – Time Is Of The Essence (1999)
6 – Renaissance Man (for Eddie Harris) (8:36)
Pat Metheny (guitar), Larry Goldings (organ), Bill Stewart (drums)

Michael Brecker – Time Is Of The Essence (1999)
9 – Outrance (10:07)
Pat Metheny (guitar), Larry Goldings (organ), Elvin Jones (drums)

Michael Brecker – Nearness of You – The Ballad Book (2001)
1 – Chan’s Song (5:15)
Pat Metheny (guitar), Herbie Hancock (piano), Chalie Haden (bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums)

Michael Brecker – Nearness of You – The Ballad Book (2001)
8 – My Ship (7:10)
Pat Metheny (guitar), Herbie Hancock (piano), Chalie Haden (bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums)

Michael Brecker Quindectet – Wide Angles (2003)
8 – Evening Faces (7:14)
Alex Sipiagin (trumpet), Robin Eubanks (trombone), Peter Gordon (french horn), Steve Wilson (flute), Iain Dixon (clarinet & bass clarinet), Charles Pillow (oboe & English horn), Mark Feldman (violin), Joyce Hammann (violin), Lois Martin (viola), Erik Friedlander (cello), Adam Rogers (guitar), John Patitucci (bass), Antonio Sanchez (drums), Daniel Sadownick (percussion)

Michael Brecker Quindectet – Wide Angles (2003)
10 – Never Alone (5:42)
Alex Sipiagin (trumpet), Robin Eubanks (trombone), Peter Gordon (french horn), Steve Wilson (flute), Iain Dixon (clarinet & bass clarinet), Charles Pillow (oboe & English horn), Mark Feldman (violin), Joyce Hammann (violin), Lois Martin (viola), Erik Friedlander (cello), Adam Rogers (guitar), John Patitucci (bass), Antonio Sanchez (drums), Daniel Sadownick (percussion)

Michael Brecker – Pilgrimage (2007)
3 – Anagram (10:09)
Pat Metheny (guitar), Brad Mehldau (piano), John Patitucci (bass), Jack DeJohnete (d)

Michael Brecker – Pilgrimage (2007)
7 – Half Moon Lane (7:17)
Pat Metheny (guitar), Brad Mehldau (piano), John Patitucci (bass), Jack DeJohnete (d)

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Michael Brecker – Two Blocks From The Edge (1998)
10 – Skylark (5:05)
Joey Calderazzo (piano)

Jack Wilkins – Merge (1977)
3 – Invitation (12:58)
Randy Brecker (flugelhorn), Jack Wilkins (guitar), Phil Markowitz (piano), John Burr (bass), Al Foster (drums)

Various Artists - Who Love You – A Tribute To Jaco Pastorius (1998)
1 Third Stone From The Sun (7:21)
Joey Calderazzo (piano), John Patitucci (bass), Jeff “Tain” Watts (drums)

Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker & Roy Hargrove - Directions In Music – Celebrating Miles Davis & John Coltrane (2002)
5 – Naima (7:29)

Bob Mintzer & Michael Brecker - Twin Tenors (1993)
5 - Two T's (8:16)
Bob Minzter (tenor sax), Don Grolnick (piano), Michael Formanek (bass), Peter Erskine (drums)

Mike Stern - Is What It Is (1994)
1 – Swunk (7:53)
Mike Stern (guitar), Jim Beard (synthesizers & piano), Will Lee (electric bass), Dennis Chambers (drums)

Jack Wilkins – Merge (1977)
5 – What Is This Thing Called Love (8:05)
Randy Brecker (flugelhorn), Jack Wilkins (guitar), Phil Markowitz (piano), John Burr (bass), Al Foster (drums)

Michael Brecker – Time Is Of The Essence (1999)
3 - Half Past Late (7:54)
Pat Metheny (guitar), Larry Goldings (organ), Bill Stewart (drums)