e.s.t.

In portions of the globe with a surer grasp of umlauts than is regularly exhibited here, this Swedish export is also known as the Esbjörn Svensson Trio. Pianist Svensson, joined by drummer Magnus Öström and bassist Dan Berglund (whose name is blessedly free of extraneous diacritical marks) specialize in acoustic...

By Michael Roberts

January 12, 2006

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In portions of the globe with a surer grasp of umlauts than is regularly exhibited here, this Swedish export is also known as the Esbjörn Svensson Trio. Pianist Svensson, joined by drummer Magnus Öström and bassist Dan Berglund (whose name is blessedly free of extraneous diacritical marks) specialize in acoustic jazz, but accessibility isn't anathema to them: The act's bio declares it to be "a pop band that plays jazz." This phrase sounds like something Kenny G might utter, so it comes as a relief to discover that the combo's latest disc, 2005's Viaticum (put out by CRP Recordings), isn't old-style Muzak with a few musicianly filigrees added. Rather, tracks such as "Tide of Trepidation" are keyboard-driven soundscapes whose overtly cool movements actually reward close listens. Despite the fact that several of their earlier releases were issued stateside by Sony and RCA, the men of e.s.t. remain better known in Europe than they are in the U.S. Hence their current tour, which teams them with Ron Miles, Johannes Weidenmueller and Erik Deutsch for a Boulder date that's sure to intrigue no matter how you spell it.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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