Esbjorn Svensson Trio: 301

Esbjorn Svensson Trio

301 (ACT Music; 2012)

Esbjorn Svensson (piano)

Dan Berglund (bass)

Magnus Ostrom (drums)

E.S.T. are perennial favourites in the JazzWrap office. So when word came at the beginning of the year that new studio material was on the way, I was stoked with excitement.

The Swedish trio has been in the forefront of the European jazz scene for well over a decade. The tragic passing of founding member, Esbjorn Svensson, signaled the end of one of the best trios Europe has produced in a very long time. But the final music from the session that produced Leucocyte in 2009, also included material that shows how far the trio had come and where they were about to go. It's also a statement of how important they have become.

That session is now released under the title 301, after the studio for which it was recorded. Like it's predecessor, 301 is intensely dark and experimental. The opening track "Behind The Stars" is a solo piece driven by Svensson's steady tone that always had an element of Bill Evans or Keith Jarrett. A rich modular number that rises and descends with elegance. This is reminiscent of the group's earlier work--quiet like a chamber trio.

"Behind The Stars" transitions beautifully into seismic harmonic structures of "Inner City, City Lights." A slow moving ballad that catches Berglunds haunting basslines sounding like Mick Karn (maybe a stretch, but you know what I mean). A droning synth line hovers above Svensson's notes adding the cold electronic ambiance that E.S.T. had been researching on their previous efforts to this point. It's tantalizing and brooding but somehow still bursting with sublime vitality.

The epic, "Three Falling Free I-II" exhibits a Debussy calm and mastery. A romantic ballad that circles along the calculating notes of Berglund and Svensson. The elegance of Part I gives way to the fury of Ostrom's rhythmic patterns that roll independently and create the basis of freedom and experimentation for the second movement. Ostrom leds the trio through a more aggressive, almost rock orientated workout. The group are continually pushing themselves. "Three Falling Free" is one of those pieces that probably would have made the live audience go nuts. Amazing.

The gospel tinged "The Childhood Dream" closes out 301 on a supreme note. It's blossoming with charm, soul and a well balanced sense realism. A mirror to ones on reality.

As a document of one moment in time, 301 stands alone from its parent, Leucocyte. A darker album with mixtures of E.S.T.'s past, present and future. This may have been the last statement but it is by no means studio outtakes. It is also a declaration of how important this Esbjorn Svensson, Dan Berglund and Magnus Ostrom have been to the entire jazz scene over the last decade. Highly Recommended.

Rodrigo Amado: Burning Live At Jazz Ao Centro

Rodrigo Amado (sax)

Burning Live At Jazz Ao Centro (JACC Records; 2012)

Jeb Bishop (trombone)

Miguel Mira (cello)

Gabriel Ferrandini (drums)

A brief set but long in the compositional sense, Burning Live At Jazz Ao Centro, sees Rodrigo Amado in blistering form. This is a fierce recording of a live event that was probably exciting and very intense on concentration.

This group consists of Amado's Motion Trio augmented by trombonist Jeb Bishop (known not only for his own groups as well as his work with Ken Vandermark). For this live evening, Bishop provides strong, bold muscular lines that challenge the rest of the trio. "Burning Live" is just as it says--a fiery opener that later rounds into a rhythmic pattern that hovers almost blues-like thanks to Bishop. Ferrandini adds the abstract passages against Bishop's notes as both Amado and Mira quietly begin to re-emerge and set the piece aflame again. The quartet finally comes resting with calm clashes but still a heavy spirit.

"Imaginary Caverns" moves like a ballad but with the philosophy of free association. Quiet motifs soon rise and fall with Amado and Ferrandini's perspective on the harmonics. Midway through Amado's tone becomes a scorching mixture of Ornette Coleman/Albert Ayler. It's intense and beautiful but not for every ear. Bishop, Mira and Ferrandini beam with solid atonal exchanges that drain you until just the right moment when Amado returns to add some toppling hues to the closing bars.

Rounding out the evening is "Red Halo," led by Mira sounding fully focused and moving the group in a calm fashion toward the inevitable wall of sound. Mira's pace quickens while Amado and Bishop's dialogue starts to sound like one instrument. The quartet finally roll into one another in the final moments bringing an intense jubilant session to its logical yet bewitching end.

Truly, an absorbing performance and another very creative outing for Rodrigo Amado. There are only a handful of saxophonists on the European scene today that are as acute and descriptive as Amado. Burning Live At Jazz Ao Centro is a perfect example as to why. This same group will also have a new studio album out on Not Two later this year. 

Mary Halvorson: Bending Bridges

Mary Halvorson (guitar)

Bending Bridges (Firehouse 12 Records; 2012)

Ches Smith (drums)

Jon Irabagon (sax)

Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet)

John Hebert (bass)

So I was having an argument with a friend as I was introducing him to one of my favourite artists and I finally realized something...Mary Halvorson is a threat to jazz!


She is quickly transforming a listener's perception of what the genre is. Her incorporation of indie rock muscularity and free jazz aesthetics is blurring the lines. She is reconstructing sound in a new image and pattern. Basically, making us think and feel the music without a predetermined tag. Enjoy it the way you wish to interpret it.

Bending Bridges, her newest release with her quintet signifies that direction and forward-thinking philosophy with great brilliance. A brief member of Anthony Braxton quartet only a few years ago, Halvorson brings a bright sense of creativity and experiementalism that is reminiscent of that time. The slow building but rewarding opener, "Sink When She Rounds The Bend" revolves around some gentle delivery by Halvorson fused perfectly with the horn section until the surprising and waterfall clashing of instruments towards it's ending. This demonstrates Halvorson's interest in breaking free even from the term improvisation.

"Forgotten Men In Silver," with fluctuating time signatures and cross patterns that are sure to cause the casual listener to scratch their head wildly, is my favourite piece. Part blues, part experiment. Hebert and Smith are given the space to create their own mood. It conjures up enough diverging moments that you almost forget the moment when Halvorson returns to calm the proceedings.


"The Periphery Of Scandal" with valuable staccato movements, has Halvorson playing the mercurial leader. The band seem to improvise around but then everyone returns at once for a thunderous middle section that may owe more to hard rock nights than indie club gigs. I loved the action and strength displayed throughout this piece.

"That Old Sound" strangely applies folk and free form which send fourth a tune that becomes interpersonal, cerebral and effective. Halvorson closes out the album with an almost contemporary piece "All The Clocks." Iraboagon provides the closest thing this session gets to a standard couple of lines. Halvorson and Hebert then proceed with counterpoints that are both combative as they are beautiful. Finlayson rolls a number of notes that rise with a great deal vibrant joy.

There's a reason Mary Halvorson has quickly become one of the most important names on the scene. She thinks differently than many of her counterparts and seeks to rise above the standard definitions. Bending Bridges is the document of truth. And Mary Halvorson is an artist who is a threat of breaking the genre in half. And that's a very, very, very good thing. I have been waiting for this album for 12 months and I can pretty much tell you all right now--Bending Bridges is the JazzWrap Album Of The Year.

The Intersection: Parov Stelar

The Intersection is an ongoing feature on JazzWrap that looks at artists that have blended jazz, world and electronica in new and highly creative ways.


Parov Stelar (keyboards; programming)

The Princess (Etage Noir Recordings; 2012)

Jerry Di Monza (trumpet)

Cleo Panther (vocals)

Willie Larsson (drums)

Michael Wittner (bass)

We've discussed the amazing invention and qualities of Parov Stelar and his band of merry beatsers previously. Now they return with the massive double opus, The Princess which delivers more thumping beats, swings, twist and turns to put this DJ/Artist/Sound manipulator in a similar space as Quantic on the jazztronica mountain.

The first disc is more midtempo, thematic and lyrically focused. "Mila's Dream" starts off the journey with a soulful hip hop vibe. Deep piano and baselines and soothing shadowy vocals give the piece its dreamlike quality. "The Princess" portrays a cinematic hue that almost reminds of Massive Attack with a real focus on capturing your attention through it's repetitive and hypnotic notes on piano.

The resurrection piece "With You" has Lija Bloom sounding like Neneh Cherry at her best. It's sexy, soul and is beautifully impacted by Stelar's great orchestration and ability to write a piece that rises and falls with grace. "Beautiful Morning" with its romantic guitar, swirling cello and echo-y effects while not the closing segment of disc one, is a lovely jumping off point for what how things will dramatically change.

The second disc is where Stelar opens the group up for material that may be more familiar to the general masses (particularly North America). Yet this is no mere dancefloor session - this is a trip between time and space. Absorbing that swing era rhythm and blending it with modern dance aesthetics, Stelar creates a world that is both irreverent, reflective and futuristic. Stelar's programming and Di Monza's trumpet dominate this session but Stellar allows the ensemble to really rip through chords.

"Booty Swing" (utilized in a number of commercials globally) is a polished swing number fueled by a relentless beat that if you aren't dancing by the four chord you must be dead. Drum, bass and a heavy synth create a floor shaking event on "The Phantom." Dark but loose enough to enjoy every note and brief lyrical moment.

"Oh Yeah" drifts into Brand New Heavies/Jamiroquai territory. A funky slice of R&B that diverts from the swing jazz foundation of the set but still feels right at home somehow. "All Night," with some stomping bass and drums glistened with a vocal declaration of a return to the "old school" tailored for the dancefloor. "The Snake" adds another level of laser guided effects with a swing-era vibe that is hard to ignore - even for the ardent jazz fan.

Parov Stelar has been setting himself and his ensemble apart from most of the European dance scene for awhile now. The Princess probably does this better than any record previous. If you are adventurous with your music, Parov Stelar is a great alternative to what you've been listening to. Highly Recommended.