ESBJÖRN SVENSSON TRIO (E.S.T.) — Leucocyte (review)

ESBJÖRN SVENSSON TRIO (E.S.T.) — Leucocyte album cover Album · 2008 · Nu Jazz Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
snobb
"Leucocyte" is the final trio recording before Svensson's untimely death, and it is for sure their best album. After some pleasant, but often too faceless and toothless contemporary jazz albums a-la Keith Jarrett released in the 90s, and their well crafted and catchy pop-rock-jazz recordings from the first years of the new millennium, the trio for the first time stepped on to more risky territory.

In the middle of their Australian tour, they spent two days in the studio recording mostly improvisational material which later became "Leucocyte". Their signature melancholic airy melodic style is present in this music, but there are a lot of unusual elements - starting with two compositions that are 13 and 17 minutes long. No more airplay friendly music and candidates to pop tops! This music is an intelligent, clever and tasteful mix of jazz improvisation, rock (in moments - almost heavy rock) energy and electronics and this album is probably the best evidence of them being part of the nu jazz movement. Knowing that their huge fan club was formed on the basis of their melodic and quite polished albums of the early 00', I expect for some (or possibly even many) of them this album could sound too complex or not very accessible, but for any open ear (nu) jazz fans, this work is essential and I believe it is the best moment of the e.s.t. musical legacy.

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