Esbjörn Svensson (E.S.T.) dies in diving accident on June 14, 2008
Swedish pianist and composer Esbjörn Svensson died in a diving accident on Saturday June 14, 2008 at age 44. Our thoughts are in sympathy with his mourning wife and children and his long time musical associates Dan Berglund and Magnus Öström.
Esbjörn Svensson was one of the most influential jazz artists in recent history and with his band e.s.t. considered the most successful European jazz group and beyond.
e.s.t. became famous for their innovative mix of jazz with contemporary rock as well as classical music elements driving young and adult audiences into their concerts all over the world. Their albums regularly entered the jazz and the pop charts achieving numerous awards.
Esbjörn Svensson was born on April 16, 1964 in Västeras, Sweden. His mother played classical piano, his father loved Ellington, and Svensson listened to the latest pop hits on the radio. In high school, Esbjörn played in his first bands, along with taking piano lessons for three years. There followed four years of musical studies at the University in Stockholm where Svensson developed the necessary technical craft to fully articulate his intuitive self-taught concepts. Thus, Svensson's carefree, youthful musical exuberance could mature into a creative self-awareness.
In 1993 Svensson founded e.s.t. together with his childhood friend Magnus Öström on drums and bassist Dan Berglund and further on concentrated completely on the work with this trio.
They just finished the work on their 12th and now final album "LEUCOCYTE"
We are mourning for a great artist, a wonderful person and a good friend.
