Search - :: WINTER IN VENICE

EST is an original and cohesive Jazz trio

Sandra Jones | Angel Fire, New Mexico | 07/27/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"EST will never sell at David Sanborn levels nor have the reputation of the old/dead jazz giants simply because they are not a) imbedded in the past, b) commercial, c) establishing a style that anyone can read and copy (e.g. Gillespie and Bop). However, they have an unwavering commitment to originality, to each other, and to their music, which they refuse to type as jazz alone. They will fill up a hall or a club in Copenhagen, Oslo, etc. any night of the week and will have fans drive a couple of hundred kilometres in a snowstorm to watch and listen to them.

We could talk about the driving rhythms, the lyricims, the homage to tone clusters, and the other-worldly improvisation on bass - but that's going to be covered in other reviews. We could also talk about Esbjorn modifying the piano sound on the fly with his hands and arms, like an interactive John Cage - the most important thing to know here is that EST has been practising this for 10 years, and other jazz pianists are starting to copy but not as well.

We rate this album a 4 solely because we would rate Suzie Soho, Seven Days of Falling, and Tuesday Wonderland as 5's. You'll find Winter in Venice a little darker, a little more Scandanavian, and a little more introspective than these other albums - which should be fine for you if you prefer personalized jazz."