Artist
e.s.t. Pianist Esbjörn Svensson, his childhood friend Magnus Öström on drums and Dan Berglund on double bass, a Swedish trio that came together fully in 1993. They played jazz like a rock band: Bartók and Radiohead among their touchstones, electronics and effects on the bass, shows in rock venues. 'Ballad for the Unborn' opens Seven Days of Falling, recorded at Stockholm's Atlantis studio in 2003. It won the German Jazz Award and a Swedish Grammy in 2004 and charted on both jazz and pop album charts. The follow-up, Viaticum, was Europe's best-selling instrumental jazz album of 2005. Svensson died in a diving accident in 2008. His bandmates have kept the music alive, including the live tribute album e.s.t. 30, recorded at the Kölner Philharmonie in 2023.
From the notes for Episode 13 · fact-checked Oct 4, 2026.
