Esbjörn Svensson Trio - Tuesday Wonderland (2007) [SACD]

One of the few albums with a mix that makes more use of the Multi Channels than just ambience.
What is so special about Tuesdays ?
“That’s exactly the question – Tuesdays do not really have anything special about them in the thinking of most people, but if you start appreciating the small things in life you might see Tuesdays in a different light”, says Magnus Öström – creator of most titles of e.s.t. songs – & Esbjörn Svensson & Dan Berglund are nodding knowingly. “What we do – music – might not mean a lot to too many people as well, but if you let yourself fall into it, you might go on a journey & discover your own Wonderland in it – a trip that might change your life.”
In that interpretation “TUESDAY WONDERLAND” connects directly to “Viaticum”, the 2005 release of e.s.t. – currently Europe’s leading force in jazz & the 1st European jazz band ever to grace a cover of the world renowned US jazz magazine Downbeat. The interpretation of “Viaticum” was that the music is the provisions that you take with you on a journey. “TUESDAY WONDERLAND” is the spiritual journey itself that opens new worlds & guides you to the Wonderland of e.s.t.’s music.
e.s.t. believe in continuity. Esbjörn, Dan & Magnus formed their band 13 years ago & “TUESDAY WONDERLAND” is the 10th album on their trip to discover & dive deep into the music, & it might very well be their best so far. They also believe in parity among its members which might be another key to their success as the creativity of 3 individuals working together on the same goal simply exceeds the creativity of a single person dictating.
From their 1st album on it was clear that these were extremely talented musicians, but it was from their 1999 release “From Gagarin’s Point of View” onwards, when they started to experiment with sounds & electronics, that their unique & unmistakably recognizable style evolved. But don’t get this wrong: e.s.t. is not about the sound only, this is just 1 of the ingredients. It is the melodies, the complexity & at the same time accessibility that makes them a stand alone. The more you listen – the more you hear, which makes it difficult to stop the turntable once 1 of their albums is on.
Their immense influence on nowadays music scene reflects in the raving reviews by the music critics (“Trio of the Decade”, “The hippest thing in jazz right now”), their huge commercial success (“Viaticum” was the best selling instrumental jazz album in Europe in 2005), their shows that attract thousands of people & it reflects even in the praises from their colleagues, starting with Pat Metheny (“Most exciting act I saw in the past 15 years”) & not ending with Jamie Cullum (“My favourite band – I’m a fan”).