The Esbjörn Svensson Trio has now been in existence for a good ten years and in the past three has been at the centre of international attention. But even so, the pianist can’t quite absorb the level of excitement about him and his trio. The talk is of "wonderfully exciting sound masterpieces", of the "art of effective simplicity", of "hypnotic hymns" and of "jazz, which gives enough air to breathe, while on the other hand taking one’s breath away." Esbjörn Svensson is slightly amused whenever he reads the adulatory critical praise after every new release: "We have been making music together for such a long time. And we are just playing what seems most natural for us."
 Now we are waiting to see if the euphoria about the release of the new CD Viaticum  will, despite the eye-dropping modesty of its creators, will be of a similar magnitude to that which accompanied the release of predecessors Strange Place for Snow (2002) and Seven Days of Falling  (2003). These releases seemed to win every prize going in the international music world: two German Jazz Awards, the annual German critics’ prize in 2002, BBC Jazz Award for Best International Artist of 2003, the special prize at MIDEM 2003 and the French Grammy "Victoire du Jazz 2003". And those are only the most important. The latest is the award of the "European Jazz Prize" to e.s.t. in December 2004, which is given by the Austrian Music Office (AMO) in conjunction with the Austrian Ministry of Culture and the City of Vienna cultural department. A jury from 23 European countries choose the winner "who has attracted major attention on a high artistic level in the international jazz field".The Esbjörn Svensson Trio has now been in existence for a good ten years and in the past three has been at the centre of international attention. But even so, the pianist can’t quite absorb the level of excitement about him and his trio. The talk is of "wonderfully exciting sound masterpieces", of the "art of effective simplicity", of "hypnotic hymns" and of "jazz, which gives enough air to breathe, while on the other hand taking one’s breath away." Esbjörn Svensson is slightly amused whenever he reads the adulatory critical praise after every new release: "We have been making music together for such a long time. And we are just playing what seems most natural for us."

 Now we are waiting to see if the euphoria about the release of the new CD Viaticum  will, despite the eye-dropping modesty of its creators, will be of a similar magnitude to that which accompanied the release of predecessors Strange Place for Snow (2002) and Seven Days of Falling  (2003). These releases seemed to win every prize going in the international music world: two German Jazz Awards, the annual German critics’ prize in 2002, BBC Jazz Award for Best International Artist of 2003, the special prize at MIDEM 2003 and the French Grammy "Victoire du Jazz 2003". And those are only the most important. The latest is the award of the "European Jazz Prize" to e.s.t. in December 2004, which is given by the Austrian Music Office (AMO) in conjunction with the Austrian Ministry of Culture and the City of Vienna cultural department. A jury from 23 European countries choose the winner "who has attracted major attention on a high artistic level in the international jazz field".