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"The surviving e.s.t. members ... are joined for an album that is more celebration than elegy, by a roster of front rank Scandinavian guests ..." - The Irish Times "Four Stars ... with its shapely themes, subtle pacing and big climaxes, (e.s.t.'s) music was ideal material, eloquently confirmed here by arranger Hans Ek ... it’s all beautifully and devotedly done." - The Guardian Eight years after the tragic accidental death of jazz pianist and composer Esbjörn Svensson, leader of e.s.t., comes this tribute, celebration and reevaluation of the band's rich recording legacy. The album benefits from the skillful hand and colourfully expressive musicality of respected Swedish arranger and conductor Hans Ek, who rearranged an outstanding selection of Esbjörn’s compositions for a widescreen orchestral canvas. Performed by the 90-piece Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Ek’s orchestrations integrate organically with solo contributions from a handful of Scandinavian jazz superstars and rising stars, including saxophonist Marius Neset, trumpeter Verneri Pohjola, pianist Iiro Rantala and the unique pedal steel guitarist Johan Lindström. By both imaginatively expanding upon and saluting e.s.t.'s broad contemporary sonic universe, Ek has created an enduring and entirely fitting monument to a much-missed and highly inspirational contemporary jazz trio. "The original performances might be impossible to recreate, but my starting point with E.S.T. Symphony was to explore and develop the compositions. There are threads connecting us to classical music here and we can start working with these. A project such as this should never only look backwards, but can try to move things forwards. There is something inherently symphonic about this music and that fascinated me. e.s.t. has a fantastic treasure chest of songs, gems worthy of living on in different forms. The trio had a close relationship with pop through their clarity and with the classical world in their sophistication. In general, jazz can be seen as part of a historical evolution that can be interesting for both the audience and the orchestra itself." - Hans Ek