Swedish jazz pianist Esbjorn Svensson killed in accident
Last Updated: Monday, June 16, 2008 | 10:39 AM ET
CBC News
Swedish jazz star Esbjorn Svensson died in a diving accident this weekend, his manager announced on Monday.
Police are conducting a routine investigation of the accident that killed the 44-year-old pianist, said Burkhard Hopper, manager of the vibrant, award-winning Esbjorn Svensson Trio.
Svensson died Saturday while diving off a small island near Stockholm.
The composer and pianist was a prominent figure in contemporary jazz. He helped dissolve boundaries between traditional jazz and other genres, with his efforts including the introduction of rock-inspired electronic elements.
Svensson's trio had its international breakthrough in 1999 with the album From Gagarin's Point of View and had recently finished its 12th album, Leukocyte, slated for release in September.
Dubbed e.s.t., the trio often played in rock venues, attracted a host of younger fans and won acclaim and awards across Europe, including in Sweden, France, the U.K. and Germany. In 2005, e.s.t. became the first European jazz band ever featured on the cover of U.S. jazz publication Downbeat magazine.
Svensson is survived by his wife and two children. No funeral details have yet been released.
With files from the Associated Press
