Scott Hamilton & Jeff Hamilton Trio Live in Bern

In a word: wow. Since their 1993 debut album, the Esbjörn Svensson Trio, or E.S.T., as it is usually called, have taken the jazz world by storm, winning numerous awards, playing sold-out world tours, topping the charts, and generally enjoying a popularity that's exceeded that of almost any other jazz group in years. The trio was also the first European jazz group to grace the cover of Down Beat magazine, which led to long discussions about the heritage of jazz and the validity of European jazz; and, naturally, it caused some listeners to perceive an artificial hype and discredit the band for simply not being as brilliant as everyone says they are. Well, do yourself a favor and do not listen to the detractors - listen to E.S.T.'s music instead, and this two-hour concert recorded on November 22, 2006 in Hamburg, Germany, is an excellent place to start…

The 25th Scott Hamilton Concord album does not break any new ground (Hamilton's style was essentially fully formed from the start), but it is up to his usual level. Playing in Wales with a British rhythm section (pianist Brian Lemon, bassist Dave Green and drummer Allan Ganley), Hamilton sounds fine on such tunes as "Way Down Yonder In New Orleans," "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," "Fascinatin' Rhythm" and his own "Blue Wales." Solid mainstream swing.