The Bad Plus It's Hard

This re-issue of the 2007 album Reformation Post TLC comes with two bonus discs of demos, early rough mixes and alternate versions, as well as a fourth disc; the Live at Hammersmith Palais album – as with the other Fall reissues these have notes by Fall guru Daryl Easlea and have been mastered by long time engineer Andy Pearce.

As Esbjörn Svensson's trio has developed into a first-rate contemporary jazz entity, the combined acoustic-electric sound he employs is more alluring and arresting with each recording. The subtle nuances of amplified keyboard shades that embellish his piano playing is a unique quality of E.S.T.'s music that sets them apart from the vast majority of combos who place a larger value on louder complements. Another aspect of this group is that they are truly a working ensemble with stable personnel, as bassist Dan Berglund and drummer Magnus Öström have joined Svensson in this trio for years. The meditative and surrealistic quality of this music is hard to deny or dismiss, as it is so refined and defined within a spiritual parameter - unique unto itself, and beyond most modern categories. While the titles are elusively cryptic, they can shed some light on the musical content…