Album review: Michael Arbenz meets Andy Sheppard - From Bach to Ellington - Live

Michael Arbenz (piano); Andy Sheppard (tenor sax)

This does what it says on the tin. Arbenz meets Sheppard, not in Brandenburg or Washington D.C. but in Basel - capital of that country where they make Metro trains that don't work and cuckoo clocks that do.

Five tracks. Three composed by Ellington and two by Arbenz who finds his inspiration in a cantata and a prelude by J.S. 'Mighty' B.*

Sheppards big sound and his agile technique deliver the improvised passages with much aplomb whilst Arbenz extemporises frenetically with the fervour of the great man (men?) himself posing the question as to why jazz musicians improvise and classical musicians extemporise? That aside, it is as much classical as it is jazz which, as that was probably the artists' intent, I guess you can say that it worked.

The 64,000 dollar question is will it appeal to both factions? I think it might. Paradoxically, in many respects, the Ellington tunes seem to be more classically orientated whereas the Bach interpretations come across as the jazzier of the two! 

To quote from the accompanying puff sheet: 

Recorded live at Bird’s Eye Jazz Club in Basel, the record explores the musical meeting point between Baroque counterpoint and jazz improvisation across original compositions inspired by specific Bach pieces and reimagined Ellington classics. Treading a line between historical reverence and contemporary reinvention, Arbenz and Sheppard find a cerebral and heartfelt shared language through subtle grooves, chamber-like textures and striking melodic clarity.

My thoughts exactly. Lance

Release date is this Friday the 13th but don't let that put you off it's well worth a CHF or two. BANDCAMP.

*Back in the day when I was 'keeping 'em flying' two of RAF Manby's eggheads were discussing the relative importance of Michael Faraday and William Shakespeare. To show that I was no ignorant erk from up north I said, "What about Bach?" 'Shakespeare' nodded sagely and said, "Ah yes! J.S. 'Mighty' B". Ever since then I can't mention JSB without inserting Mighty. I'm sure Sheppard and Arbenz do the same although Andy might be referring to Mighty Duke Ellington!

Melancholia (D. Ellington); Psalm (M. Arbenz, inspired by Bach’s Cantata BWV 146); African Flower (D. Ellington); Where It Springs  Into Being (M. Arbenz, inspired by Bach’s Prelude in C); Reflections in D (D. Ellington); Warm Valley (D. Ellington)