MICHAEL ARBENZ MEETS ANDY SHEPPARD

FROM BACH TO ELLINGTON, ‘LIVE

Independent Label

Michael Arbenz, piano; Andy Sheppard, tenor saxophone.

This album opened so beautifully, it took my breath away.  The duo played an Ellington composition, “Melancholia” and their tenderness and emotional connection to the song was indescribably charming.  It brought such peace to my listening room.

These two gifted musicians have woven together the elegance of the great Duke Ellington with the timeless beauty of Johanne Sebastian Bach.  Swiss pianist, Michael Arbenz enjoyed huge success with the release of his acclaimed solo albums, “Reflections of D (a tribute to Duke Ellington)” and “Classicism – A Point of View.”  It made it easy for Arbenz to consider continuing his celebration of the two legendary composers as a duet project.

The Pair first connected through their collaboration with Michael’s long standing trio he calls, “Vein.”  After performing widely across Europe, Arbenz and Andy Sheppard discovered a new level of interplay in their duo format.

This album was recorded ‘live’ at the Bird’s Eye Jazz Club in Basel, Switzerland.  You will hear the unusual, but lovely meeting between Baroque counterpoint and jazz improvisation.  The seamless blend of Bach’s extraordinary music with reimagined Ellington classic tunes makes for a jazz album of unprecedented and unexpected creativity.  The two musicians fill up my space with excellent musical arrangements that need nothing more than tenor saxophone and piano.

Andy Sheppart is an ECM recording artist and one of the United Kingdom’s most internationally celebrated jazz figures.  He is one of the few soloists to perform in the three greatest post-war big bands of this century.  Sheppard made himself known playing with Carla Bley, Gil Evans and George Russell.

Michael Arbenz is a classically-trained pianist, but also prides himself on finding a love for jazz as a child, and  being self-taught as a jazz performer.  His study of improvisation and the freedom that jazz allowed led to his self-guided exploration.  He has developed into a prolific composer and arranger, with his works performed by the Norrbotten Big Band, the NDR Big Band, the Latvian Radio Big Band Riga and many more. Currently, he is the head of the institute for Jazz and Folk Musik of the University of Applied Sciences in Lucerne/Switzerland, where he is also professor for piano.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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