FLORIAN ARBENZ & GREG OSBY - Reflections Of The Eternal Line
Available from Bandcamp
Florian Arbenz - percussion; Grey Osby - alto & soprano sax
‘At first glance, a saxophone-drum duo may seem sparse’ says the promotional release for this set of recordings inspired by paintings by the artist Stephen Spicher and recorded in his Basel studio. And in less creatively ambitious hands that might indeed be the case. However, there’s a lot more going on here, and both men bring impressive CVs to the project. Though perhaps not widely known by UK jazz fans, Arbenz has a formidable reputation both as a jazz player (Kirk Lightsey, Bennie Maupin, Dave Liebman etc) and as an orchestral percussionist, and here he’s augmented his drumkit with a variety of textural and tuned instruments. Osby hasn’t been heard on record since his 2017 collaboration with Tal Cohen but his reputation as a founder member of M Base Collective is unassailable, and this recording shows his powerful rhythmic accuracy and harmonic imagination are as vital as ever. While there’s a high percentage of improvisation in this project, there are clear written parts to tracks like ‘Wooden Lines’ and ‘Truth’. both of which feature powerhouse backbeat drumming from Arbenz that meshes with Osby’s alternately flowing and fragmentary lines so closely that the overall sound feels full and complete. ‘Homenaje’ has a kind of modified guaguanco feel combined with a keening melody to captivating effect: the extended ‘Groove Conductor’ has a virtuosically creative performance from Arbenz across all manner of percussive textures that develops into a down-home New Orleans type swing under Osby’s lines that veer thrillingly from bluesy to abstract: ‘Passage Of Light’ floats soprano sax over chiming kalimba modulations while ‘Please Stand By’ finishes with a typically muscular statement from Osby. Not sparse at all.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
Available from Bandcamp
Florian Arbenz - percussion; Grey Osby - alto & soprano sax
‘At first glance, a saxophone-drum duo may seem sparse’ says the promotional release for this set of recordings inspired by paintings by the artist Stephen Spicher and recorded in his Basel studio. And in less creatively ambitious hands that might indeed be the case. However, there’s a lot more going on here, and both men bring impressive CVs to the project. Though perhaps not widely known by UK jazz fans, Arbenz has a formidable reputation both as a jazz player (Kirk Lightsey, Bennie Maupin, Dave Liebman etc) and as an orchestral percussionist, and here he’s augmented his drumkit with a variety of textural and tuned instruments. Osby hasn’t been heard on record since his 2017 collaboration with Tal Cohen but his reputation as a founder member of M Base Collective is unassailable, and this recording shows his powerful rhythmic accuracy and harmonic imagination are as vital as ever. While there’s a high percentage of improvisation in this project, there are clear written parts to tracks like ‘Wooden Lines’ and ‘Truth’. both of which feature powerhouse backbeat drumming from Arbenz that meshes with Osby’s alternately flowing and fragmentary lines so closely that the overall sound feels full and complete. ‘Homenaje’ has a kind of modified guaguanco feel combined with a keening melody to captivating effect: the extended ‘Groove Conductor’ has a virtuosically creative performance from Arbenz across all manner of percussive textures that develops into a down-home New Orleans type swing under Osby’s lines that veer thrillingly from bluesy to abstract: ‘Passage Of Light’ floats soprano sax over chiming kalimba modulations while ‘Please Stand By’ finishes with a typically muscular statement from Osby. Not sparse at all.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
