We welcome back two friends of the Vortex, but for the first time together. It coincides with the release of their new album together.
VEIN played at the club last year with Greg Osby, attracting a four star Guardian review. While Dave Liebman has appeared with Phil Robson and also with Evan Parker. It will be great to have them both together.
VEIN is Michael Arbenz piano Thomas Lähns bass Florian Arbenz drums
Since VEIN was founded, the trio has regularly joined forces with guest musicians in horizon-expanding and ground breaking projects. They have now come together again, forming an equally exciting and unconventional quartet with Dave Liebman, the great saxophonist with whom VEIN have been performing since 2009. “One of Europe’s most exciting ensembles” (John Fordham, Guardian)
This is the meeting point for four musicians who go way back, knowing precisely that they make a great musical match. Just as the trio has created an almost symbiotic interplay – by bringing together its background, its stupendous musical togetherness and its concept of maximum equality for all members – it never fails to find an incredibly inspiring addition in Dave Liebman: Liebman, with his distinctive and modern style that is always respectful of tradition, is one of the most important saxophonists of today’s jazz scene. He masterfully moves through the groove-heavy, lyrical, rhythmically and harmonically complex and open pieces and passages of the quartet’s repertoire, which mainly consists of their own compositions.
And last but not least, to his younger fellow musicians, Dave Liebman is the embodiment of a piece of jazz history: Since the 60s, he has been performing with all the jazz greats and that is precisely what he incorporates in his style and what has become a fundamental aspect for VEIN: the spirit of this music. So this collaboration is based on the utmost mutual respect; another reason why this quartet works so well together.
“I love playing with the VEIN trio. They can go in many directions as you can hear on this CD, always executed in a personal and singular manner.” (Dave Liebman)