Florian Arbenz advised me several months ago that this album was coming down the pipe, and after hearing some tracks he kindly provided, I was pretty excited to hear what he and American saxophonist Greg Osby were up to. As it stands, the two have been working together off and on for well over two decades, and you can hear it in the flow of this album. What I did not expect, however, and what made for a very pleasant surprise, was the collaboration with artist Stephan Spicher, who is credited on the album cover, but you really need to see the videos (a sample can be seen here) to appreciate his contribution to the album. I expected to hear Osby and Arbenz work seamlessly together, and I wasn’t disappointed. The album does not have an overwhelming, “crowded” sound that some jazz albums to. The musicians give each other plenty of space to let themselves roam, never straying too far from the center, but giving a feeling of a pleasant wander in the park.

As far as contemporary jazz goes, this album has been the best, for my ears, that I’ve heard in 2020. It’s worth picking up.