Tapping into the vein

Classically trained Swiss jazz trio renowned for their diversity

“ONE of Europe’s most exciting ensembles,” according to John Fordham of The Guardian, Vein Trio has established a brilliant reputation among jazz audiences for both the stylistic diversity and technical accomplishment of its music.

A vein is both a vessel through which blood runs, and a style of play: in a classical vein, we say; in a humorous vein. And this embodies perfectly the attitude of the Swiss trio Vein, featuring Michael Arbenz (piano), Thomas Lähns (double bass) and Florian Arbenz (drums).

Listening to Vein it is easy to assume that the trio ‘carries the lifeblood of the jazz tradition’, but what also becomes evident is that they are also one of the most stylistically diverse and adaptable ensembles.

This diversity and adaptability is highlighted through two excellent albums that were released just two years apart, Symphonic Bop (2019) and Vein Plays Ravel (2017).

Both are top flight albums within the jazz canon, but are poles apart in their approach.

The 2017 release does what it says on the tin and is a consummately warm, listenable release that delves into the works of Maurice Ravel and shows just how accomplished the trio are when interpreting, reworking and fusing jazz and classical music.

Symphonic Bop however sees the trio joining up with Sweden’s Norrbotten Big Band for what can only be described as a joyous jazz romp.

Of the album, Michael Arbenz

states: “We used only our own compositions for this CD, as a result, the identity of the trio is set from the start. Keeping this flexibility helps to make sure that the trio is still very present in the middle of the orchestra, and the music sounds completely Vein!”

Formed in Basel more than a decade ago, to date they have released a total of 13 albums, including two albums of collaborations with the saxophonist Dave Liebman (Jazz Talks and Lemuria), one collaboration with the alto-saxophonist Greg Osby entitled The Studio Concert, an album with the trombonist Glenn Ferris, contributions from saxophonist Andy Sheppard on the aforementioned Plays Ravel, and an interpretation of the classic Porgy and Bess.

All three members of Vein Trio are classically trained. This training can be heard throughout their back-catalogue, but most evidently on The Chamber Music Effect and Vein Plays Ravel. The latter of these prompted Dan McClenaghan, in his review for All About Jazz, to note that the ‘multihorn interplay is as subtle… and as inspired, arrangementwise, as you’ll hear, from Ellington through Gil Evans’.

Vein’s music intentionally ‘blends the traditions of European classical chamber music with a dedication to jazz improvisation at its most sophisticated’.

When the Arbenz brothers met bass player Thomas Lähns, who also studied at the conservatory in Basel, the trio was born. Lähns’ orchestral-standard sight-reading and ability to play with the bow gives Vein an unusual degree of balance and musical equality, in which all three players play a full musical part.

“As a player with a full orchestral technique, Thomas has a more important role than some bassists. He’s crucial in holding me and Michael together,” says Florian Arbenz.

“Our identity is as European jazz musicians,” says Michael Arbenz, “but like Bobo Stenson, for us that involves regular interaction with the best American performers, especially older ones that we can learn from. We hope we can inspire them too.”

The trio’s music is mostly written by the Arbenz brothers, with Michael’s being generally more composed and Florian’s freer and more experimental, as well as contributions from Lähns. They explore the ‘intriguing spaces between composition and improvisation, just as they do with jazz history and tradition’.

Although nearly everything they play is composed or adapted by a member of the band, sometimes working with familiar original music can highlight the complexity of the adaptation and performance.

“It’s helpful that audiences already know Ravel’s melodies, because it makes it easier to appreciate the subtleties of the composition,” suggests Thomas.

The majority of Vein Trio’s albums are available to stream on Spotify, and YouTube has a fair amount of videos that really enable the uninitiated to get a feel for the music.

If you like what you hear and see then it is high-time that you made preparations for their performance at Jimmy Glass in Valencia on January 29.