Turns out, Bach and Ellington don’t sound so far apart after all.

Self Released

Michael Arbenz – Piano; Andy Sheppard – Tenor Saxophone

Swiss pianist Michael Arbenz and British saxophonist Andy Sheppard come together on FROM BACH TO ELLINGTON – LIVE for a friendly, focused conversation. Recorded at Bird’s Eye Jazz Club in Basel, Switzerland, the set captures two musicians in a dialogue that’s playful, precise, and unforced.

It might sound like an odd match at first—J.S. Bach and Duke Ellington—but in Arbenz and Sheppard’s hands, it just feels like music. Arbenz brings classical training and years of jazz experience, while Sheppard—who has no formal classical background—contributes melodic clarity and a strong sense of pacing, phrasing, and dynamics shaped by decades of improvisational work. It’s not casual, exactly—every note feels considered—but there’s an easy flow to it, as if the music is finding its own shape.

Arbenz has long shown a deep interest in classical structure and jazz harmony, especially on solo projects like REFLECTIONS OF D, where he reimagined Ellington with impressionistic flair. Sheppard, with his breathy, quietly expressive tone, knows how to leave space in a melody. He doesn’t force ideas—he floats them, nudges them, waits to see what happens.

The album opens with ‘Melancholia,’ one of Ellington’s most introspective piano solos. Arbenz begins with a gentle, lyrical touch; then, glancing sweeps across the keys produce soft, resonant tone clusters. Sheppard answers with a breathy, understated tone. Sometimes he traces a phrase upward and barely brushes the final note—more a suggestion than a declaration. He plays off the piano in ways that feel intuitive, not rehearsed, pulling back at times just enough to let the piano speak.

Two of Arbenz’s originals are directly inspired by Bach: ‘Psalm,’ which draws on the dramatic Cantata BWV 146, and ‘Where It Springs Into Being,’ based on the Prelude in C from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I. ‘Psalm’ begins simply, with piano and saxophone trading short ascending and descending phrases. ‘Where It Springs Into Being’ builds on repetition: the piano opens with recurring arpeggiated patterns, and the saxophone joins in as if stepping into a game of musical chairs. There’s a sense of harmonic unfolding, shaped by broken chords, one to a measure, giving the piece a steady, almost hypnotic rhythm.

Ellington recorded ‘African Flower’ in 1962 on MONEY JUNGLE with Charles Mingus and Max Roach. Arbenz included it on his solo album REFLECTIONS OF D. Sheppard isn’t the first saxophonist to approach it—Charles Lloyd gave it a spiritual hush; David Murray pushed it toward abstraction. Sheppard’s phrasing feels more introspective than reverent. His phrases are short and deliberate, shaped more by breath than by rhythm. He plays softly, with a faint vibrato, letting each note fade before moving on. Arbenz keeps things spare—gentle right-hand arpeggios and soft left-hand harmonies that ripple outward like water disturbed by a pebble.

Arbenz and Sheppard first crossed paths through Vein, the Swiss trio Arbenz co-led with his brother, drummer Florian Arbenz, and bassist Thomas Lähns. Sheppard joined them as a guest on their 2017 album VEIN PLAYS RAVEL, and even then, there was a spark. FROM BACH TO ELLINGTON – LIVE feels less like a follow-up and more like something that was quietly waiting to happen.

Besides his many ECM recordings Sheppard has spent time in some wide-open sonic landscapes—working with Carla Bley, Gil Evans, and George Russell. He’s just as comfortable in quieter spaces. That’s one of his strengths: he plays like someone who understands the weight of a pause, the shape of silence.

Arbenz brings a clear, articulate touch—surely from his classical roots—but years of jazz work with his brother, including last year’s album with Ron Carter, THE ALPINE SESSION, show how naturally he speaks the language of jazz.

Turns out, Bach and Ellington don’t sound so far apart after all.