The ninth of Swiss drummer Florian Arbenz’s ongoing 12-album ‘conversations’ project re-unites him with American saxophonist Greg Osby and adds Arno Krijger on Hammond B3. Arbenz and Osby’s 2020 duet album, Reflections of the Eternal Line demonstrated their simpatico approach to music and the same focussed logic is on show here. Dutch organist Krijger, leaning more towards Mahler and prog rock than Jimmy McGriff, adds dense voicings and portentous beats. But it is Osby’s oblique lines and sustained trains of thought that stand out.

The set opens with Osby spinning magic in a single key on Eddie Harris’ “Freedom Jazz Dance” – the theme appears as a snippet at the end of each solo. Sax and drums intertwine, Krijger takes a turn and a decent slow burn smoulders to a peak.

Elsewhere, organ and drums deliver an equally abstracted 'Seven Steps to Heaven' and shimmering organ and Osby’s pure tones make the Gershwin ballad 'I Loves You Porgy' the album’s stand out track.

Three originals complete the set. The trio rummage around ethereally on the drummer’s ‘Sleeping Mountain’, Osby’s ‘Vertikal Hold’ is a spiky sax and drum duet and the meandering ‘Old Shaman’ is enhanced by pithy phrases on tenor sax. A patchy release overall, but worth a listen to catch Osby on form.