In the tenth of 12 instalments of musical ‘Conversations’, the drummer/percussionist Florian Arbenz turns to the musicians of his Swiss homeland as a consequence of performance restrictions in his country during pandemic times. Known for being a member of the acclaimed Swiss trio Vein, who have toured and recorded over the past decade with Dave Liebman, Norrbotten Big Band and Greg Osby, Arbenz brings together a strong, characterful line-up including the internationally-recognised trombonist-composer Nils Wogram.

The influences behind the collaboration are wide-ranging and there’s a patient yet playful exploration of Arbenz’ material by all concerned. ‘Jammin’ is an exhilarating opener with Wogram’s spluttering bluesy trombone riffs and extended sonics bouncing across Arbenz’ crisply driven kit work; The leader-drummer’s sizzling ‘drum and bass’ beats on a riveting version of Eddie Harris’ ‘Freedom Jazz Dance’ injects some fresh energy into the familiar groove-jazz classic, and an Arbenz original ‘Fast Lane’ lives up to its title with a free bop-ish theme and added jazz-rock guitar punctuations by the laconic McLaughlin-styled Christy Doran. The various ensemble configurations might be unorthodox, but they create plenty of witty and exhilarating moments.