John Fordham 

Vein: Vote for Vein! review

Don't be fooled by the stagey joke-election trappings – this is a focused and dynamically creative set, writes John Fordham
  
  


This set captures the core group's inspired fusion of traditional jazz-trio methods and wittily deconstructivist impulses like a more genteel version of the Bad Plus. The jokey election-poster sleeve and trad-jazzy diversions such as the bouncy bass break on Appearance and Speech momentarily suggest they might be overly tempted by the stagily tongue-in-cheek – but that turns out to be an exception on a focused and dynamically creative set. There are tracks to cheer old-school Bill Evans fans, such as the ballad Dedicated to the Quintessence, or the sophisticated cruiser Everything for Everybody!, which confirms how freely but purposefully this classy group converse on the wing. But the quietly percussive, sporadically romantic and finally drums-focused Movin' Toward the End of A reveals their understated structural boldness, and the fast No Change Is Strange is a dazzling piece of straight-ahead piano improv by Michael Arbenz over his brother Florian's sleek ride-cymbal beat and Thomas Lahns' flawless fast walk.

 

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