J.S. Bach Suite III - A Living Organism by Michael Arbenz is a fascinating exploration of Bach’s iconic Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major. The project features Atom String Quartet and Michael’s brother and longtime musical partner, drummer/percussionist Florian Arbenz. While recognizable snippets of the original Suite come through, this is definitely not a literal retelling of Bach’s piece. The ensemble treats the original work as a living organism that continues to evolve, reshaped through rhythmic freedom, groove and improvisation. Despite all of the depictions of Bach that have come down through the centuries that make him look like a grouchy task-master, he was quite the improvisor himself, so I think he would enjoy and approve of this project!

Michael and Florian Arbenz are from Switzerland. Michael is a classically-trained pianist and a self-taught jazz improvisor who has worked in diverse musical contexts including small groups, big bands and classical orchestras. After his formal studies in Basel, Michael built an international career performing contemporary classical repertoire while independently developing his personal improvisational jazz voice. He is also an esteemed educator and serves as the head of the Institute for Jazz and Folk Music at the University of Applied Sciences in Lucerne, Switzerland, where he also teaches.

Poland’s Atom String Quartet features three violins (Dawid Lubowicz, Mateusz Smoczynski and Michal Zaborski) and a cello (Krysztof Lenszowski), and was founded in Warsaw in 2010. It is one of the most original chamber ensembles in the world, combining the skills of a classical string quartet with jazz and improvisation. The group constantly blazes new paths, looking for their own sound, which defies classification. All four artists are graduates of the Warsaw Chopin University of Music, and all compose and lead their own solo projects as well as collaborations with each other and other musicians.

The Suite begins with “Sonic Prelude (Ouverture),” which starts out very classically with the Quartet providing the intro before the piano and drums enter, making it clear that this is not a traditional Bach album! Bright, intense and very lively, everyone gets a chance to shine on this one! “Upbeat Bounce (Gavotte)” begins with rhythmic plucked and bowed strings playing in an almost country style. The middle section focuses on piano and percussion, and the musicians sound like they’re having a great time! The full ensemble then joyfully takes the piece to the end. The bold rhythms of “Inner Engine (Bourrée)” propel both the piano and cello into unexpected directions with the drums leading the way. “Respire (Air)” is the most familiar of the movements of the Suite, and is performed very beautifully with strings and piano - soulful and very graceful. “Final Spin (Gigue)” takes us on a wild ride that includes synthesizer as well as the rest of the ensemble. In its 9-minute playing time, many moods and musical approaches are explored and give the piece a very eclectic feel. From quiet and peaceful to upbeat with a powerful rhythm, it’s quite an adventure and brings the album to a close.

J.S. Bach Suite III - A Living Organism is something of a musical thrill ride! It is available to stream and download on Bandcamp (CDs are also available), Amazon and Apple Music/iTunes; and is available on many streaming platforms including Spotify. Check it out!