David Helbock Trio - Aural Colors (2015) [Hi-Res]

“Even though there are also other musicians that amaze me for shorter times, I always come back to Monk and Pascoal, because they both stayed true to their own thing so consequently.” Pascoal’s unconditional devotion fascinates Helbock, just like Monk’s individual style, “Unifying composition and improvisation instead of isolating them as in the old style.” Artistic decisiveness is unquestionably also a trait of David Helbock’s character. In every new production the variable virtuoso surprises with personal ideas, thumbs his nose at the Zeitgeist and exhibits impressive profile.

„With a dozen albums under his belt released between 1998 and 2014 Aural Colors this latest album is his fifth for the German Traumton label, and was recorded in Berlin in June 2014. An unusual piano trio formulation, the oddity in that the bass part is delivered on a bass ukulele getting its own spot even on the jazz-rock flavoured ‘Virus Ukulelen Song’ played by Raphael Prueschl. Not that this makes a whole lot of difference except to inject a bit more mobility on faster sections and some tonal distinctiveness elsewhere.

The trio met and started playing together some four years ago drummer Herbert Pirker more of an anonymous presence although clearly he has got his work cut out to keep up with the dazzling Helbock. But really the album is less of a trio album and more of a showcase for Helbock’s Stefano Bollani-like levels of technical virtuosity and like the Italian Helbock shares a puckish sense of pianistic adventure.

Matching the Austrian’s own compositions with three of Schoenberg’s ‘Six Little Piano Pieces’ written in 1911 this is a likeable enough album allowing nods to Monk and fun touches (a little squeaky toy even makes its presence felt on ‘Para Hermeto’) along the way.“ (Stephen Graham, Marlbank)

David Helbock, piano
Raphael Preuschl, bass ukulele
Herbert Pirker, drums

01. David Helbock Trio - Yellow Meets Red (6:34)
02. David Helbock Trio - Sechs kleine Klavierstücke, Op. 19: No. 4 (3:22)
03. David Helbock Trio - Sechs kleine Klavierstücke, Op. 19: No. 3 (4:03)
04. David Helbock Trio - Sechs kleine Klavierstücke, Op. 19: No. 2 (4:51)
05. David Helbock Trio - Öpfili, bist so kugelrund (5:44)
06. David Helbock Trio - Intro to the Myths (2:39)
07. David Helbock Trio - Horus and Jesus (6:44)
08. David Helbock Trio - AM - Anonymous Monkaholics (3:59)
09. David Helbock Trio - Virus Ukulelen Song (3:01)
10. David Helbock Trio - Healing Colors (4:15)
11. David Helbock Trio - Para Hermeto (4:43)