David Helbock's Random/Control

This other, Frank Zappa after-glorified sentence is known: "Does humour belong in music?", whereby the question mark is of course only rhetorically set. So, sure, yes, if you don't make it too easy for yourself. The trio that goes by David Helbock's Random/Control has opted for the nice mix of conceptuality, curiosity and playfulness. The source material under scrutiny is not arbitrary, but undogmatically chosen: Folklore, compositions by Prince, a self-composed "Realbook" or a garland of actually long dead piano hits, which, according to Helbrock, broadens his musical horizon. And the trio around the Vorarlberger and Berliner-by-choice with the Joe Zawinul memorial wool cap plays itself with piano and an arsenal of brass and woodwind instruments, percussion and voice(s) through a garland of thousand times heard hits from "Spain" (Chick Corea) over "Watermelon Man" (Herbie Hancock) and "Take Five" (Paul Desmond) up to "Mercy Mercy Mercy" (Joe Zawinul). Heard it a thousand times? Maybe, but in this case it works to your advantage. The hits remain hits, but the arrangements, the ways to (re)recognition are sometimes surprising, sometimes irritating, sometimes winking, sometimes deconstructive, sometimes abysmal, but always virtuosic in the use of the possibilities available on stage. The "Concierto De Aranjuez" is compressed and "Take Five" is beamed onto the alpine pasture. Highest entertainment value!