David Helbock’s Austrian Jazz Album

Cover of the album being discussed (courtesy of Jazz Promo Services)

When one thinks of Austrian jazz, the first (if not only) name that comes to mind is that of Joe Zawinul. My own “first contact” came from his keyboard work for Miles Davis as part of what has come to be known as the “Bitches Brew sessions.” Those recordings heralded the emergence of the jazz fusion genre with Zawinul as a leading advocate. Austrian Syndicate, a recent album released by keyboardist David Helbock, offers a return to the roots of fusion jazz and how things subsequently developed.

Availability of this album seems to be a bit up in the air, at least on this side of the Atlantic Ocean. It was released on the ACT label at the end of last month, and may be purchased through the label’s Web page for the album. However, the price is in Euros, and one will have to allow for delivery time. However, on the same date the twelve tracks of the album were made available for MP3 download through an Amazon.com Web page, which has hyperlinks for “physical” albums that are not currently operative.

Helbock leads a combo whose other members are Peter Madsen on piano, Raphael Preuschi alternating between bass and bass ukulele, and two percussionists, Herbert Pirker and Claudio Spieler. There are also five guest artists, two of whom, Maria João and Dhafer Youssef, are vocalists. The other three are Lakecia Benjamin on saxophone, Fred Wesley on trombone, and Alex Acuña on percussion.

When placed alongside Bitches Brew, Austrian Syndicate takes a more diverse approach to fusion rhetoric. If the genre provided Davis with an opportunity to explore his dark side, Helbock is not shy when it comes to serving up unabashed lyricism. Some may find that lyricism more than a bit too syrupy. On the other hand I have to confess that I tend to find the Bitches Brew tracks more than a little over the top, preferring to listen to them individually, rather than as an entire album. Helbock brings more breadth to his album, for which he is responsible for five of the twelve tracks (one jointly with Madsen). Furthermore, all of the tracks are laid out to provide a diverse and engaging journey, which concludes with a modest nod to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (who, after all, still remains as a leading icon of Austrian music)!