And now for something completely different…
You want to try something that will push you a bit, but still sound accessible to the senses? David Helbock, Johannes Bar and Andreas Borger respectively play keyboards, brass and reeds, but in that small category they stretch the instrumentation to include things like toy pianos, piccolo trumpet, sousaphone, slide trumpet, and various things you’d only find in grandpa’s attic on this collection of originals and Monk compositions. And, if you think you’ve her Thelonious Monk’s music performed every way possible, well, just step right up. These guys make him sound like Kenny G in comparison! They do takes of “Think of One,” “Pannonica” and “Trinkle Tinkle” that would have made the composer green with envy. “Raise Four,” with tuba and trumpet , swing and roar like a roaming elephant, while “Trinkle Tinkle” with a toy piano sounds like something from Fractured Flickers. The bass clarinet hobbles along the glorious “Pannonica” like it had a peg leg. And these are just the covers! Originals such as “Voa, Ilza” have trumpet and tenor sax bounce back and forth like a computer game, but with the head spinning horns you still enjoy the catchy melody. Likewise, the glowing beauty of “Musica das Nuvens e do Chao” mixes warm clarinet sounds with fragrant effects. A tango-ish “Nas Quebradas” sounds like its from a Saturday Morning cartoon show, with soprano sax veering over who knows what those things are in the background. This is a GAS!!!