As Elvis the Pelvis would say, don’t forget to wear your “blue suede shoes” to the discotheque. Dress in style. Ready for an “exclusive” evening?

With “International Standards”, the world’s most exclusive trio has made a 180° turnaround back into its own musical past. With the sweeping gestures of bands from the 50s and 60s, Trio Exklusiv dips into its rich stylistic repertoire and serves up a highly concentrated dose of superb jazz music for the dance floor or for the home disco. All hand-played, just as it should be. If it sounds like it was labored over in the studio for months, it’s because it really was. Given the busy concert schedule (e.g., at the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Madrid International Jazz Festival, the Belgrade Refract Festival) and the Trio's propensity towards perfecting its improvisations and creating elaborate arrangements, it took a good three quarters of a year to make this album. For the first time, they were able to spread out in the studio for four months, polishing up “International Standards” together with the producer Patrick Pulsinger.

Trio Exklusiv, in a search for its own roots, shows a keen sense of historical awareness: Louie Austen makes an appearance as guest vocalist, along with New York jazz singer G. Rizo. The track has a real jazzy blaxploitation feel à la “Shaft”, comes with handclaps and is mashed up with Moroder-style computer disco. Austria’s vibraphonist numero uno, Flip Philipp, furnishes dust-free retro-chic, while Philipp Quehenberger rocks on the organ and Vincenz Wizlsperger beefs up the horn riffs. Disco without soul? Unthinkable. That’s what inspired the Trio to persuade Chicago-based soul and blues singer Terry Callier to do the vocals on “Slo-Mo”. Callier’s ambitious performances have nourished his steadily growing reputation since the 70s, especially in British acid jazz and the New Soul scene. In the recap, “Slo-Mo” is buoyed up by a springy dub-mix, while Callier’s voice weaves in and out ad infinitum. The beat and melody aptly fade out completely in certain passages, as though the sound contours were simply left hovering in space. And suddenly the driving groove starts up again. It’s all a matter of building up tension, slowing down to a virtual standstill, and then zooming up to the top.

Even before, Trio Exklusiv could not be tied down to anything other than the “Trio-Exklusiv sound”, and what about now? May the funk be with you, and the high-energy dancing will come by itself...

The Vienna music scene is relatively easy to get a handle on. As the Viennese put it, “We all just know each other”. For instance, drummer Mex Wolfsteiner, trumpet player Richie Klammer and guitarist Franz Reisecker discovered their shared love of down-and-dirty groove in the recording breaks back in the times of one of the very first Vienna groove bands “Planet E.” or “Orchester 33 1/3”. In 1999, Trio Exklusiv was made complete with the multi-instrumentalist Martin Zrost.

In 2002, they made their first record on the Hoanzl label. Simply called “Trio Exklusiv”, the disc laid the cornerstone for the musical output of one of the most exciting live combos from Austria. Last year, Universal re-issued “Trio Exklusiv” in a “Value Pack”, a double CD with fine remixes and the “Gringo” video clip. In the remix by knob wizard Patrick Pulsinger (Cheap Rec.), the funk couldn’t have been funkier. Pulsinger was hired as producer and later as a welcome sound-polisher for the “International Standards” album.

(Heinrich Deisl)

Band members:
Richard Klammer: trumpet, vocals
Franz Reisecker: guitars, synthesizer, Rhodes, prepared piano, electronics, programming
Mex Wolfsteiner: drums, electronics, programming
Martin Zrost : saxes, bass clarinet, bass, vocals, accordion, piano, keyboards, electronics, programming

Discography:
2002: Trio Exklusiv (Hoanzl)
2004: Value Pack (a re-release of “Trio Exklusiv” + a bonus CD with remixes by Patrick Pulsinger, Walkner/Hintenaus, Mo Horizons and Markus Kienzel and the “Gringo” video clip; Emarcy/Universal)
2005: International Standards (Emarcy/Universal)