The Force of Samba
Close to his 2007 release, New York Samba Jazz Quintet, Hendrik Meurkens wasted no time with this energetic follow-up, his 17th solo album. As the CD name implies, you can be sure you will find here enough sambas to keep you going. At the same time, Hendrik does not neglect to include some lovely ballads, bossas and even a choro.
The same strong band that backed up Hendrik in New York Samba Jazz Quintet comes back even stronger. Hendrik multitasks in the harmonica and vibes and is joined again by Helio Alves (piano), Gustavo Amarante (bass), Adriano Santos (drums) and Jed Levy (sax). An additional five guests complete the line-up: Rodrigo Ursaia (tenor sax), Ian MacDonald (piano), Pedro Ramos (cavaquinho
Cavaquinho), Mauricio Zottarelli (drums) and Trio da Paz’s Duduka da Fonseca (drums).
The repertoire features six original Hendrik’s compositions and also includes others by Tom Jobim, Adriano Giffoni as well as a couple of U.S. standards. Hendrik covers a myriad of genres and emotions whether on the harmonica or vibes, as in the cases of the sweet chromatic harmonica in “Fotografia,” the dazzling sound in “Sambatropolis” or the coolness of the vibes in “Você Vai Ver.” The album is never short of vitality.
You can read more about the artist and his other releases on his home page.
ALBUM INFORMATION
Hendrik Meurkens
Sambatropolis
Zoho ZM 200801 (2008)
Total time: 55’53”
Tracks:
- Sambatropolis (Hendrik Meurkens)
- Nem Lá Nem Cá (Adriano Giffoni)
- Ocean Nights (Hendrik Meurkens)
- The Bee (Hendrik Meurkens)
- Fotografia (Antonio Carlos Jobim)
- Hot and Stuffy (Hendrik Meurkens)
- Você Vai Ver (Antonio Carlos Jobim)
- You Don’t Know What Love Is (Gene De Paul – Don Raye)
- Choro da Neve (Hendrik Meurkens)
- A Summer in San Francisco (Hendrik Meurkens)
- Bernie’s Tune (Jerry Leiber – Bernie Miller – Mike Stoller)
