Samba Tonto Hendrik Meurkens

• 1 Know It All (Quem Diz Que Sabe) 03:28
• 2 The Summer Knows 05:42
• 3 Herb's Samba 04:43
• 4 My Romance 05:41
• 5 Samba Tonto 04:34
• 6 A Lullaby for Benny 05:43
• 7 Chorinho for Nico 04:23
• 8 Surf Board 05:00
• 9 Chelsea Nocturne 05:05
• 10 Bye Bye Brasil 05:00
• 11 Choro em Casa 04:05
• Total Runtime 53:24

Info for Samba Tonto

Hendrik Meurkens returns to Brazil with 'Samba Tonto'. The album is inspired by the unique style and sound of Portinho, the legendary Brazilian drummer, who features here. The album is a mixture of hard swinging Samba Jazz and sensuous ballads and also features Justus Heher on trombone, Laura Dreyer on flute on tracks, Misha Tsiganov on piano & Fender Rhodes and Eduardo Belo on bass.

The only world-class jazz vibraphonist to double on harmonica (and vice versa), Hendrik Meurkens is not only a major artist on those two instruments, but he has long had an overlapping dual career in straight ahead jazz and Brazilian music. “I’m from Hamburg, Germany, which is neither a jazz nor a Brazilian music city. It all started for me with some random records that I found in my parents’ collection. I became interested in both jazz and Brazilian music at the same time, whether it was Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson or João Gilberto. Brazilian music is so beautiful that it is hard to resist. The harmonica works very well in that style.”

Hendrik toured and recorded with Harry “Sweets” Edison and Buddy Tate in 1986 and led his first album in 1989 which was his earliest set of Brazilian music. His six CDs for the Concord label in the 1990s gave him fame in the United States and he has led over thirty albums to date.

Having taken a break from Brazilian music in recent years to play more bop-oriented jazz dates, Hendrik Meurkens decided that it was time to return to Brazil with Samba Tonto. “Portinho is really the reason for the album. He is a legendary Brazilian drummer who came to the United States early on with the first wave of Brazilian musicians in the 1960s and has worked with Harry Belafonte, Gato Barbieri, and Paquito D’Rivera among many others. He is on several of my Concord recordings and we recently reconnected. Portinho has a unique style and sound, and he makes everything sound hip.” Pianist Misha Tsiganov has been in Hendrik’s Brazilian band for nearly 20 years and is an indispensable part of this album. Bassist Eduardo Belo, a Brazilian who lives in New York, recorded previously with Hendrik on a pair of albums led by pianist Roger Davidson. Flutist Laura Dreyer, who is also a talented alto-saxophonist, is an old friend of Hendrik’s and a major asset on four of this album’s songs. Trombonist Justus Heher, who is on seven numbers, is originally from Germany. “I love his sound. It’s a bit like Urbie Green’s, non-brassy and very velvety. Justus has perhaps the best trombone sound in the business these days.” In addition, strings arranged by Dario Eskenazi are featured on “The Summer Knows” and “A Lullaby for Benny.”

“The whole album is about playing beautiful songs,” says Hendrik. Samba Tonto begins with João Donato’s joyful “Know It All.” Donato had the knack for writing tunes that musicians love to improvise on, and Wes Montgomery recorded this one decades ago. Michel Legrand’s classic ballad “The Summer Knows” features Hendrik’s quietly emotional harmonica with the strings and a nostalgic atmosphere created by Tsiganov on his Fender Rhodes. “Herb’s Samba” is a tribute to the kindness of Herb Alpert. “I was booked at Herb’s Vibrato Grill in 2020 but, due to COVID, everything was cancelled. He decided to pay all of the musicians out of his own pocket which I thought was very noble of him.” The catchy original features Heher on trombone playing the melody along with warm solos from Hendrik on vibraphone, Tsiganov, and Heher.

Rodgers and Hart’s “My Romance” may be 90 years old but, as with every superior standard, it is timeless. Hendrik contributes a particularly tasteful statement with backing by the trio. His “Samba Tonto” is an energetic samba in 7/4 time. The blend between trombone and harmonica is quite attractive, Tsiganov takes a rewarding solo, Portinho swings the group in his inimitable fashion, and the result is a happy romp. “A Lullaby for Benny” is a contrast, a dreamy ballad with vibes, trombone, Fender Rhodes and strings that was written for Hendrik’s grandson Benny.

The rhythmically exciting “Chorinho for Nico,” written for Hendrik’s other grandson, has a tongue-twister melody expertly played by its composer on harmonica and flutist Laura Dreyer. Antonio Carlos Jobim’s underrated piece “Surf Board” not only includes both flute and trombone but Hendrik having spots on both vibes and harmonica. The soothing and thoughtful “Chelsea Nocturne” was originally recorded by Hendrik in 1996 on harmonica; this new version has his strongest vibes solo of the project along with a short statement from Heher.

This version of the standard “Bye Bye Brasil” has an optimistic feel and conveys the excitement of looking forward to future adventures along with a bit of melancholy at the thought of leaving Brazil. The blend between harmonica and trombone during the ensembles, the concise solos, and the accents and groove set by Portinho combine to make this into one of the song’s most rewarding versions. Samba Tonto concludes with “Choro em Casa.” “Casa” means “at home,” a title that fits since it was written by Hendrik during the COVID period when he was isolated. The infectious piece, which has spots for flute and harmonica, serves as a playful ending to one of Hendrik’s most memorable Brazilian albums.

Hendrik Meurkens, who performs regularly in New York and teaches at Berklee, sums up his hopes for the future: “I want to keep on keeping on. If I can play the music I like on my instruments and have an audience, that’s my goal. I want to continue creating beautiful music that stays and hopefully will still sound good many years from now.” (Scott Yanow, jazz journalist/historian)

Hendrik Meurkens, harmonica, vibes
Justus Heher, trombone (tracks 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10)
Laura Dreyer, flute (tracks 7, 8, 9, 11)
Misha Tsiganov, piano, Fender Rhodes
Eduardo Belo, bass
Portinho, drums, percussion

Recorded by Michael Brorby on March 5th, 6th & 12th, 2024 at Acoustic Recording, Brooklyn, NY
Mixed and Mastered by Jay Dudt at Audible Images, Pittsburgh, PA
Production Manager: Dominic Duchamp
Produced by Hendrik Meurkens
Executive Producer: Hendrik Meurkens & Cory Weeds

Hendrik Meurkens
a virtuoso on both the chromatic harmonica and the vibraphone, is the most important jazz harmonica player since Toots Thielemans. German-born but now based in New York, Meurkens’ recordings and performances garner worldwide acclaim because the transcendent beauty of his music has universal appeal.

A two-mallet player in the tradition of Milt Jackson and Bobby Hutcherson, Hendrik Meurkens was en-route to being an instantly recognizable vibraphonist when he heard Toots Thielemans. Inspired by the sound of Thielemans’ harmonica, he taught himself the difficult-to-master instrument.

Hendrik Meurkens’ other life-changing musical experience was his introduction to samba and bossa nova. He was so moved by Brazilian music that after perfecting his unique musical voice at Berklee, as a vibraphone major, he moved to Rio in the early 80s to totally immerse himself in music and culture of Brazil.

A regular Monday night gig at the popular Rio club, Bar 21, soon demonstrated his acceptance by Brazilian musicians. Meurkens’ poignant, emotionally affecting harmonica proved to be a sound that Brazilians strongly embraced, and during his Rio days, he met many musicians who later became collaborators in both Europe and New York.

Back in Germany by ’83, he became a respected studio musician, recording with European Radio Orchestras and leading his own groups, as well as accompanying visiting legends like Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison and Buddy Tate.

Within ten years, he had established himself as the “new jazz harmonica voice,” and moved to New York, thanks to an exclusive contract with the prestigious label, Concord Records. He has since recorded fifteen albums, and continues to perform as both a guest artist, and with his own groups, both in festivals and clubs globally.

Hendrik Meurkens’ profound involvement in both jazz and Brazilian music resulted in a very personal and instantly recognizable version of Samba jazz. This music, a cross-cultural amalgam guaranteed to touch the heart, features his harmonica and vibes along with piano, bass and drums, playing his stirring originals and arrangements. The group has been documented on a number of CDs, most notably the Hendrik Meurkens desert island disc, October Colors.

As a featured artist, he has recorded with Charlie Byrd, Jimmy Cobb, Ivan Lins, Monty Alexander, Claudio Roditi, Manfredo Fest and Mundell Lowe, as well as backing such leading artists as Astrid Gilberto and Olivia Newton John and touring with the Ray Brown Trio, Paquito D’Rivera, Oscar Castro Neves, Herb Ellis, Herbie Mann, Charlie Byrd, and James Moody among many others.

Also a successful composer (his compositions have been recorded by other artists and featured in the Hollywood movie, “Dolores Claiborne,”) Hendrik Meurkens remains equally at home playing jazz or Brazilian music. “My mission is simple,” he explains. “I want to create music of great beauty.”

Like any great musician, Hendrik Meurkens still practices incessantly, yet his music remains very melodic and rhythmically pleasing. “I like beautiful music, Sinatra, Jobim, Charlie Parker, so I concentrate on playing things that the audience can enjoy. Complicated music doesn’t really mean anything except for professionals who want to analyze it. I want people to feel what I do and the best way to do that is to play something touches their hearts.”

This album contains no booklet.