Personnel: Hendrik Meurkens, harmonica, vibe – Jed Levery, tenor sax, flute -Helio Alves, piano – Gustavo Amarante, bass – Adriano Santos, drums

Hendrik Meurkens: New York Samba Jazz Quintet


When my wife played this album for me, not knowing who it was, I asked, “Is this a new Toots Thielemans CD?”I did not yet know that it was Hendrik Meurkens and the New York Samba Jazz Quintet. That certainly started my review with a positive feeling. If you can be mistaken for Toots, how can you not be good?

According to the liner notes, all the tunes on this CD are either Brazilian tunes or tunes done in a latin or Brazilian style. This CD is even more impressive because it’s a live recording, which makes the precision and accuracy and interest shown by the group in their music well worth listening to.

Even more of a bonus was the first tune, “Vamos Nessa” and the tenor sax performance of Jed Levy. I’ve not heard his name before, but that’s my loss. He improvises wonderful flowing lines, fully integrating his melodic lines with sophisticated upper extensions. This musician knows what he is doing.

Hendrik, a most talented leader and performer, is as equally fluent on vibe as he is on harmonica, and we’re talking about two disparate instruments.

There is nothing like a fabulous rhythm section to provide exquisitely fine tuned and complimentary backup to the front line’s melodic creations, and they also are the sum of the word ‘competence’ when soloing on their own.

In addition to Hendrik Meurkens’ own compositions, and the fact that he specializes in Brazilian style jazz, his CD also exposes the musical expertise of two other composers: João Donato, who wrote the first and third tunes, “Vamos Nessa” and “A Rã.” Donato is not well

known in the U.S. (yet), but very much so in Brazil as a writer of Samba jazz; and Djavan, who wrote the second tune on this CD, “Flor De Lis.” Djavan is best known in Brazil as a songwriter, singer and guitarist. Both of these musicians present their enormous ability as writers of fine music. Meurkens is commended for introducing to Americans Brazilian writers other than just Jobim.

Meurkens wrote four originals for this CD. The tune he wrote called “Mimosa” is a “Chorinho” or “Choro,” literally "cry" in Portuguese. It is a Brazilian popular music style similar to a tango: AABBC, where C may be in a contrasting key. It's also common to repeat the A section and finish the tune in a faster tempo, i.e., AABBCA. Origins of the Choro are
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from 19th century Rio de Janeiro. By the 1960s, it had been displaced by Bossa Nova, just one of many newer Brazilian popular forms of the time. Nonetheless, Choro music remains strong in Brazil, and through people like Hendrik, is making a comeback in the U.S. OK, enough of the music lessons.

“Mimosa’s” momentum comes from the refreshing and energetic melodic lines that shift from section to section. It is top of the line writing and great fun to listen to.

The well-known melody of Gershwin’s “I Can’t Get Started” is treated to the tasty Latin rhythms of the Samba Jazz Quintet in an invigorating interpretation of this familiar standard.

“Menina na Janela,” English translation meaning “The Girl In The Window,” is another Choro, again written with long sweeping melodic lines. Subsequently, as expected, this piece, like the previous “Mimosa,” is one you will look forward to hearing.

The CD ends with “Triste,” a fitting and finely played tribute to the great master of Brazilian jazz, Antonio Carlos Jobim. The tune sums up this CD in a display of the most expert of writers, with flawless playing and esprit de corps within the personnel that makes this CD worth having.

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