Hendrik Meurkens and Paquito D'Rivera

Hendrik Meurkens and Paquito D'Rivera - Bluesette: https://t.co/vba9vghRL5 via @YouTube

— jazzvideoguy (@jazzvideoguy) 9 de junho de 2017

Hendrik Meurkens - Harmonicus Rex featuring Jimmy Cobb

Published on Mar 11, 2016
Hendrik Muerkens returns to straight ahead or mainstream Jazz on Harmonicus Rex, featuring a menu of delicious swinging Jazz, along with more lyrical compositions. In addition to piano legend Dado Moroni, master drummer Jimmy Cobb is featured. For more: http://hendrikmeurkens.com

Dynamic Duo: Hendrik Meurkens & Misha Tsiganov - Junity

What is Junity? Hendrik Meurkens, the celebrated harmonica master, explains: “It’s a play on words between the English word unity, which means the state of being united, and the Brazilian word junto, which means together.” The title is appropriate because, Meurkens, a musician known for his superb artistry and his quick wit, and Misha Tsiganov, a Russian pianist of remarkable proficiency, have been collaborating for nearly a decade. To purchase: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/hendrikmeurk...

http://www.hendrikmeukens.com
http://www.mishajazzmusic.com

Hendrik Meurkens & Gabriel Espinosa, Celebrando ....

Celebrando (which means “celebrating” in Portuguese and Spanish) is a joyous event on several fronts.First, the CD celebrates Brazilian jazz and the resounding impact it’s had and has on musicians and audiences who adore it. Second, Celebrando salutes the musicians performing here – who have devoted years of their lives exploring this music they love. And third, Celebrando serves as the 100th recording for ZOHO Music, Jochen Becker’s dynamic independent New York based label. For ZOHO, such artists as GRAMMY winning pianist/band leader Arturo O’Farrill, conga drummer Ray Barretto, Brazilian guitarist Carlos Barbosa-Lima, drummer Duduka Da Fonseca and the co-leaders here – harmonica player Hendrik Meurkens and bassist/vocalist Gabriel Espinosa – have recorded.

The CD gathers the leaders and seven splendid colleagues to investigate 10 succulent Brazilian jazz originals – with a “Yucatecan and “European twist,” say Gabriel and Hendrik – and one classic bolero, all designed to enchant.

The musicians:
Hendrik Meurkens was born in Hamburg, Germany. He took up vibes at age 16 (eventually becoming a bebop-based master), and at 19, the chromatic harmonica. Soon came Brazilian music. “It touched me as deeply as jazz did,” he says. Hendrik lived in Rio de Janeiro from 1982-83, listening, playing, sopping up the sounds. His mastery can be heard on four exceptional ZOHO albums, including 2011’s Live at Bird’s Eye (ZM 201114).

Gabriel Espinosa hails from Yucatan, Mexico and grew up listening to anything from boleros to Brazilian. He’s earned degrees from Central College in Pella, Iowa , the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and The University of North Texas at Denton; he currently heads the Jazz Studies program at Central College. Espinosa says his “passion is to write music and to teach.” His initial ZOHO release is the powerful From Yucatan to Rio (ZM 200907).

The bassist met Meurkens in performances at Central College, where they discovered a strong musical affinity, which led to deciding to collaborate on Celebrando. “Hendrik is an outstanding composer/performer, and I am honored to have the opportunity to do this project with him,” says Gabriel.

In return, Hendrik says “Gabriel’s conception works for me. We both love songs that have beautiful melodies and that are in the tradition of the great American and Brazilian song books.” They both want vibrant compositions and arrangements played by “simpatico musicians with talent and taste.”

Supporting musicians of such quality play here on Celebrando. They’re all top-rate, and have appeared as leaders and recorded with many masters, including Ivan Lins, Pat Metheny, Da Fonseca, and the leaders.

Anat Cohen is a premier modern jazz and Brazilian clarinetist and saxophonist.
Trumpeter and flugelhornist Jim Seeley, an acquaintance of Hendrik’s from their late-1970s Berklee College student days, is a first-call New York City-based musician, and a principal with Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. Alison Wedding’s voice was used here basically as a horn instrument, wordlessly singing the melodies. Back-up singer Molly Blythe is a rising jazz artist who has appeared with songwriter Ivan Lins.

NYC-based pianist Misha Tsiganov, who plays dynamically in a variety of different styles, can also be heard on Hendrik’s prior ZOHO releases, Samba to Go! (ZM 200901) and Live at Birds’ Eye (ZM 201114). Antonio Sanchez, primarily known for his long association with guitarist Metheny, is regarded as one of the top drummers today, as is the drummer Maurico Zottarelli, who plays on yet another Meurkens ZOHO release, Sambatropolis (ZM 200801).

Read more: http://www.zohomusic.com/cds_detail.php?cds_id=111

Hendrik Meurkens, a virtuoso

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.

>>>>Produced by Hendrik Meurkens. Recorded November 14 & 15, 2008 and May 7 & 8, 2010 at Bird’s Eye Jazz Club, Basel, Switzerland, by Michael Scherrer.


-Hendrik Meurkens harmonica, vibraphone
- Misha Tsiganov piano
- Gustavo Amarante bass
- Adriano Santos - drums, pandeiro on # 5.
- Hendrik Meurkens plays a Musser M55 Vibraphone.


Hendrik’s harmonicas maintained by Michael Easton.
Adriano Santos plays Odery Drums, Istanbul Agop Cymbals and Vic Firth Sticks.

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.”