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Hendrik Meurkens: Cobb's Pocket
ByFrom the hip glide of Herbie Hancock's "Driftin'" at the top of the program to the fine and mellow sendoff of Meurkens' "A Slow One" at the bottom, this quartet lays right in the sweetest of spotsin Jimmy Cobb's legendary pocket. There are no extremes in the mixnothing is overly aggressive or hopelessly humdrumbut there's still a fair amount of variety on the menu. The title track offers some drive and late-in-the-game trading from the titular figure; Slide Hampton's cool-headed "Frame For The Blues" delivers on its name, with Bernstein turning out one of his most absorbing solos; Meurkens' "Slidin'" proves to be a work of cheery charms, complete with a catchy head and upbeat soloing; and Henry Mancini's "Slow Hot Wind" gives the leader a chance to spin out a thematically-driven solo before the baton passes to Bernstein and LeDonne, who each ride the current in winning ways.
The inclusion of bassist Sam Jones' "Unit Seven," no doubt nodding to Cobb's eternal link to the song through Wes Montgomery's Smokin' At The Half Note (Verve, 1965), makes for a smart programming choice, as does the penultimate "Polka Dots And Moonbeams," a classic that Cobb has recorded under his own name in the past. But despite those allusions to other times and glories, Cobb's Pocket isn't pushing nostalgia. It's music of the moment, couched in easily accessible terms that nearly any jazz listeners can understand.
Track Listing
Driftin’; Cobb’s Pocket; Frame for the Blues; Slidin’; Slow Hot Wind; Unit Seven; Polka Dots And Moonbeams; A Slow One.
Personnel
Hendrik Meurkens
harmonicaHendrik Meurkens: harmonica; Peter Bernstein: guitar; Mike LeDonne: B-3 organ; Jimmy Cobb: drums.
Album information
Title: Cobb's Pocket | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: In And Out Records
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About Hendrik Meurkens
Instrument: Harmonica
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