Home »
Jazz Articles » Album Review » Hendrik Meurkens: Poema Brasileiro
Hendrik Meurkens: Poema Brasileiro
My favorite among a crop of fine recent Brazilian music releases is a CD that is not by a Brazilian, but by a Belgian - harmonica wiz and vibraphonist Hendrik Meurkens. He gets plenty of help from guests composer / keyboardist / vocalist Ivan Lins, trumpeter Claudio Roditi, guitarist Romero Lubambo, drummer Teo Lima, and others.
This is one of those albums where a variety of elements come together in all the right ways. It's satisfying both as contemporary acoustic jazz and as modern Brazilian. Musicians from both Americas work together beautifully. Four Meurkens originals, plus a composition from band member Steve Sacks, blend seamlessly with three Jobim standards and two Lins gems. Arrangers Jay Ashby, Sacks, and Meurkens give all the tunes fresh new treatment. The most interesting and unique arrangement is Ashby's chart on the standard "Angel Eyes" ' he sets it to a funky, urban Samba beat with Meurkens switching to vibes, and it succeeds wonderfully. Ashby adds a smooth mellowness to the program with his trombone playing, too - an instrument that's not heard frequently enough in today's music.
Personnel
Album information
Title: Poema Brasileiro
| Year Released: 1997
| Record Label: Concord Music Group
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.
Go Ad Free!
To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to
future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by
making a donation today.