Samba to Go!
Hendrik Meurkens
Zoho Music
A long performance career with a steady stream of recordings affords an experienced musician the luxury of both reflecting upon their past and looking ahead into their future. This dual perspective serves as an essential growth tool for musicians with long careers, allowing them to explore their future while retracing the steps that have led to the present. Musicians change directions over the course of long career, often incorporating different genres or improvisational techniques - after decades of performance, these elements are almost never the same for any one artist. Yet the strength of an artist’s ideas remain consistent through their career, and while they may build upon their concepts later, their early compositions retain their quality foundation. An artist can easily revisit these strong early ideas and apply their years of experience and wisdom, often resulting in an interesting juxtaposition. The youthful energy of those early ideas can be invigorating, pushing the musician into a newfound enthusiasm; the experience can also serve as a full circle experience for the artist, as their artistic maturity allows them to express those early ideas in a more complete fashion. As long as the artist avoids the stale regurgitation of their age old work and infuses it with their new perspective, the balance of old and new repertoire can be a rewarding experience for both musician and listener. Vibraphonist and harmonica player Hendrik Meurkens leads his band through a set of his Brazilian Jazz compositions from the past and present, sprinkled with a few creative arrangements, on Samba to Go!, viewing all the pieces through his experienced and enthusiastic eyes.

Reflecting His Current Musicality With New Compositions
Meurkens delivers several new compositions, giving us a reflection of his current musical state. Meurkens’ harmonica joins with pianist Misha Tsiganov on a busy melodic introduction over a quick samba on “Samba To Go!,” leading into a long and winding melody. A series of band kicks lead into Meurkens’ improvisation that reflects upon the curve of the melody while integrating Meurkens’ powerful energy. A quick interlude transitions into a short but potent statement from Tsiganov, filled with fast and catchy melodic lines. Saxophonist Rodrigo Ursaia presents a dramatic series of long notes supported by big rhythm section kicks on “Bossa Sketch,” until the group lowers their dynamic for an understated presentation of the melody from Meurkens on vibraphone and Ursaia. Meurkens balances the percussive nature of his instrument with its gentle beauty through carefully placed bits of sustain, creating a lyrical solo filled with grace. Ursaia jumps into his improvisation with smooth lines that resonate with a rich soprano sax tone, filled with vibrato. Meurkens displays his thorough understanding of the Brazilian choro with a complex yet lyrically compelling melody on “Choro No. 14,” playfully interpreted by the composer on harmonica and Ursaia on soprano sax. Tsiganov enthusiastically follows the melody with a brief improvisation that plays off the main theme with slight variations. The group comes alive on this track as they wind through several repetitions of the melody, always infusing it with a unique harmonic variation or rhythmic embellishment. Meurkens shows the signs of an experienced composer with a broad knowledge of Brazilian styles on these tracks and stands out as a wise bandleader, leading his group with a contagious energy.

Reflecting Upon Older Pieces With Fresh Arrangements
Meurkens takes the opportunity to reflect upon some older compositions with his group, delivering fresh arrangements. Drummer Adriano Santos fills into a rhythmic melody based on a repeated figure over a funk influenced rhythm on “Spaceburger” before the group jumps into a traditional samba for a contrasting melodic line. Ursaia plays off the band’s high energy groove with a spirited flute solo, followed by an enthusiastic improvisation from Meurkens on vibes, filled with rapid streams of notes and catchy ideas. Tsiganov eases into his solo with short rhythmic ideas, bursting into strong bluesy lines that carry the band back to the main melody. The shimmering tone of Tsiganov’s Fender Rhodes opens “Mountain Drive” with a mysterious beauty, gently broken by a melodic duet between Meurkens’ harmonica and Ursaia. Meurkens leans towards long notes and lyrical phrases on his statement, interspersing his characteristic flight of quick notes. Tisganov creates a subdued solo with careful lines anchored by the mellow sound of his instrument until Ursaia jumps into the mix with a more assertive tenor sax solo. The rhythm section creates a decidedly funky Brazilian groove to introduce “Joe’s Donut,” alternating between a traditional samba feel and strong band breaks behind the melody. Meurkens grabs the band’s attention with a repeated rhythmic figure at the top of his improvisation, and continues into an upbeat and engaging statement. Tsiganov catches Meurkens’ energy with sharp rhythms that flow into long jazz infused lines, pushed forward by the incessant support of his left hand comping patterns. Meurkens’ look back into his older repertoire provides an interesting contrast to his newer work, while his band’s energy and creativity keep the ideas sounding fresh.

Applying Creative Energy Towards Arrangements
Meurkens and his band apply their creative energy and knowledge of Brazilian music to several arrangements of pieces from various composers. Tsiganov develops a steady forward motion with a syncopated comping pattern on Fender Rhodes, introducing the classically lyrical melody to Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Só Tinha De Ser Com Vocé.” After an insightful reading of the melody by Meurkens on vibes, Tsiganov develops his solo over the course of the form, building from long and calm lines into rapid flurries of notes. Meurkens takes a short yet engaging solo over a vamp, and after the melody, the two soloists push the band into a driving groove with an energetic exchange of ideas. Meurkens boldly holds a long note while Ursaia plays around short rhythmic figures on pianist Luiz Simas’ “A Choro For You,” leading into a long melody with interesting and intertwining parts from Meurkens and Ursaia. Simas begins his improvisation with a playful take on the melody, building into a strong momentum that gains its energy from the strength of the composition. Meurkens dramatically contrasts Simas with an expressive long note that leads into a witty use of rhythmic ideas, followed by an upbeat improvisation from Ursaia on flute. Meurkens tenderly glides into a thoughtful interpretation of Young and Washington’s “My Foolish Heart” only accompanied by Tsiganov, gradually building into medium tempo samba with the rhythm section’s help. As the established samba groove pushes him forward, Meurkens utilizes strong thematic development to carve an engaging statement that thrives on the combination of his jazz tinged lines and his instrument’s slurred bends. Tsiganov follows with a carefully executed solo that emphasizes the beautiful simplicity of the song’s melody while staying firmly connected to the song’s rhythmic drive. These rich arrangements reveal Meurkens’ musicality in a different light as his group builds interesting takes upon several compositions while retaining their characteristic approach.

A Dual Perspective Fueled With Broad Experience
Meurkens and his group fuel Samba to Go! with their broad experience in Brazilian Jazz while maintaining a duel perspective upon different eras of Meurkens’ repertoire. The contrast between Meurkens’ older repertoire and his current compositions remains striking; the ideas are always strong, but the stylistic approaches set the two groups of repertoire apart. His older pieces bubble with a funky edge while his newer songs lean towards a more traditional combination of Brazilian rhythms and jazz. The established foundation of Meurkens’ group understands his current musical perspective though, and works through the different pieces with an amazing amount of consistency and style. Santos and bassist Gustavo Amarante stay firmly rooted in samba with a powerful groove; they imply funk rhythms in the context of Meurkens’ compositions, but their foundation never gets lost. Tsiganov stands out as a strong soloist, exerting his massive chops and keen musicality at every turn. He works as a supportive player as well, helping shape each song’s presentation with an array of piano and keyboard sounds. Meurkens shines with the finesse that years of experience produce in a musician. His vibraphone playing adds a percussive edge to his naturally lyrical presence while his harmonica playing resonates with technical prowess and expressive qualities. There’s a sense of understanding that encompasses the big picture of Meurkens’ career on Samba to Go!, confirming that the strong musicality that built his career has blossomed into the experience that guides him into the future.

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