Leave it to someone German bred, like composer/harmonica player Hendrick Meurkens, to produce some of the best fresh and original Brazilian music these days. Here, along with conductor Michael Philip Mossman and the WDR Big Band, he brings his Samba’d originals to be heard in a large ensemble setting, and it works remarkably well.
The horns are mellow and warm for “A Night in Jakarta” and dramy with flutes for “Prague In March”, while the brass gets bold on “Sambatropolis”, featuring alsto saxist Johan Horlen. There’s a deep soul groove with the saxes on “Mountain Drive” that lead to a bopping solo by trumpeter Andi Haderer, and drummer Hans Dekker rides the whip for a rotation of soloists on the sizzling “You Again”. Meurkens gets some solo space on the kinetic Manhattan Samba” as wellas on the cover of Tom Jobim’s classic “Choro”. For my money, Meurkens’ pen is up there with the bossa nova giant-if you don’t believe me, just check this one out.