Hendrik Meurkens - Sambatropolis (2008)

Playing the vibes and the harmonica is a rather unusual combination. Hendrik Meurkens was drawn to these instruments after he heard Lionel Hampton play the vibraphone on Benny Goodman's Live at Carnegie Hall (Columbia, 1938) and, a few years later, the harmonica of Toots Thielemans. Even as he emerged as an adept player of these instruments, Meurkens was dipping into jazz, and particularly bebop. But he was also pursuing another tangent in Brazilian music. Meurkens has long been letting the two streams converge to give his compositions a particular scope and depth. Meurkens varies the line-up of his bands to give his music more pith and character. He gets off on the right note assimilating swing on the heated "Sambatropolis." Jed Levy and Rodrigo Ursaia fire up the swing on their tenor saxophones, while letting a bop impulse add dimension and tensility. Meurkens brings his own vision to bear, swerving in and out of the melody with broad, facile strokes. Besides, his conversation with the sax men is decidedly topnotch. The mood is quite different on the intimate "Ocean Lights." The ballad glows, given its soul by Meurkens on harmonica; however, it wouldn't quite be the same without pianist Helio Alves, who is not only full of fluid ideas, but is also an empathic complement. Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Voce Vai Ver" is another hallmark. The gentle strains of the bossa are dewdrops from the vibes; pretty yes, but also creating a splash and leaving an impress. "Choro Da Neve" spirals on the chorinho. The heady pulse is fanned by Meurkens on the harmonica with Adriano Santos driving the rhythm on the drums. Adding to the excitement are exhilarating contributions from Alves and Ursaia. Meurkens has come up with a winning blend, once more. ~ by Jerry D'Souza, AAJ. 

ZOHO Records, ZM 200801, 2008
Recorded 21st & 22nd March, 2007 at Acoustic Recording, Brooklyn, New York 

Musicians:
Hendrik Meurkens - Harmonica, Vibraphone (#2,7,8,10,11)
Jed Levy - Tenor Saxophone (#1,5,8,10,11), Flute (#2)
Rodrigo Ursaia - Tenor Saxophone (#1,2,4-6,9), Flute (#3,7)
Helio Alves - Piano (#1-7,9,10)
Ian MacDonald - Piano (#8,11)
Gustavo Amarante - Bass
Mauricio Zottarelli - Drums (#1)
Adriano Santos - Drums (#2,4,6-11)
Duduka da Fonseca - Drums (#3,5)
Pedro Ramos - Cavaquinho (#9) 

Tracks:
01. Sambatropolis {Hendrik Meurkens} (5:49)
02. Mem Lá Nem Cá {Adriano Giffoni} (5:00)
03. Ocean Light {Hendrik Meurkens} (5:26)
04. The Bee {Hendrik Meurkens} (4:27)
05. Fotografia {Antônio Carlos Jobim} (5:25)
06. Hot And Stuffy {Hendrik Meurkens} (3:07)
07. Você Vai Ver {Antônio Carlos Jobim} (4:55)
08. You Don't Know What Love Is {Don Raye, Gene De Paul} (6:25)
09. Choro Da Neve {Hendrik Meurkens} (4:26)
10. A Summer In San Francisco {Hendrik Meurkens} (5:54)
11. Bernie's Tune {Bernie Miller, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller} (4:55) 

Total Time: 55:54 

Credits:
Producer - Hendrik Meurkens
Engineer, Mixing - Michael Brorby
Photography - Jack Frisch
Liner Notes - Bill Milkowski 

Fotografia

Joanne Brackeen - Take A Chance (1994)

This is a delightful set, a program of eight Brazilian tunes and three of pianist Joanne Brackeen's originals. With strong assistance provided by bassist Eddie Gomez, drummer Duduka da Fonseca and percussionist Waltinho Anastacio, Brackeen adds beauty and adventure to such numbers as "Recado Bossa Nova," "Estate," "The Island" and a pair of Milton Nascimento songs. The pianist stretches the songs a bit in spots but never neglects their melodies or the original moods. Well worth several listens. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG. 

Concord Picante, CCD-4602, 1994
Recorded 15th-16th June, 1993 at Skyline Studios, New York 

Musicians:
Joanne Brackeen - Piano
Eddie Gomez - Bass
Duduka Da Fonseca - Drums
Waltinho Anastacio - Percussion, Vocals (#9) 

Tracks:
01. Recado Bossa Nova {Luis Antonio, Djalma Ferreira} (7:04)
02. Children's Games {Antônio Carlos Jobim, Gene Lees} (8:02)
03. Estaté {Bruno Martino, Bruno Brighetti} (5:39)
04. Canção Do Sal {Milton Nascimento} (5:58)
05. Frevo {Egberto Gismonti} (6:31)
06. Mountain Flight {Toninho Horta} (5:25)
07. The Island {Ivan Lins, Vitor Martins} (6:18)
08. Take A Chance {Joanne Brackeen} (4:21)
09. Ponta de Areia {Milton Nascimento, Fernando Brant} (4:12)
10. Duduka {Joanne Brackeen} (4:51)
11. Mist On A Rainbow {Joanne Brackeen} (4:53) 

Total Time: 63:19 

Credits:
Executive Producer - Carl E. Jefferson
Producer, Recording Engineer - Paul Wickliffe
Producer - Allen Farnham
Assistant Recording Engineer - Hiro Ishihara
Remixing - Phil Edwards [PER, Hayward, CA]
Mastering Engineer - George Horn
Production Coordinator - Elizabeth Bell
Art Direction - Abby Andrews
Photography [Cover] - Teri Bloom 

Full Album

Roseanna Vitro - Listen Here (1982)

Vocalist Roseanna Vitro - performer, recording artist, educator and journalist - reissues 'Listen Here', the debut album that launched her career. Featuring veteran pianist Kenny Barron, the project ushered into the spotlight a formidable new artist with chops and sensitivity in equal measure - a galvanizing spirit who, having already proven she could move live audiences, now certified her power on vinyl. Though this is a first recording, Vitro shows herself a mature jazz singer. Vitro decided to re-release 'Listen Here' because the time was right. She and her husband Paul Wickliffe, an accomplished sound engineer with a storied career, recently became grand- parents. Their perspective has changed. "It was time to take stock of my life and look back at my career," she says. "Some of my earlier records were never transferred to a digital format, so they are no longer available. And many reviewers and DJ's who have known me over the years have moved on. I think these early recordings stand the test of time, and I want to introduce them to a new generation." Esteemed jazz journalist Neil Tesser said in USA Today, "Roseanna can sing rings around half the vocalists you can name. Her warm, confident clarity of tone is immediately noticeable, but most startling is her boldness of phrasing." He might have added, "her unerring talent for finding the truth - through song, through the communal experience of sharing it." The evidence can be heard easily. 

Texas Rose Music, TRM1001, 1984
Skyline Records, 2001, 2021
Recorded 4th October, 1982 at Skyline Studios, New York City 

Musicians:
Roseanna Vitro - Vocals
Arnett Cobb -Saxophone (#A3,A4,B2)
Kenny Barron - Piano
Bliss Rodriguez - Piano (#A3)
Scott Hardy - Guitar (#A6)
Buster Williams - Bass
Ben Riley - Drums
Duduka Da Fonseca - Percussion (#A1,A6) 

Tracks:
A1. No More Blues {Antônio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes, Jon Hendricks} (3:02)
A2. You Go To My Head {Haven Gillespie, J. Fred Coots} (4:12)
A3. Centerpiece {Harry Edison, Jon Hendricks} (4:59)
A4. Love You Madly {Duke Ellington} (4:54)
A5. A Time For Love {Johnny Mandel, Paul Francis Webster} (5:43)
A6. This Happy Madness {Antônio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes} (3:39)
B1. Listen Here {David Frishberg} (3:06)
B2. It Could Happen To You {Johnny Burke, James Van Heusen} (3:20)
B3. Easy Street {Alan Rankin Jones} (3:48)
B4. Sometime Ago {Sergio Mihanovich} (3:49)
B5. You Took Advantage Of Me {Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart} (3:13)
B6. Black Coffee {Paul Francis Webster, Sonny Burke} (5:10) 

Total Time: 49:00

Credits:
Producer, Recording & Mixing - Paul Wickliffe
Associate Producer, Arranger - Fred Hersch
Cover Design - Jayne Travis
Photography - Ian Anderson
Liner Notes - Steve Allen