Concord, 1994
Recorded June 16-17, 1994
1. Come Rain Or Come Shine 
2. Have You Met Miss Jones?
3. Slidin’ (Meurkens)
4. The Cottage (Meurkens)
5. Bolero Para Paquito (Meurkens)
6. All Of You
7. Stolen Moments
8. Fortuna
9. Tribute
10. Voyage
11. Once Was
12. The Talking Trout (Meurkens)
Hendrik Meurkens – harmonica
Peter Bernstein – guitar
Mark Soskin – piano (tracks 6-9,11,12)
Dado Moroni – piano
Harvie Swartz – bass (tracks 6,7,9,11,12)
David Finck – bass
Tim Horner – drums
Hendrik’s Notes
This is a straight-ahead date featuring two different trios.
The band with Mark Soskin, Harvie Swartz and Tim Horner did a three week European tour right before the recording. Mark Soskin, who’s a very talented pianist, also plays on A VIEW FROM MANHATTAN. He sounds great playing both Jazz and Brazilian music and he is a very tasty accompanist. And of course a great soloist.
So is Harvie. In those days he was still Harvie Swartz. Nowadays it’s Harvie S.. Same guy. Same great bass solos.
Dado I first met on a Jazz cruise in the Mediterranean in 1993.At that time he was already a legend in Europe. There was a great Jazz club in Bern/Switzerland by the name ‘Widder Bar’.They had a house rhythm section that played for all the American Jazz greats that passed through. Jimmy Woode was the bassist, Alvin Queen the drummer and Dado the piano player.
Everybody knew about Dado and his unbelievable talent. I think he is the king. Nobody swings like him and has such creativity. I did several tours with him including one in Japan with Ray Brown and he always plays on the highest level. I guess I have to accept that he doesn’t know it any other way. Dado is also on ENCONTROS and NEW YORK NIGHTS and hopefully on many more recordings to come.
David Finck is like Mark Soskin, completely at home playing both Jazz and Brazilian. And about 300 other styles. He is one of the first call bassists in New York and was André Previn’s duo partner for quite a while. Now that tells you something about his chops.
Tim Horner I first met in the late seventies in Boston when we both attended Berklee College. We reacquainted twelve years later when I moved to New York. Tim has a beautiful smooth swing and is a master with the brushes. You want a tasty drummer like him for a quartet date featuring the harmonica.
Rounding off the band is Peter Bernstein with his big, fat guitar tone. There is another guy that is pure taste. Pete now plays in Jimmy Cobb’s band. Cobb knows.
On this recording, we play a number of standards and also premiere four originals of mine: Slidin’ and Bolero Para Paquito have since been recorded several times, Bolero by Paquito himself. Along with Prague In March and Mundell’s Mood they are Jazz originals that I always play on my straight-ahead gigs.
Reviews
“The music moody yet swinging, demonstrating Hendrik Meurkens’ continued growth from his earlier discs.” Scott Yanow – All Music Guide
“…possesses a superior skill and insight needed to someday take over from Thielemans. Capably backed by talented players, Meurkens has impressive control of his unruly, stubborn tin instrument and projects decorous exuberance and agitated gentleness on originals and classics…” Frank-John Hadley – Downbeat, April, 1995
Critics’ Pick – Jazziz, March 1995
“…it is very, very good and leaves one wanting more.” Columbus Dispatch, March, 1995
“Meurkens’ approach is to treat the harmonica like a sax and his influences include bebop legends like Dexter Gordon, Hank Mobley and Charlie Parker, as wel as Toots.” Winnepeg Free Press, Feburary, 1995
“The album opens with Come Rain or Come Shine, which admirably demonstrates the Dutchman’s flawless command of his instrument, in particular his masterful legato, which is far more difficult to achieve than the normal staccato approach.” Angus James – New Note, March 1995
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