with Nilson Matta – Malandro, 2000

1. A Summer In San Francisco (Meurkens)

2. Baden 

3. Amor Em Paz (Once I Loved)

4. Chorinho No.2 (Meurkens) 

5. Rosa

6. Junity (Meurkens)

7. Chega De Saudade 

8. Prague In March (Meurkens) 

9. Forests

10. This Is For Luisa

11. O Ovo

Hendrik Meurkens – harmonica, vibes, marimba

Nilson Matta – bass

Helio Alves – piano

Duduka da Fonseca – drums

Maucha Adnet – vocal (tracks 3 & 7)

Romero Lubambo – guitar, cavaquinho

Dado Moroni – piano (tracks 6 & 8)

Café – percussion

Hendrik’s Notes

I first met Nilson Matta in Rio in 1982. We played Monday nights at the famous ‘Bar 21’. They had two bands alternating. Nilson was with Osmar Milito’s band and I played with drummer Ronnie Mesquita. When I moved to New York in 1992 there was Nilson again. He had moved a few years earlier and was already a veteran of the scene.

We are co-leaders on this recording. Both of us brought in tunes, and we produced everything together. The band here is really Nilson’s musical family: Romero, Duduka and Nilson have a band called Trio Da Paz. Maucha is Duduka’s wife. Helio is Duduka’s nephew whereas Café is Romero’s uncle and Nilson is Helio’s cousin…………..no, wait.

I recorded Chorinho No.2 on SAMBA IMPORTADO as Frenzelosa. This version features solos by Helio and myself. The great Italian pianist Dado Moroni is featured on Prague In March, where he also whistles, and on the first recorded version of Junity. I play Marimba here, once again, for the second time on CD, after DIG THIS SAMBA with Manfredo two years earlier.

This CD also features a nice version of Summer In San Francisco. I’ve recorded that, and Prague In March several times, always in very different settings. On OCTOBER COLORS, Helio and I play a vibes and piano duo.

Maucha is the foremost interpreter of Jobim these days. She sang with the master for ten years and here, surprise, surprise, she sings two Jobim tune. On Chega De Saudade, Maucha and my harmoncia are featured on both the intro and Jobim’s own shout chorus. If you want to call it a shout chorus. Does anybody really shout in Bossa Nova?

Nilson is not only a seriously swinging bass player but also a very talented composer. Recently, Helio, Nilson, Duduka and myself have played together as The Jobim Project. We toured Europe three or four times and there, he also played guitar, and a little percussion. I wonder if there is anything else I should know about him.

ENCONTROS has been very a popular recording. Having two leaders and two personalities collaborate worked out great. It often does not but here it really did. This album is presently out of print but there is a limited amount of CDs available for sale through this site.

Reviews

“Meurkens’ ubiquity may be on the reasons that he hasn’t received the headlines that he deserves. But no matter. His shear talent and brilliant career skills will launch him to the very top of the jazzworld before long. Throughout this incredible creation, he demonstrates that the colors of his chromatic harmonica are entirely compatible with the sentimental spirit association with samba, bossa nova and choro.” Latin Beat, February, 2001

“Matta, with just the right bass underpinnings and punctuations, and Meurkens’ mostly meaty, low register chromatic harmonica textures each create effective anchors to the recording’s wonderfully airy and lilting bossa, samba and choro rhythms.” Mike Quinn – Jazz Times December, 2000