Big band jazz and... harmonica? It works! Hendrik Meurkens leads 2 bands through 2 joyful albums. His 2024 album is with Costa Rica's CCCN Jazz Orchestra, led by drummer Carlomagno Araya. Album Discogs.
Hendrik has >30 releases, and this appears to be the 1st for the orchestra. His website ; Discogs ; Allmusic. CCCNJO website. Araya's Discogs. Hendrik's recent ~quintet release is The Jazz Meurkengers -- ya gotta love it. 😁
Hendrik Meurkens & CCCN Jazz Orchestra, Big Band Brasil, full album: YouTube (one big file) ; Spotify ; Bandcamp
This is on the Big Band 2024 and Jazz Best Albums 2024 playlists at Spotify/Jazz Todayish.
Here's his 2022 album. "Combine Meurkens' superb playing and writing with Mossman and
Franzetti's dazzling charts, flawlessly performed by the marvelous WDR
Big Band, and you have the complete package. To put it another way,
Latin-flavored big-band jazz simply doesn't get much better than this." Jack Bowers/AllAboutJazz. Album Discogs.
The WDR Big Band is a project of WDR Broadcasters in Cologne, Germany. They have released >75 albums since 1979. YouTube channel (please subscribe); website ; Discogs. Type "WDR" into the search box for alotta WDR Big Band album recommendations.
Hendrik Meurkens & The WDR Big Band, Samba Jazz Odyssey, full album: YouTube ; Spotify
This is on the Big Band 2022 playlist at Spotify/Jazz Todayish.
Hendrik leads the WDR Big Band in a tune from their album. 😎
