Hendrik Meurkens Quartet

One of the most unique and captivating voices in jazz brings his quartet to The Side Door.

Hendrik Meurkens – Harmonica & Vibraphone

Steve Ash – Piano

Joe Fitzgerald – Bass

Ben Bilello – Drums

Hendrik Meurkens is a virtuoso on both the chromatic harmonica and the vibraphone — widely regarded as the most important jazz harmonica player since Toots Thielemans. Born in Hamburg and now based in New York, his path to musical mastery is one of jazz’s most extraordinary stories. As a teenager, a Benny Goodman record with Lionel Hampton lit the fuse — he had to play vibraphone. Then, at nineteen, he heard Toots Thielemans for the first time and knew he had to play harmonica too. He perfected his unique musical voice at Berklee as a vibraphone major, then moved to Rio de Janeiro in the early 1980s to immerse himself completely in the music and culture of Brazil.

Meurkens’ poignant, emotionally affecting harmonica proved to be a sound that Brazilians strongly embraced, and that deep love of Brazilian music — samba, bossa nova, choro — has never left him, infusing everything he plays with a warmth and rhythmic vitality that is entirely his own. Back in Germany by 1983, he became a respected studio musician, recording with European Radio Orchestras and accompanying visiting legends like Harry “Sweets” Edison and Buddy Tate. He then moved to New York on an exclusive contract with Concord Records and has since released over fifteen acclaimed albums as a leader, performing at festivals and clubs around the world.

A two-mallet player in the tradition of Milt Jackson and Bobby Hutcherson, Meurkens brings an extraordinary double talent to The Side Door — equally at home swinging hard on the vibes and singing through the harmonica with a tone that has drawn comparisons to the great Toots Thielemans himself. This is a rare and intimate opportunity to experience one of jazz’s most singular artists up close.

The Side Door Jazz Club is a dedicated jazz listening room located inside the historic Old Lyme Inn, 85 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT. Tickets are reserved seating. Guests dining at the Old Lyme Inn prior to the show receive 10% off their dinner bill.