Hendrik Meurkens

Hendrik Meurkens (born 1957) is a Dutch harmonica and vibraphone player of the modern jazz.

He has been described as "the obvious leading player" in harmonica and has been compared to Toots Thielemans.

Life and career Hendrik Meurkens was born on August 15, 1957 to Dutch parents and spent his early life in Hamburg. He began playing the vibraphone when he was sixteen and started playing the harmonica three years later after listening to a Toots Thielemans recording. He studied with Wolfgang Schlüter from 1976 to 1977.

Meurkens moved to the United States the same year and attended the Berklee College of Music for three years. During his time there, Meurkens met Brazilian musician , who gave him a place to sleep during his first few days in the nation. He was signed onto Concord Records the next year, releasing six albums for the label before exiting during the late 1990s.

Discography

Clear of Clouds (1992) Manhattan Samba (2021)