An excellent harmonica player teams up with a talented pianist-composer:
Erik Verwey Trio & Hermine Deurloo
About A Home
Hermine Deurloo is one of the top jazz chromatic harmonica players in the world. Based in Amsterdam, she has shown on her previous albums as a leader that she ranks with the very best and is a worthy successor to the late Toots Thielemans. She plays the harmonica with the fluidity of a saxophonist or trumpeter, and after a few numbers one realizes that the fact that she is improvising on an instrument that is rarely played in jazz is irrelevant. What matters is her steady flow of warm, creative and melodic ideas.
Erik Verwey, who is also from Amsterdam, is a relatively new name in jazz although he has extensive experience as a film composer and accompanist in the theater. Hermine Deurloo heard the pianist’s debut album (People Flow) and was so impressed that she called him up for a recording session (resulting in Splendor Takes) and has since toured with his trio.
About A Home is notable in three ways: Deurloo’s harmonica playing, Verwey’s consistently inventive solos, and the pianist’s compositions. Verwey’s pieces (all but “Love Theme For Spartacus” are his originals) are never just chord changes for the musicians to jam over. They are filled with strong melodies, transitions, arranged sections, and often changes in moods and rhythms as they evolve. While the focus is on the two lead voices, one should not overlook the playing of bassist Hendrik Muller and drummer/percussionist Daniel van Dalen who perform the music flawlessly and with sympathetic support.
The 11 selections unfold like a suite. Starting with the wistful and picturesque “Daybreak,” many of the pieces are a bit melancholy. “Trepidation” effectively utilizes a repetitive figure to give the piece urgency, “What Do You See” and “Mother’s Lament” are elaborate jazz waltzes that, while unpredictable, keep the melodies and their opening moods in mind. The other highlights include the playful “Frisk For Two” (which is in 5/4 time), a heated “Keep On Chasing” (which sounds like something that Chick Corea would have been proud to compose), the haunting “A Gloomy Undertaking,” and the quartet’s beautiful interpretation of “Love Theme From Spartacus.” Throughout the program, the harmonica and piano solos, which are consistently impressive, are a logical outgrowth of the ensembles and Verwey’s arrangements.
With its strong unity, About A Home should be heard in one setting. It is highly recommended and a milestone in the careers of Erik Verwey and Hermine Deurloo.
Scott Yanow, jazz journalist/historian