Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
Includes unlimited streaming of Music for Small and Large Ensembles - Mega Mereneu Project Big Band
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Fourteen years ago I started playing with Meretrio in Brazil. After a few years, the trio became the nonet “Mereneu Project”, and in 2015 I released my first album as a big band leader, conducting a large ensemble featuring some of Austria’s best musicians. So, my musical life as composer gone from trio to nonet, nonet to big band, but these have always been separate. In February of 2018, the two worlds of my big band and my trio came together, giving birth to this new CD.
The big band, the Mega Mereneu Project, benefits from the participation of writers, singers, poetry slammers as well as the fantastic musicians of my band.
The Danish writer Ursula Andkjær Olsen lent me a text of hers, which I used for the lyrics of my composition “Garden Sensibilities”. Even though we have never met in person, music had the power to bring our work together.
“Islamwissenschaften” and “Ist es Möglich” were written in partnership with the German poetry slammers David Friedrich and Thomas Spitzer. Their texts are intelligent and sarcastic. Writing music for them was both fun and a great challenge.
The jazz standard “Round Midnight”, written by Thelonious Monk, is a bridge that connects this album to the history of jazz. As a composer in the big band tradition, I see myself as a humble contributor to the history and development of the genre, bound to the tradition by ties as important as unavoidable.
Not only did I have the pleasure to compose the aforementioned vocal pieces, but I was also able to write instrumental pieces for large ensemble. My past collaborations with the HR Big Band in Frankfurt and the HRT Orchestra in Zagreb were my inspiration to write the “Hessischer Waltz” and “Solo for Zagreb”.
Every single musician that I meet in life affects the way I feel and understand music and so some pieces are dedicated to specific musicians in the band. “Nicoleta” is dedicated to Nicolo Loro, who has played with me in the Mereneu Project since its beginning and has become a passionate clarinet player. The piece “Liquid” is dedicated to Michael Lagger, with his impressionistic style of playing the piano.
“The Groove” is a present to my whole band. It is a great honor to have them as partners and their contribution is essential to the final product that you’re hearing now! What’s especially beautiful is how all these talented musicians play off one another.
Lastly, I would like to say thank you to all the people who worked directly and indirectly on this production, to all the artists and friends involved and also thank both the Land Steiermark and ÖH of Kunstuni Graz for their financial support. The new album is born! I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed making it!
credits
released October 28, 2020
Recorded at KUG Studios in February 2018, Graz, Austria
Recording Producer: Ulrich Katzenberger
Sound Engineers: Ludwig Frühschütz, Lukas Ledoldis
Editing: Ludwig Frühschütz, Lukas Ledoldis, Ulrich Katzenberger
Mixed and mastered in May 2018, Vienna, Austria at Acoustic Art Studios by Werner Angerer
All compositions by Emiliano Sampaio except “Round Midnight” by Thelonious Monk. Texts from David Friedrich in “Islamwissenschaften“, Thomas Spitzer in „Ist es Möglich“ and Ursula Andkjær Olsen in „Garden Sensibilities“.
Mega Mereneu Project
Ursula Reicher, Elina Viluma, Thomas Spitzer, David Friedrich – Vocals and Poetry Slam
Andreas Bohlen, Heinrich Von Kalnein, Nicolo Loro, Oleksandr Ryndenko, Thomas Fröschl - Woodwinds
Dominik Pessl, Gerhard Ornig, Mario Stuhlhofer, Marko Solman - Trumpet and Flugelhorn
Adam Ladanyi, Karel Eriksson, Alexander Ladreiter, Johannes Oppel – Trombone
Karl-Heinz Tappler - French horn in Garden Sensibilities
Luis André - Drums
Michael Lagger - Keys
Maximilian Ranzinger – Bass
Emiliano Sampaio – Composer, conductor and guitar
