Herz & Loureiro

“He played guitar and I played violin. Then he told me he played the vibraphone and suggested that when I went to Brazil, we should form a vibraphone and violin duo. I thought it was a bit risky. I’d never seen it done before. It could have sounded too ‘cerebral.’ But nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? Well, we took the risk, and it actually worked! I won’t say it was easy; there were hours and hours of study and rehearsals, thinking about and experimenting with the possibilities. We also had the superb direction, audio capture, mixing, and mastering by the great André Mehmari! I hope you enjoy the album as much as I enjoyed making it! Big hugs to everyone!”
Ricardo Herz

“Recording this project fulfills a wish that dates back to my move from Belo Horizonte to São Paulo four years ago. Ricardo and André are musicians I’ve admired deeply since long before we became friends and started playing together. Today, I have the joy of building music and friendship with these two, who represent the very best of what is being created in our country’s music scene today.
The main reason for this collaboration is our mutual admiration for each other’s music and personalities. The combination of instruments is unconventional, but it stems from a simple desire to meet up and make music—regardless of the instrument, I believe. Right now, Ricardo and André give me the ultimate joy of being a musician and the chance to learn from and enjoy their immense talent and friendship. Thank you, friends.”
Antonio Loureiro

“A marriage of violin and vibraphone? Unlikely, bold, new, unusual—even strange. That wasn’t quite it. It could have been tuba and bagpipes… Better put, here is the duo of Antônio Loureiro and Ricardo Herz: two consummate musicians joining their voices on this beautiful record, which I had the joy of producing in my studio in the middle of the jungle. And it was there—amidst the wooden floorboards and the stone walls of the room—that I heard wonders reverberate: sonic encounters I had never heard before, born of the magical blend of rich, colorful tones resulting from the happy embrace of two inspired artists who have dedicated their lives to music. And this is something one hears clearly and radiantly in every note (and in every silence, too) of this truly special and unique album. I lived it, heard it, and saw it. It was beautiful. Thank you.”

“I met Loureiro at the Filial bar in São Paulo; Benjamim Taubkin introduced him as a great drummer and composer from Minas Gerais. I got to know the person first: somewhat shy, with that classic *mineiro* manner… a really good guy! Later, I got the album by the group he played in, Ramo. That’s when I started to see his side as a drummer and composer. I was immediately impressed! Shortly after, he went to Paris—the city where I was living at the time. We met up, and I listened to his first solo album. That record blew me away. What compositions, what arrangements, what execution! I became a huge fan. On that occasion, I sat in as a guest musician on the song ‘Quinem Quiabo’ during his show.