Merel Hutten: piano and vocals.
On the album "Take a walk" you can also hear Kate Adams on the cello, Melissa Schaak on violin and viola, Geert Sluijter on drums and percussion, Christopher Klassen on trumpet and flugelhorn.
Influences
The Divine Comedy, Rufus Wainwright, Dayna Kurtz, Joni Mitchell, Ben Folds, Mozart, Bach and Debussy
Sounds Like
I've been told: Randy Newman, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Rufus Wainwright, Fiona Apple, Norah Jones, Ramses Shaffy and Debussy
When singer/songwriter Merel Hutten (1979) gets on stage, she immediately captivates you with her charming appearance. When she starts playing and singing, her music gives you goosebumps and touches your soul. Merel easily combines down-to-earth observations and cheerful anecdotes with stilled moments. As she sits behind her piano, she blends influences from jazz, blues and classical music into a scenery of sound in which she tells her stories.
Merel Hutten started performing as a singer/songwriter in 2005. After her third performance ever she got offered a complete album recording by theatre Schouwburg Amstelveen. Her debut album "Wonderbras & Petticoats (2006) was well received and in the years to follow, Merel performed regularly at venues in the Netherlands, the UK and Belgium. In December 2007, Merel won "Hou je kop Luisterpop" (Shut up and listen-pop) and was a finalist in the Mooie Noten competition for Singer/songwriters. In that same year, her music was used in a national radio commercial for Bagels & Beans.
Last summer, Merel started with the recordings for her second album "Take a walk". Her crystal-clear voice and jazzy piano playing are still the main ingredients, but on this second album there are also strings, drums, brass instruments and more. "For this album I wanted to take things a step further. With many of my songs I can hear elaborate arrangements in my head. It was great to actually carry them out and record them", says Merel.
Merel's music is an enchanting and original mixture of jazz, pop and classical music. With her catchy tunes she seeks out the adventure and doesn't shy away from elaborate instrumental solos. Merel's music reminisces of singer/songwriters like Rufus Wainwright, Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush and Randy Newman. Her lyrics are straightforward and yet poetic. Merel sings about her view of the world, herself and others, about dreams and disillusions, getting older and of course about love. "Take a walk" is an album about the beauty and the ugliness of the world......with a wink and a smile.
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BESTEL HET NIEUWE ALBUM: Ga naar www.merelhutten.nl of maak 17euro over op gironummer 6936658 ten name van ME Hutten, Amsterdam en mail je adres naar merelhutten@hotmail.com.
M-E-R-E-L!!!! Yesterday was GREAT!!! Thank you for the magical evening full of beautifully performed fantastic songs and some good laughs :) I've enjoyed myself so much!!! Good luck with everything!!! Yasmin
Bedankt voor het toevoegen van mijn link. Amsterdam is inderdaad wat ver weg voor mij op een doordeweekse dinsdag. Ik ben wel benieuwd naar je nieuwe CD.
Heej Merel, bedankt voor de uitnodiging maar ik kan er helaas niet bij zijn. Als de kwaliteit van je nieuwe cd net zo hoog is als die van Take a Walk kan het niet stuk. Alvast gefeliciteerd met de release.
I LOVE 'take a walk' !!! I wish I could be at your CD presentation - I'd love to see you again and hear the new tunes live. I promise to catch you the next time I'm in Holland. xoxoxxo and so much luck with the release!!!