The Meretrio was founded in São Paulo, Brasil in 2004 by guitarist Emiliano Sampaio, bassist Gustavo Boni and drummer Luis André de Oliveira with the purpose of researching the diversity of popular music. In 2014 they moved from Brazil to Austria and invited six horn players to record their album Mereneu Project as a nonet, which won the “Downbeat Student Award” for Best 2014 Jazz Group.

In 2015 Meretrio released the ambitious big band production “Tourists”, which among others featured the German veteran saxophonist Heinrich von Kalnein and which got critical acclaim worldwide. In 2017 Meretrio released the album “Óbvio”, again featuring Heinrich von Kalnein on alto flute and tenor sax. This album received four stars by the US-American DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE. By this time Sampaio and Kalnein made plans about working on a regular base. In 2018, at the end of their first tour they recorded their first album “Passagem” at the legendary German Bauer Studios. Their second album “Live at The Bird’s Eye”, a stunning live performance from the legendary “bird’s eye” Jazzclub in Basel (CH) is scheduled for spring 2023.

“Meretrio is a cohesive unit that favours a tight, groove-oriented sound, but one that allows for immense freedom within that space.”

Brian Zimmerman, DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE (USA) about the album “Òbvio”

„Eine Fusion aus Jazz, Blues oder Rock, die viele Fenster öffnet.“

Ernst Weiss, CONCERTO Magazin (Austria)