Close to Me – Fado & Jazz in symphony

This year, a long-cherished wish of the singer has come true: to perform Close To Me live.
From her native Portugal to her current home in Rotterdam, Grammy and Latin Grammy Award-nominated singer and composer Maria Mendes has traveled through a wide world of musical expression and broad influences. Hailed by DownBeat magazine as “a jazz singer of the highest order whose poise is as impressive as her strength,” Mendes’s praises have been sung by such legendary figures as Quincy Jones and Hermeto Pascoal.

Mendes’ journey has taken her around the world and across the boundaries between different musical styles. On her latest release, Close To Me (Justin Time), the versatile jazz singer explores Fado, the melancholic music that originated in Portugal, for the first time. However, the project is far from a traditional take on the genre; Working with Grammy-winning arranger/pianist/producer John Beasley and the Grammy-winning Metropole Orchestra, Mendes finds her own signature connection to the music of her homeland. Close to Me is the winner of the Edison Jazz Awards 2020 in the Jazz Vocal National category.

To date, Mendes has released three standout solo albums – Along the Road (2012), Innocentia (2015) and Close To Me (2019) – enthralling audiences around the world, from small clubs to major venues, including the world-famous Concertgebouw. in Amsterdam, as well as the North Sea and Montreux Jazz Festivals. She had the honor of being the first Portuguese artist to headline the iconic Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City. Mendes is also the first female Portuguese artist to receive a Grammy nomination.

Close To Me, Live with John Beasley and the Metropole Orkest
This year, a long-cherished wish of the singer has come true: to perform Close To Me live. Together with John Beasley and the Metropole Orkest, Mendes will tour the Dutch halls this year for an unforgettable live performance of this widely acclaimed project. The repertoire for the concerts will consist of new arrangements specially adapted to the Metropole Orchestra and new material by the singer will also be heard. The concerts also form the basis for recordings of a new live album that will be released this fall.

In the press
“In all the elegantly swirling notes you can hear the saudade of the fado, while the music is given wings by Mendes’ great sense of timing and well-dosed scat vocals.” – Volkskrant

“… Maria Mendes’ vocals always land, with clear precision and flexibility.” – NRC

“Maria Mendes is world class. A fantastic all-round singer, who can also sing great jazz, you can hear on this CD especially when she plays scattvocals” – Jazz Flash

Source: PLT website