Piano & Voice
Maria Mendes (vocals, musical compositions, arrangements)
John Beasley (pianist, arrangements)
optional pianist: Karel Boehlee
Maria Mendes’s talents have been praised by musical legends such as Quincy Jones and Hermeto Pascoal. Grammy nominee John Beasley was one of Miles Davis’ last pianists.
Like the blues, fado is a music of both longing and joy, or as Portuguese say, saudade. By tapping into her roots, Mendes was able to find the freedom to write an adventurous love letter to her homeland in her third album “Close to Me” – featuring the four times Grammy winner, the Metropole Orkest.
With Beasley, they’ve reimagined and revived fado’s sorrowful sound through hauntingly serenades, jaunty jazz meditations and crisp melismatic scatting. On this bold project, you hear two genres infusing each other creating a new blend – a new musical appetite that stirs your soul.
Vibes & Voice
Maria Mendes (vocals, musical compositions, arrangements)
Vincent Houdijk (vibraphone, musical compositions, arrangements)