Jazzwise UK
*2022 Best Jazz Record (December issue)
Jazzthing DE
*Jazz Favourites of 2022 (December issue)
Downbeat USA
*2022 Best Latin Jazz Albums (November issue)
*2020 Best Jazz Records of 2020 (December issue)
*2020 HOT BOX February 2020 (February issue) – a fine selection of the 4 best jazz albums of the month: Mendes’s “Close to Me” stood side by side with the new releases of Keith Jarrett and Dave Douglas.
Jazziz USA
*2022 Best Jazz Record (October issue)
Jazzism NL
*Top Best Jazz Albums of 2022 (December issue)
Press Quotes
“A jazz singer of the highest order. The lush symphonic sound sparks when it meets the interplay of Mendes’s brilliant quartet and the singer’s fervent vocals” DOWNBEAT (USA)
“Mendes takes another step into a largely uncharted realm where Jazz inflicts the ritualistic laments of Fado. (…) a real authority in the jazz tradition. Captivating!” JAZZTIMES (USA)
4 **** JAZZWISE (UK)
“A remarkable live recording with extraordinarily committed and impassioned performance from both vocalist and orchestra. A love letter both to fado and to jazz, and the boundless possibilities that come from marrying the two, Saudade, Colour of Love represents a stunning achievement“
“Crystal clear voice, strong and confident (…) has the courage to make the classic Fado sound absolutely contemporary and of the moment”
JAZZVIEWS (UK)
5 ***** CONCERTO (Austria)
“A mixture of fado and symphonic jazz that sounds big, opulent and yarning. (…) there is no trace of grey in the glowing and vibrant songs (…) as Maria can draw on a wide palette of colours”
4 **** STEREO MAGAZINE (Germany)
“Mendes’ voice and improvisation are paramount art” NRC (Netherlands)
“Mendes immediately profiles herself as a strong jazz singer. Intimacy and beauty from the first track” JAZZISM (Netherlands)
“Longing, love, nostalgia are the themes, performed with a voice that is unsurpassed in purity and variability” JAZZ ’N’ MORE (Switzerland)
“Breathtaking. A dazzling version of a versatile ode to Fado” JAZZHALO (Belgium)
“Maria’s extraordinary vocals and the virtuosity of all the musicians are the highlight on this album. Mendes singing is anchored on the jazz language but is in her creative incursions that she shows all her artistic freedom” REVISTA VISÃO (Portugal)
5***** O GLOBO (Brazil)
Jazz Legends Quotes
“I see a promising shining future for this young talented singer”
QUINCY JONES (USA)
“As Metropole Orkest we are always looking to combine music styles. This project intelligently combines Fado and Jazz in a well-balanced and vibrant manner. John Beasley’s charts are rich and his work on this recording can be compared to that of a great fashion designer. Maria, her incredible voice and her songs are his muse in creating a garment that fits perfectly and makes the Metropole Orkest shine” METROPOLE ORKEST (Netherlands)
“Fado music needs an impressionistic voice that can express the longing and loss in these stories of melancholy. Maria Mendes surprised me with her stunning timbre of voice. She also has the charisma and personality that is needed to connect the music to the words and context of the songs. And, with Maria’s soul-reaching voice, which is clear as a bell and can trigger a wide range of feelings, when you listen, you are left with how to handle the beauty and artistry of what you just experienced. With “Close to Me”, you hear two genres –fado and jazz– infusing each other creating a new blend –a new musical appetite that stirs your soul” JOHN BEASLEY (USA)
“Beautiful singing and great scat”
HERMETO PASCOAL (Brazil)
“An album sung from the heart”
SHEILA JORDAN (USA)
“Maria Mendes singing is wonderful”
DORI CAYMMI (Brazil)
“I hope her crystal-clear voice and her precise diction will conquer your hearts like it did mine”
DAVID LINX (Belgium)
“Her crystal-clear voice, perfect tuning and smoothness are unique”
ROSA PASSOS (Brazil)
