Line Up
Special guest: John Beasley (keys, producer, arrangements and orchestrations)
Maria Mendes (vocals, compositions and arrangements)
Cedric Hanriot (piano)
Jasper Somsen (acoustic bass)
Jasper van Hulten (drums, percussion)
Download Bios
Press Quotes
“A jazz singer of the highest order. Her poise is as impressive as her power” DOWNBEAT (USA)
“Nothing here disappoints! Graceful vocalist” JAZZTIMES (USA)
“Priming need not be provided to understand the beauty of Close To Me” ALL ABOUT JAZZ (USA)
“Mendes’ voice and improvisation are paramount art ” NRC (Netherlands)
“You hear the merging of Fado in all elegantly swirling notes, while the music gets wings through Mendes’ great sense of timing and well-dosed scat ” DE VOLKSKRANT (Netherlands)
Maria Mendes can do the simple perfect: inspiring, ethereal vocal art” KULTKOMPLOTT (Germany)
“What Mendes express with her voice is art and a real treat for the heart and ears. Impressive!” DRAAI OM JE OREN (Netherlands)
“Her vocalically shows it all, really perfect” JAZZZINE.NL (Netherlands)
“Maria Mendes singing charms anyone” JAZZ À FIT (France)
“Gently beautiful. Excellent album” SERAI MUSIC MAGAZINE (Japan)
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)
Official Videos
Significant awards
EDISON JAZZ Award 2020
BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM | Close To Me
GRAMMY Award 2021 *nomination*
BEST ARRANGEMENT INSTRUMENTS & VOCALS | Close To Me
LATIN GRAMMY Award 2020 *nomination*
BEST ARRANGEMENT | Close To Me
Montreux Jazz Voice Competition Award
SWITZERLAND | 2010
(president of the jury was jazz legend Quincy Jones)
Best Improvisation Award at the Jazz Voices International Competition
LITHUANIA | 2010
Best Jazz Vocalist Award at the Jazz Voices International competition
LITHUANIA |2010
Best Jazz Vocalist Award at the Nederlands Jazz Vocalisten Concours
NETHERLANDS | 2009
Relevant shows
De Doelen NETHERLANDS | 2020
Bimhuis NETHERLANDS | 2019
Tivoli Vredenburg NETHERLANDS | 2019
Casa da Música PORTUGAL | 2019
Handelsbeurs BELGIUM | 2018
De Bijloke BELGIUM | 2017
Het Concertgebouw NETHERLANDS | 2017
North Sea Jazz Festival NETHERLANDS | 2016
Sunside Paris FRANCE | 2016
CCB Lisboa PORTUGAL | 2015
Lantaren Venster NETHERLANDS | 2015
Blue Note Jazz Club New York USA | 2014
SESC Pompéia BRASIL | 2013
Off Beat Jazz Festival SWITZERLAND | 2013
Montreux Jazz Festival SWITZERLAND | 2010
Relevant collaborations
Metropole Orkest | Chamber line up on Close to Me project & tour 2019-2021
John Beasley | Arranger, producer, pianist and Metropole Orkest’s conductor for Close to Me project & tour 2019-2021
Teus Nobel | Trumpetist on Dag van de Rotterdamse Jazz project 2018
Brussels Jazz Orchestra | Big Band on De Bijloke project 2017
Andre Ceccareli | Drummer on Innocentia tour 2017
Cedric Hanriot | Pianist on Innocentia tour 2017
Anat Cohen | Clarinetist on Innocentia project 2015
Martin Fondse | Arranger on Innocentia project 2015
Steven Kamperman, Alex Simu & Ricardo Toscano | Clarinetists on Innocentia tour 2015-2018
Wim Dijkgraaf | Harmonica player on Along the Road tour 2012-2014