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Ghost Canyon

Title - 'Close To Me'
Artist - Maria Mendes

Music is the heart and soul of jazz singer Maria Mendes, who studied in New York, Brussels, Rotterdam, and Porto, and whose talents have been praised by musical legends such as Quincy Jones and Hermeto Pascoal.

With her new album, Close to Me (available now on Justin Time Records), she explores Fado: the music from her native Portugal and a completely different genre for the vocalist.

The results of this unique adaptation are surprising and refreshing and thoroughly engaging on her newest release and, to my mind, highlight the fact that Maria has one of the most engaging, enchanting vocal approaches to her music that exists today.

1. 'Há Uma Música Do Povo' (05:39)
2. 'Tudo Isto é Fado' (04:39)
3. 'Dança Do Amor' (04:41)
4. 'Verdes Anos' (04:38)
5. 'Barco Negro' (05:52)
6. 'Fado Da Invejosa' (04:46)
7. 'Foi Deus' (03:51)
8. 'Hermeto’s Fado For Maria' (03:37)
9. 'Tempo Emotivo' (03:18)
10. 'Asas Fechadas' (05:03)
11. 'E Se Não For Fado' (04:24)

“A symphonic Jazz approach to Fado,” is how the singer-songwriter describes the music on her new album. “It is not Fado,” she immediately emphasizes. “I only used the music and poetry from this genre, but made a completely personal interpretation of it, with new arrangements.”

In addition, she wrote her own songs, all in the spirit of the genre of her motherland. Although Mendes has been living in the Netherlands for several years, her connection to Portugal remains strong: it is where Fado is anchored, in the soul of the country.

The orchestrally beautiful, dulcet and airy 'Há Uma Música Do Povo' begins our journey and that is backed seamlessly by the upbeat, late night jazz club appeal of 'Tudo Isto é Fado,' the smooth and sultry 'Dança Do Amor,' and both the free flowing 'Verdes Anos,' and the big, bold and absolutely magnificent 'Barco Negro.'

Also featuring John Beasley (keyboards, orchestrations, percussion and conductor), Karel Boehlee (piano), Jasper Somsen (acoustic bass), Jasper van Hulten (drums and percussion), Metropole Orkest (chamber music line up on tracks nº 1, 5, 6 and 10), and Vincent Houdijk on vibraphone, next up is the emphatic 'Fado Da Invejosa' which is backed by the laid back 'Foi Deus' and then my own personal favorite, the perfected scat of 'Hermeto’s Fado For Maria.'

The album then winds down with more tempered scat on 'Tempo Emotivo,' the achingly ornately cinematic sensibilities of 'Asas Fechadas,' and then finally comes to a close with Maria's beautiful vocal-piano moment for 'E Se Não For Fado.'

Maria's first release was the 2012 debut Along The Road (Dot Time Records), and in 2015 she released the successor, Innocentia (Sony Music Portugal).

In recent years, she has completed several successful tours with performances all over the world, including the prestigious concert halls Concertgebouw (Amsterdam) and Blue Note Jazz Club (New York) as well as the North Sea and Montreux Jazz Festivals.

Official Purchase Link

www.Maria-Mendes.com

www.Justin-Time.com





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