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. Recorded in the Netherlands at Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ Amsterdam and at Parkstad Limburg Theaters Heerlen over two nights in May this year, the remarkable live recording from the Portuguese-born, Netherlands-based vocalist and composer, Maria Mendes – in the company of her own quartet plus the Metropole Orkest conducted by keyboardist, composer, and arranger John Beasley – includes striking orchestral arrangements of material from her 2019 Grammy-nominated album, Close To Me.

Composed by Alain Oulman and Luís Vaz de Camões, and described by Mendes as being one of her ultimate fados, ‘Com Que Voz’ is the perfect scene-setter, with a richly detailed arrangement, Mendes's soaring vocal and the music's harmonic twists and turns combining to powerful effect. Written by the virtuoso Portuguese guitar player and composer, Carlos Paredes, ‘Verdes Anos’ elicits an extraordinarily committed and impassioned performance from both vocalist and orchestra. Penned by legendary Brazilian composer Hermeto Pascoal – and presented to Mendes in the form of a handwritten score on the back of a hotel room emergency exit instruction card – the melodic beauty and uplifting rhythmic charge of ‘Hermeto's Fado For Maria’ is an ecstatic standout. Newly composed by Mendes and Beasley, and seamlessly channelling the overall tenor of the album, ‘Meu Pobre Capitão’ draws proceedings to a heart-warming close.