Credits:

Vince Mendoza

Description:

Vince Mendoza is a composer/arranger/conductor who has won six Grammy Awards and has been nominated 34 times. Together with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, he has collaborated with soprano Julia Brock and other special guests including Joshua Redman, Antonio Sanchez, Derrick Hodge, and The Roots MC Black Thought to create his latest work, "FREEDOM OVER EVERYTHING" is completed. Here is an innovative work that transcends genres, with a strong message that reflects the atmosphere of the times. Vince Mendoza is a composer/arranger/conductor who has won six Grammy Awards and been nominated 34 times. He is widely recognized as one of the preeminent arrangers of his generation, having worked with legends such as Bjorkwe, Luvis Costello, Sting, Joni Mitchell, Joe Zawinul, John Scofield, Randy & Michael Brecker, Al Di Meola, and many others. He is widely recognized as one of the preeminent arrangers of his generation. He has now completed a new work.Returning to his roots as a composer and conductor, the upcoming release of FREEDOM OVER EVERYTHING features a wonderful collaboration with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra and special guests including soprano Julia Block, Joshua Redman, Antonio Sanchez, Derrick Hodge, and The Roots' The Roots, and special guests such as MC Black Thought. The album opens with a five-movement "Concerto for Orchestra" commissioned by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, with whom Mendoza has been in contact for several years. The goal of the numerous collaborations included in this album was to create an "orchestral work featuring a soloist," but at the same time, it also represents a new direction for this time-honored form. My approach was to break away from the tradition of the orchestral concerto. "My approach was to break away from the tradition of the orchestral concerto," Mendoza said of the work, "to create an arc that tells a specific story, while at the same time incorporating the rhythms and melodies of African American music and elements of improvisation.During the time I was composing the concerto, the 2016 presidential election was causing tremendous discord in the United States. While I was working on this piece, events happening in our own country invaded my artistic space. At this point I felt for the first time that we could not make music and leave the changing environment. I began to seriously consider the importance of artists reflecting the times. I then thought about how I could make music that reflected not only what I was witnessing, but also what I wanted. That's when the arc of this concerto began to take shape. "In this "Concerto for Orchestra," drummer Antonio Sanchez uses color, placement, and variation to create rhythmic textures. Joshua Redman's saxophone playing in "Meditation" also provided an important improvisational voice for this movement. (1/2)

Tracklisting:

1.Concerto for Orchestra: American Noise (feat. Antonio Sanchez, Jan Hasenohrl, Lukas Chejn & Alexej Rosik)
2.Concerto for Orchestra: Consolation (feat. Antonio Sanchez)
3.Concerto for Orchestra: Hit the Streets (feat. Antonio Sanchez & Oleg Sokolov)
4.Concerto for Orchestra: Meditation (feat. Antonio Sanchez & Joshua Redman)
5.Concerto for Orchestra: Justice and the Blues (feat. Antonio Sanchez)
6.Freedom over Everything (feat. Black Thought, Antonio Sanchez, Derrick Hodge & Paul Jackson, Jr.)
7.Concerto for Orchestra: Finale (feat. Antonio Sanchez & Derrick Hodge)
8.To the Edge of Longing (feat. Julia Bullock & Alexej Rosik)
9.New York Stories (feat. Jan Hasenohrl & Antonio Sanchez)