Vince Mendoza – Freedom over Everything (2021)
FLAC (tracks) 24bit/48kHz | Time – 01:07:00 minutes | 735 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Modern Recordings
Six-time GRAMMY(R)-Award winner, and 34-time nominee, Vince Mendoza returns to his roots as a composer and conductor highlighting collaborations with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, soprano Julia Bullock, guest artists Joshua Redman, Antonio Sanchez, Derrick Hodge, and The Roots’ premier MC Black Thought-for his forthcoming album, Freedom Over Everything, on Modern Recordings.
The album opens with Mendoza’s five movement “Concerto for Orchestra” which was commissioned by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, with whom Mendoza has had a working relationship for the last several years. The collaboration aimed to create a work that would feature soloists in the orchestra but to somewhat forge a new direction in this revered form.
“My approach is a departure from the traditions of an orchestra concerto. For me, it was more about having an arc that tells a particular story, but also incorporates rhythmic and melodic aspects of African American music and improvisation.” explains Mendoza.
“Coinciding with the composition of the concerto was the 2016 [American] saga of the election of ’45’ and the resulting tremendous discord in the U.S. during that time. While writing this piece, the events happening in our country invaded my artistic space” said Mendoza. “For the first time I felt I couldn’t really write music and be removed from what was going on in our environment. I started seriously considering the importance of an artist to reflect the times and how I could make my music a reflection not only of what I was witnessing but what I hoped would occur. So that’s when the arc of this concerto started to take shape.”
Tracklist:
01. Vince Mendoza – Concerto for Orchestra: American Noise (feat. Antonio Sanchez, Jan Hasen”ohrl, Luk’as Chejn & Alexej Ros’ik)
02. Vince Mendoza – Concerto for Orchestra: Consolation (feat. Antonio Sanchez)
03. Vince Mendoza – Concerto for Orchestra: Hit the Streets (feat. Antonio Sanchez & Oleg Sokolov)
04. Vince Mendoza – Concerto for Orchestra: Meditation (feat. Antonio Sanchez & Joshua Redman)
05. Vince Mendoza – Concerto for Orchestra: Justice and the Blues (feat. Antonio Sanchez)
06. Vince Mendoza – Freedom over Everything (feat. Black Thought, Antonio Sanchez, Derrick Hodge & Paul Jackson, Jr.)
07. Vince Mendoza – Concerto for Orchestra: Finale (feat. Antonio Sanchez & Derrick Hodge)
08. Vince Mendoza – To the Edge of Longing (feat. Julia Bullock & Alexej Ros’ik)
09. Vince Mendoza – New York Stories (feat. Jan Hasen”ohrl & Antonio Sanchez)
10. Vince Mendoza – Freedom over Everything (feat. Black Thought) (Edit Version)
11. Vince Mendoza – To the Edge of Longing (feat. Julia Bullock) (Edit Version)
12. Vince Mendoza – Concerto for Orchestra: Justice and the Blues (feat. Antonio Sanchez) (Edit Version)
Download: