Vince Mendoza Metropole Orkest – Olympians (BMG Modern Recordings, 2023)
Vince Mendoza, who has won seven Grammy Awards and been nominated 36 times, reunites with his longtime collaborator Metropole Orkest, to record Olympians, a select collection of the composer/conductor’s works written for the orchestra over their 28-year collaboration. The album follows 2021’s Freedom Over Everything, his Grammy-winning debut for BMG’s Modern Recordings.
Mendoza masterfully explores the language of jazz, classical music, flamenco and samba, rock, and R&B and film music among others. To achieve his conceptualization, Mendoza requires musicians who are willing to take that journey with him. The final result on Olympians is a set of exquisite instrumental and vocal tracks that skillfully and elegantly intertwine various musical genres using contemporary jazz, big band, world music, and western classical music instrumentation.
Born out of the ashes of World War II, Metropole Orkest (52 musicians strong) has been a major part of cultural life in the Netherlands for 75 years and remains the only full-time jazz and pop orchestra in the world. They are in high demand for concerts great and small, recordings, festivals, and tours. Consequently, Mendoza and the Metropole have an affinity for each other’s work.
“The term ‘Olympians,’” Mendoza explains, referring to the album’s title, “is something that I use quite often while on the podium with Metropole as I feel that this orchestra continues to play difficult music with grace, enthusiasm, and accuracy, especially given the wide scope of the projects they have done over the years. They’ve really developed the ability to be comfortable with so many styles of music, which is quite unusual for an orchestra. This recording shows them at the height of their Olympian powers.”
Vocalists Dianne Reeves and Cécile McLorin Salvant, saxophonists Chris Potter and David Binney, percussionist Alex Acuña, and the late guitarist Ramón Stagnaro (playing the charango) all make guest appearances on Olympians. And for each of these musicians, as well as the orchestra and its featured soloists, Mendoza creates the perfect ambiance for their artistry.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.