Vince Mendoza
Vince Mendoza (born November 17, 1961) is an American music arranger, conductor, and composer.
Vince Mendoza | |
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Background information | |
Born | Norwalk, Connecticut, U.S. | November 17, 1961
Genres | Jazz, pop |
Occupation(s) | Composer, arranger, conductor |
Years active | 1990–present |
Labels | Blue Note, Transparent, Geffen, Warner Bros. |
Associated acts | Joni Mitchell, Michael Brecker, Björk |
Website | www |
Mendoza was born in Connecticut and studied guitar as a child, influenced by classical music, soul and jazz. He then took up the trumpet, which he continued to play at Ohio State University, where he participated in the Jazz Ensemble and the Concert Band. He graduated in 1983 with a degree in music composition.[1] He did his graduate studies in composition at the University of Southern California.
He was signed to Blue Note Records, with whom he released Start Here and Instructions Inside. His compositions have been featured by Gary Burton, Pat Metheny, Michael Brecker and Charlie Haden. Mendoza has frequently provided arrangements for their work, as well as for Randy Brecker and Peter Erskine.
He has produced and arranged for singers as diverse as Robbie Williams, Björk, Elvis Costello, and six Grammy Award-winning albums, Travelogue, Both Sides Now with Joni Mitchell, Some Skunk Funk, Brown Street, El Viento and 54. From 2005 to 2013 he was chief conductor of the Dutch Metropole Orchestra.[2]
Discography
As leader
- Vince Mendoza (Fun House, 1989)
- Start Here (World Pacific, 1990)
- Instructions Inside (Blue Note, 1991)
- Jazzpaña (ACT, 1993) as The Mendoza/Mardin Project
- Sketches (ACT, 1994)
- Caribbean Night (BHM, 1997) with WDR Big Band
- Epiphany (Zebra Acoustic, 1999) with London Symphony Orchestra
- Blauklang (ACT, 2008)
- El Viento: The Garcia Lorca Project (ACT, 2009)
- 54 (EmArcy, 2010)
- Fast City: A Tribute to Joe Zawinul (BHM, 2010)
- The Phoenix (Red Dot, 2010)
- Nights on Earth (Horizontal, 2011)
- Perfect Vision: The Esquivel Sound (Basta, 2013)
- Homecoming (Sunnyside, 2017) with WDR Big Band[3]
As arranger and conductor
With the Metropole Orchestra
- Bart van Lier – Twilight (Koch Jazz, 1998)
- Elvis Costello – Live with the Metropole Orkest – My Flame Burns Blue (DG, 2006)
- Trijntje Oosterhuis – The Look Of Love: Burt Bacharach Songbook (Blue Note, 2006)
- Trijntje Oosterhuis – Who'll Speak for Love: Burt Bacharach Songbook II (Blue Note, 2007)
- Trijntje Oosterhuis – Best of Burt Bacharach Live (Blue Note/EMI, 2009) – compilation
- Jim Beard – Revolutions (Sunnyside, 2009)
- Chris Minh Doky / Larry Goldings / Peter Erskine – Scenes from a Dream (Red Dot, 2010)
- Al Jarreau – Al Jarreau and the Metropole Orkest Live (Concord, 2012)
- Raul Midón – If You Really Want (Artistry Music, 2018)
- Cory Wong – Live in Amsterdam (Cory Wong, 2020)
With WDR Big Band Cologne
- Randy Brecker w/Michael Brecker – Some Skunk Funk (Telarc, 2005)
- Joe Zawinul – Brown Street (WDR/Intuition, 2006)
- Chano Domínguez – Soleando (Jazzline, 2015)
With others
- Ohio State University Jazz Ensemble – Music to Clean the Garage By (1981)
- Ohio State University Jazz Ensemble – Ozone Park (OSUJE, 1983)
- Peter Erskine – Transition (Passport Jazz, 1986/Denon, 1987)
- Peter Erskine – Motion Poet (Denon, 1988)
- Al Di Meola – World Sinfonia (Tomato, 1991)
- Yellowjackets – Greenhouse (MCA, 1991)
- Jimmy Haslip – Arc (GRP, 1993)
- Joni Mitchell – Both Sides Now (Reprise, 2000)
- Björk – Selmasongs (One Little Indian, 2000)
- Björk – Vespertine (One Little Indian, 2001)
- Joni Mitchell – Travelogue (Nonesuch, 2002)
- Melody Gardot – My One and Only Thrill (Verve, 2009)
- Nils Landgren with Janis Siegel, Bochumer Symphoniker, Some Other Time: A Tribute to Leonard Bernstein (ACT, 2016)
- Gregory Porter – Nat King Cole & Me (Blue Note, 2017)
As instrumentalist
- Rickie Lee Jones, Flying Cowboys (Geffen, 1989)
- John Abercrombie, Animato (ECM, 1990)
- Peter Erskine, Big Theatre (Ah Um, 1996)
References
- "Biography: Vince Mendoza". AMG. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
- Metropole Orchestra: Conductors. Retrieved: 18 June 2011
- "Vince Mendoza | Album Discography | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 February 2017.