Vince Mendoza & Metropole Orkest - Olympians (Modern)

Few composers in jazz and its adjacencies command as much respect as Vince Mendoza. His abilities as writer, arranger, and orchestrator have made him near-legendary in his career. Olympians, the latest record under his own name, is a good indicator as to why. Teaming up with the Netherlands’ famous Metropole Orkest, plus a few special guests, Mendoza comes up with a rich suite of songs that inject improvisation into symphonically arranged melodies – a jazz orchestra, indeed. “Quixote” kicks off the record with a grand statement, accented by guest Alex Acuña’s percussion. The spirited “Lake Fire” puts the horn section up front, with guest David Binney providing the solo, while “Big Night” adds a dance beat, fondly (yes, you read that right) recalling the days of seventies orchestrated disco, and capped off by Metropole guitarist Peter Tiehuis’s burning solo. “House of Reflections,” sung by Cecile McLorin Salvant, and “Esperanto,” with the great Dianne Reeves, add moments of, if not exactly calm, at least consideration. The song cycle reaches a climax with the one-two punch at the end: the tastefully majestic “Barcelona” (with Chris Potter on the tenor sax), and the rousing “Bright Lights and Jubilation,” which throws it all back to the Orkest’s own skilled soloists in front of an appreciative audience. Nicely done and delightful to hear.