But then ACT’s vision of jazz from a European perspective is a natural home for The Garcia Lorca Project, with Vince Mendoza at its helm as his career extends over 20 years of performing, arranging, conducting contemporary jazz including the GRAMMY nomination chamber orchestra arrangements for last year’s Blauklang and a previous Spanish ‘exploration’ Jazzpaña (both albums on the ACT label).

As leader of Holland’s Metropole Orchestra (formed in 1945!), he’s turned his attention to the works of Spain’s Federico Garcia Lorca (1898-1936) and traditional flamenco and folk songs. Mendoza’s album carries on the work of Lorca who recorded the traditional songs in the 30s, then Ricardo Pachón in the late 1970s and Niko Langenhuisjen’s jazz/flamenco/poetry interpretations in 1998.

For El Viento Mendoza and the Orchestra have got together with some guest artists to record twelve songs, four of which have been arranged by Mendoza. The first of which is the opening track ‘La Concion del Maruquita’ which is a huge blast and if you were in any doubt before, it sets the scene for a dramatic sensurround experience of horns, strings and Rafael de Utrera’s distinctive vocals. It’s such a sound track piece, it’s bound to get picked up somewhere along the line.

By contrast ‘La Tarara’ is Daniel Méndez’ guitar, Rafael and the string section getting very emotional in what is no doubt a song about death (first half), before breaking into a festival dance; sort of flamenco meets the spirit of H(B)ollywood. ‘La Tarara’ is very powerful and is a love it/hate it track. Shame the fast bits and the slow bits aren’t all in one place but for old jazz-funkers, you’ll easily spot that here are the roots of Chick Corea’s flamenco excursions (see Ultimate Adventure: Live In Barcelona). But as they might say around Brum, la Tarar-a-bit (Ed. sorry about that).

And talking of which, ‘Sevillanas del Siglo XVIII’ featuring Eva de Dios sounds like a flamenco ‘Seven Brides for Sevens Brothers’ or some Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copeland piece. Then ‘Angel Negros’ is the most ‘complete’ of his four arrangements.

Turning to the jazz bassist Niko Langenhuijsen’s 3-part suite, ‘Historietas Del Viento’ this is a modern jazz approach with orchestra, choir and additional percussion by Efrain Toro that was recorded in Puerto Rico! It’s so different to the Mendoza arrangements, as it feature solo trumpet and guitar and is far more ‘jazzy’ would you believe but sadly, not very jazz-dance type way.

But getting back to the dramatic, ‘Ángeles Negros’ (composed by José Ortega Heredia) is done as a Spanish bolero; or should that be Andalucían? This is one of the best tracks on the album as the vocals arn’t too over the top.

And when the Big Band get to shine, like on ‘Los Mozos De Monleón’ it’s al a Matthew Herbert, Tim Garland or Graham Collier with strings.

Even after listening to this all week, I’m not sure that the album as a whole ends up falling between the jazz, orchestra and flamenco stools but elements of it certainly work and ‘La Leyenda Del Tiempo’ is a fantastic climax and the most accessible track of the set when the singing, guitar, orchestra and dancing all come together.

Reviewed: Vince Mendoza & The Metropole Orchestra - El Viento - The Garcia Lorca Project (ACT) Cat. No. ACT 9490-2 Release date: 22nd June 2009
Canción Del Mariquita (4:16)
2 Historietas Del Viento I: El Viento (4:40)
3 Historietas Del Viento II: Viento Estancado (5:19)
4 Historietas Del Viento III: La Brisa (6:05)
5 La Tarara (8:36)
6 De Los Cuatros Muleros (6:23)
7 Sevillas Del Siglo XVIII (3:44)
8 La Nana Del Caballo Grande (6:10)
9 Los Peregrinitos (3:33)
10 Ángeles Negros (5:27)
11 Los Mozos De Monleón (9:22)
12 La Leyenda Del Tiempo (6:59)

Links:
www.vincemendoza.net
www.myspace.com/vincemendozalive
www.danielmendez.com
www.metropoleorkest.nl
www.myspace.com/dmproducer
www.andalucia.com/flamenco
www.leonardbernstein.com
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Copland