Vince Mendoza's Freedom Over Everything is a diverse collection of works composed between 2013 and 2020. This combination of the full orchestra with musicians from non-classical genres is a characteristic of Gunther Schuller's concept of the "Third Stream" genre, popularized by composers such as Eddie Sauter, Don Ellis, and Gil Evans. The album begins with the Concerto for Orchestra, commissioned by Jan Hasenöhrl and the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. Mendoza's inspiration for this work came from the feelings in the U.S. during the 2016 presidential election as well as Dr. King's quote on the "arc of the moral universe." The first movement, "American Noise," starts quietly and freely with strings and woodwinds interacting in a wordless debate. This morphs into a bluesy yet tonally modern groove that dissolves into an electric guitar solo, perhaps representing another opinion in the conversation. A trio of guitar, bass, and drums gradually builds in intensity and instrumentation into a full orchestral discourse. The fourth movement, "Meditation," features Joshua Redman on the tenor saxophone, along with Mendoza's characteristic lyrical and flowing style. Although Redman's improvisation was not originally intended to be part of this movement, it proved to be a crucial element to Mendoza's vision. The Concerto as a whole is a captivating adventure of spontaneous grooves and soundscapes. The title track Freedom Over Everything is an interesting fusion of hip-hop and orchestral music. Black Thought's powerful social commentary was inspired by many issues in the U.S., including the murder of George Floyd and the water crisis in Flint, MI, but also reminds us that we can make a better future. The short track time leaves the listener wanting to hear more. The 24 measures of Black Thought's rapping passes very quickly, and the track could perhaps have benefitted from some additional development of the initial 8-bar orchestral introduction instead of ending abruptly on a fermata. Julia Bullock's expressive performance on To the Edge of Longing perfectly complements Rainer Maria Rilke's poetry. The interaction between the orchestra and voice is perpetually entrancing with the use of sophisticated harmonies and rhythmic freedom. New York Stories is a concertino for trumpet and orchestra commissioned by Jan Hasenöhrl and composed in 2013, one of the earliest instances where Mendoza used blues in a classical work. He associates the trumpet with the soul and attitude of New York City, the place that also inspired him to pursue music. Overall, this album is a socially relevant work of art that showcases Mendoza's broad spectrum of musical influences and compositional mastery. ~ RJ Lambert, Rovi

1		American Noise
2		Consolation
3		Hit the Streets
4		Meditation
5		Justice and the Blues
6		Freedom over Everything
7		Finale
8		To the Edge of Longing
9		New York Stories
10		Freedom over Everything [Edit Version]
11		To the Edge of Longing [Edit Version]
12		Justice and the Blues [Edit Version]