Two stars of international jazz, an amazing orchestra, a truly fresh repertoire and outstanding arrangements developed for a unique event to take place: the meeting of Antonio Sanchez on drums, Vince Mendoza as conductor and arranger and the WDR Big Band. Two invaluable CDs packed with everything you may dream)when you are about to listen to such a stellar Big Band that is conducted by a genius like Mendoza and plays music by an undisputed giant like Sanchez.

Multiple Grammy winner Composer, Arranger Conductor Vincent Mendoza has 35 Grammy Nominations across his storied career, including his sixth Grammy for his last Album Freedom Over Everything. For his latest offering Olympians Mendoza is joined by Metropole Orkest, which he has led as chief conductor for the past six years. It is a bright, zingy and as the title suggests, triumphant record to add to Mendoza’s outstanding career. Mendoza has written arrangements for a wide variety of pop and jazz artists from Joni Mitchell, Sting, Melody Gardot, Elvis Costello and Bjork to Joe Zawinul, John Scofield and Randy Brecker.

Animato is not so much John Abercrombie's date simply because his name is listed first alphabetically. It is much more the music of Vince Mendoza, who composed six of the eight selections, and whose work on synthesizer is the dominant voice on this set of ethereal progressive instrumental music. Drummer Jon Christensen takes no backseat in urging the music forward with a subtle presence that represents a distinct primal and tribal jazz element. What electric guitarist Abercrombie does is link with Mendoza, merging his own synthesized blends of earth, sky and space to create beautiful textures and soundscapes in tandem with Mendoza's conceptual arrangements and expanded color palates.