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What could be more exciting than to discover a
previous unknown
musician and his music? In the case of Spanish guitarist Juan Carlos
Mendoza and his album Thanks To Life the whole is an adventure. Unbound by genre thinking
Juan puts on his album the music that
is close to his heart. Some of the best musicians of Spain are joining this project such as Norbert Fimpel
and Inaki Arakistain (sax), Cristina del Valle and Ivana Manzotti (vocals), Gherardo Catanzaro,
Javier Mora (keyboards), Javier Barral (guitars), and a lot more. Limoncello Break is launching a massive
deluge of Funk. Inspired by an Italian liqueur the musicians let it hang
out with a zesty groove. On top the outstanding Norbert Fimpel on sax,
who defines Funk in a new way. On Thanks To Life are melting bass and
vocals into a substantial connection.
Singer Cristina del Valle and bass player Juan meet
for a South American siesta. Earth Level is a
tribute to of Juan's idols, Level 42 and EWF. The styles of both groups
in a mix is something special. Lenceria Fina means fine underwear. A title
that do not necessarily opens up
to the outsiders. In any case, a piece for guitar
enthusiasts featuring Javier Barral on guitars. Helping Hands
is dedicated to those people who need support in emergencies. Javier
Mora on keys and
Inaki Arakistain on sax give this
tune an elegant note. Above all Juan is enthroned like a god father on
his penetrating bass. Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple is
generally interpreted as a piece of rock history. With singer Manu Garzón
and Antonella Mazza on contrabass takes the piece a completely different
turn. Juan offers two versions, one chill and one smooth jazz, the
second with a piano solo by Ivan Vazquez. Benidorm Glamour
featuring singer Ivana Manzotti brings the heyday of large
grand hotels and their fantastic cabarets in memory. With Back Home Again
follows an ear candy for smooth jazz fans. Nando González' harmonic
guitar chords flow together interfered by Juan's bass and Peter Bulla's
violin. The intermezzo Keep Moving is contrasting to the
previous tune. The Boogie is a wild dream come true of
Funk, R&B, sax and everything you know from Studio54. Ruben Alba's
bagpipe meets Javier Barral's rock guitar on Celtic Roads, a
borderline experience between rock and world music. But Juan Carlos
Mendoza travels further. Brasilera features his bass in
conjunction with Brazilian percussion in the style of Santiago de Bahia. Paco is a tribute to the late Paco de Lucia
presenting some Arabian elements. Guerreros features singers
Xerónimo and Ivana Manzotti. The song is dedicated to the warriors
fighting with words instead of weapons. The album ends with a snippet
recorded on the Uruguay Van Halen Show Concert 83'.
Juan Carlos Mendoza's Thanks to
Life is an album with many musical surprises. Stylistically as
diverse as life itself.
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