There are two Vince Mendozas.

1.
Born in 1961 in Norwalk, Connect… Read Full Bio ↴There are two Vince Mendozas.

1.
Born in 1961 in Norwalk, Connecticut, Mendoza began learning classical guitar and piano from an early age. His musical influences ran from Bach to Aretha Franklin to Henry Mancini. However, discovering Miles Davis, Gil Evans, and later, Igor Stravinsky and Alban Berg gave him a further complex perspective of the construction of musical forms and ideas. Taking up the trumpet during high school, he later earned a degree in music composition at Ohio State University, before moving to Los Angeles. The music of Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter became a strong influence on his big band writing. He began working in the studios, composing music for television, while continuing to add to his extensive body of work written for big band. He completed his post-graduate composition and conducting studies at the University of Southern California. During this time he met a kindred spirit in drummer Peter Erskine, who included him in his mixed ensemble recording, "Transition" on Denon records. Mendoza contributed several compositions to this recording as well as on some of Erskine's subsequent recordings. They have since become frequent collaborators.

His early solo albums on Blue Note Records, “Start Here” and “Instructions Inside”, were critical triumphs that featured such artists as John Scofield, Joe Lovano, Ralph Towner, Bob Mintzer, Randy Brecker, Peter Erskine and others. “Start Here” was voted one of Jazziz Magazine's “Top Picks” and Mendoza was recognized as “Best Composer/Arranger” by Swing Journal's critics poll in Japan. Through his profile-building stint as guest arranger and conductor of the WDR Big Band, based in Cologne, Germany, Mendoza became widely known in Europe as a multi-talented composer arranger with a deep understanding of contemporary styles. His work on the CD “The Vince Mendoza / Arif Mardin Project: Jazzpaña” with the WDR Big Band, brought him a Grammy nomination for “best instrumental arrangement”. Since then, Gary Burton, Pat Metheny, Michael Brecker, Charlie Haden, Andy Narell, Kurt Elling and John Abercrombie have prominently featured Vince Mendoza's compositions and arrangements on their albums.

Currently, Mendoza is the Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of The Metropole Orchestra, having been appointed since 2005.

In February 2008, he received his fourth Grammy Award for his arrangement of Joe Zawinul’s "In A Silent Way".

Mendoza was also a Grammy nominee in Feb 2009, in the category of "Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)", for his orchestral arrangement of Alfie, one of several classics that Dutch vocalist trijntje oosterhuis recorded for her album, The Look of Love - Burt Bacharach Songbook.

Official website: http://www.vincemendoza.net

2
Guitarist Vince Mendoza is based on Southern California.
Official website: http://www.vincemendoza.com/

NEW WORLD
Vince Mendoza Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Train-whistles, a sweet clementine
Blueberries, dancers in line
Cobwebs, a bakery sign

Ooooh - a sweet clementine
Ooooh - dancers in line
Ooooh ...

If living is seeing
I'm holding my breath
In wonder - I wonder
What happens next?
A new world, a new day to see

I'm softly walking on air
Halfway to heaven from here
Sunlight unfolds in my hair

Ooooh - I'm walking on air
Ooooh - to heaven from here
Ooooh ...

If living is seeing
I'm holding my breath
In wonder - I wonder

What happens next?
A new world, a new day to see

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Vince Mendoza's song "New World" evoke a sense of wonder and curiosity about what the future holds. The opening lines combine seemingly random items like train-whistles, a sweet clementine, blueberries, dancers in line, and even cobwebs and a bakery sign. These images create a sense of whimsy and suggest that there is beauty in unexpected places. The repetition of "Ooooh" gives the song a dreamy quality, further emphasizing the sense of wonder.

The chorus serves as a reminder to live in the moment and be open to new possibilities. The lyrics suggest that if you view life as a journey full of surprises and discoveries, you can experience a state of joy and awe that makes you feel like you are "walking on air." The reference to "halfway to heaven" implies that this feeling is almost transcendental. The repetition of "a new world, a new day to see" reinforces the idea that each day is a gift and that you should approach it with a sense of wonder and excitement.

Overall, "New World" is a song about finding beauty in the unexpected and approaching life with a sense of curiosity and wonder. It encourages listeners to live in the moment and savor each new experience, even if it seems small or insignificant at first.

Line by Line Meaning

Train-whistles, a sweet clementine
Sounds of train whistles and the sweet smell of a clementine

Blueberries, dancers in line
Blueberries and dancers lined up in a row

Cobwebs, a bakery sign
Cobwebs and a sign for a bakery

Ooooh - a sweet clementine
Expressing joy and amazement at the sweet clementine

Ooooh - dancers in line
Expressing joy and amazement at the dancers in a row

If living is seeing
Contemplating the idea that true living involves truly seeing the world

I'm holding my breath
Feeling anticipation and excitement about what will be seen next

In wonder - I wonder
Feeling a sense of amazement and curiosity

What happens next?
Wondering what will be seen next

A new world, a new day to see
Anticipating the exploration of a brand new world and new experiences

I'm softly walking on air
Feeling light and happy, like one is walking on clouds

Halfway to heaven from here
Feeling like one is in a peaceful state between earth and heaven

Sunlight unfolds in my hair
Enjoying the experience of the sun shining on one's hair

Ooooh - I'm walking on air
Expressing joy and amazement at the feeling of walking on clouds

Ooooh - to heaven from here
Expressing joy and excitement at feeling like one is halfway to heaven

If living is seeing
Contemplating the idea that true living involves truly seeing the world

I'm holding my breath
Feeling anticipation and excitement about what will be seen next

In wonder - I wonder
Feeling a sense of amazement and curiosity

What happens next?
Wondering what will be seen next

A new world, a new day to see
Anticipating the exploration of a brand new world and new experiences

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Bjï¿½rk Gudmundsdottir, Lars Von Trier, Sigurjon B Sigurdsson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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