Band : Casa Mendoza
Album title : Casa Mendoza
Label : Mascot Records
Distributor : PIAS
Release date : 31/08/2010
Release : CD

Best known from his work in such internationally known bands as Blue Murder, Thin Lizzy, Ted Nugent, Soul SirkUS, and Whitesnake, bassist Marco Mendoza is a well-respected musician and singer, who's contributed to albums by a host of other bands/ artists including Tin Drum, John Sykes, Michael Ruff, Right Said Fred, Roch Voisine, Rafael Aragon, Robert Williams, Tommy Shaw, David Coverdale, Derek Sherinian, Dolores O'Riordan (vocalist with The Cranberries) and Tim “The Ripper” Owens (oh...almost forgot Barbara Weathers, Bill Ward, Debby Yeager, Jeff Naideau, Suzy K., and Lynch Mob).
Not surprisingly, Marco's first solo album (2007's Live For Tomorrow, issued through Frontiers Records) was produced and co-written by Richie Kotzen, featuring guest performances from friends Ted Nugent, Steve Lukather, Doug Aldrich, Tommy Aldridge, Brian Tichy, and others. Looks like a busy bee, don't he? Well, when not touring Marco lives in Huntington Beach (California) with his current wife and some of his 5 children, and even finds time to play at Studio City's La Ve Lee Jazz Club with his own Jazz/ Latin Fusion band, named Mendoza, Heredia, Neto. In fact, the band recorded a live album titled Live In LA, but I'm not sure what (if any) label that's on. Recently, Marco signed a 3-album deal with Mascot for the release of solo material, the first one of which we now have on our platter.

Having worked with Fabrizio Grossi before, he sat down with the Frontiers Records related musician/ producer to co-write a couple of songs and re-arrange some music by the Mendoza-Heredia-Neto trio (one a cover of Stevie Wonder's “Living For The City”). To that they added a couple of songs Marco had written himself or with one Karen Glenn, and added own versions of Carole King's “You Got A Friend” and the classic “Suzy Q”, and soon had enough material to fill and album! To aid in the recording of the music, Marco invited guitarist Rafael Moreira (actually a son of his), keyboardist Steve Weingart, and drummer Joey Heredia (yep, thàt one) and...well, there you have it: a 13-song (oh, sorry...13-track: “Circle Of Live” being an instrumental), 70-minute album with some really nice freaky music which displays elements of Soul, Jazz, Latin, and even some Funk in a variety of degrees, depending on the song at hand. In between you'll also find the “necessary” ballad (check Crying Out”). And on top of that come Marco's vocals and...oh goody me...are they a delight for sore ears! The only other vocalist I know singing in such an occasionally freaky style (and he therefore immediately came to mind) is Glenn Hughes. In comparison, Marco's voice is perhaps a little lower, but that only makes his voice warmer. On the scale of freakishness, Marco's style is perhaps even a couple points higher in some of the songs! Some even wackier moments on the album include the short interlude titled “Faith” (which is his daughter by the same name singing “Happy Birthday” to him – coached by her Mom, of course) and the album closing bonus track (I'm not sure whether American versions of the album will carry this song) “Tu”, sung in the Spanish language!

Regretfully, there's no tracks off this album available at myspace.com/marcomendoza (only 4 songs off his 2007 solo album and 2 tracks, including “Suzy Q”, off the Mendoza-Heredia-Neto live album – pressed for time as I was with all the other bands' infos I still needed to gather for pending reviews of their new albums, I forgot to check the latter for comparison), so perhaps you'll have to make due with the song samples normally posted at the usual online sales stores (try Amazon.com!).

Bottom of the line, end conclusion? A very nicely rounded album with a variety of intermingling styles. Purists may hate that type of music...but it's their loss, really. Personally, I love this, and I happen to know for sure that those among you into Glenn Hughes will join me in that feeling. Other open-minded music lovers...try to get a listening session of this album at your local record store after having checked out the music (that much you can do from your pc) on the artist's MySpace page and the album's page from one of the faithful online sales stores. I mean, with you already going through thàt trouble, I'm certain you won't be able to resist the temptation, and will leave with your own copy of the album!

Oh my goodness...I suddenly got this purely ecstatic vision of Hughes and Mendoza on the same stage performing each other's songs together...wouldn't that be heaven...?!

98/100

Tony.