Though veteran pianist and arranger Gino Amato makes his debut as a leader with the aptly titled Latin Crossroads, the highly ambitious and adventurous, expansive and wild whirlwind of creativity, excitement and innovation is the power-packed all star filled culmination of a diverse career that includes working with Puerto Rican salsa band La Sonora Pancena and pianist Papo Luca, forming the Steely Dan tribute band Royal Scam and composing for big bands, Latin ensembles and many popular artists.
Gleefully unleashing a magical baptism of Afro-Cuban energy, Amato and co-producer/pianist Oscar Hernandez gather a whopping total of 40 musicians (including the likes of Randy Brecker, David Mann, Lou Marini and Will Lee), a sixteen-piece string section and a string quartet to fulfill his artful, fascinating and (mostly!) ever-hopping arrangements of familiar pop standards (“Blackbird,” “Shower the People”), jazz classics (“Round Midnight”) and showtunes (“On the Street Where You Live,” “Tonight”).
In the midst of those, Amato and company throw a few fascinating classical curveballs, creating exquisite and infectious genre-fushing renditions of Joaquin Rodrigo’s sweeping “Aranjuez” (from a 1939 classical guitar concerto) and Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet.” To give some idea of how long this amazing project has been percolating and in production, the late flutist Dave Valentin (who passed away in 2017) is featured on the whimsical opening of Leonard Bernstein’s “Tonight,” which features the exquisite, soaring lead vocals of Margo Rey before the Latin explosion takes over.
Other featured vocal greats include Janis Siegel (bringing sensual elegance to “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered”) and Arnold McCuller, who funks and jazzes up “Blackbird” and adds hipster gospel/soul to “Shower the People.” Amato wraps by paying homage to his own longtime immersion into the world of Steely Dan, with a lighthearted string quartet enhanced lighthearted romp through Donald Fagen's "Green Flower Street," featuring lead vocals by Kevin Osborne.
Latin Crossroads is a phenomenal, multi-dimensional album offering a continuous swirl of bright surprises and delights.
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