Dan Pinto: Anomalies

Add Dan Pinto to the list of jazz-rock and fusion Renaissance men. Amid numerous scores for TV and film, Pinto commenced his career as a formidable drummer and then honed his keyboard skills, while absorbing the fundamentals of progressive rock and fusion keyboard heroes of the '70s and onward. Recorded at his hi-tech studio, Pinto's third solo album covers quite a bit of ground, crossing that sometimes-opaque division between contemporary jazz-fusion and complex jazz-rock, all spiced with a multi-tiered methodology.

Pinto fabricates a comprehensive and rather fast-moving electric foray as he mans the drums and the keyboards. Founded upon thrusting ostinatos and complex rhythmic developments, the artist seamlessly morphs genres such as funk and space-rock into the grand schema. He also delves into the past and lifts a few prog-rock stylizations from the likes of keyboard greats Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman. Pinto is a studio whiz via his electronic tools of the trade, where he generates blithe themes with the assistance of saxophonist and flautist John Asti.

The artist navigates through sinewy time signatures, complete with lighthearted romps and nicely orchestrated opuses, largely enamored with memorable hooks and blitzing guitar parts by Ivan Romero. Moreover, Pinto combines the best of many musical worlds while excelling as a strong composer and fluent soloist. Not over-cooked or superfluous, the artist injects a Midas touch throughout the overall scope of these sharply arranged compositions.