History loves to repeat itself. Popular music revels in this cycle. Classic songs are routinely reborn, captivating new audiences through the skill and imagination of transcendent artists channeling the enduring agency of timeless compositions.

Returning to the alchemy that made his debut release Latin Crossroads such a stunning achievement, Amato once more harnesses his “old-school” approach towards tinkering with the mechanics responsible for the longevity of such cherished musical compositions. Surrounding gifted vocalists with veteran musicians whose technical vocabularies can easily keep up with the exacting style of his musical language, Amato dives deep into his distinctive bag of tricks, flipping the script on popular music with arrangements that showcase the alluring cohesiveness between Latin and popular music.

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Perfectly pairing vocalist(s) to song, Amato reimagines classics like Tangerine and Someone To Watch Over Me, while bringing fresh new attitudes to Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard and Scheherazade. As if popular culture’s conventional jukebox crossed into an alternative Latin tinged space time continuum, Latin Crossroads 2 highlights the malleability of great compositional achievements while celebrating the elite story-telling skills of accomplished vocalists like Janis Siegel, Kandace Springs and acapella sensation Kings Return.

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Thankfully, within the spin-cycle of musical history, we have miraculous change agents like Gino Amato and resonate works of art like Latin Crossroads 2.

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– Michael Ambrosino, music writer, jazz program producer & host