Original Music from the Soundtrack to Piñero is the soundtrack to the 2001 film Piñero by producer Kip Hanrahan. Released in March 2002, the album includes performances by Horacio "El Negro" Hernández, Robby Ameen, and Milton Cardona.
Critical reception The Guardian reviewed the album, giving it five stars and saying, "The album cleverly reinvents several perennially engaging musics: noir atmospherics; Puerto Rican and Afro-Cuban groove fundamentals; Bitches Brew-era space music; Latin boogaloo."
All About Jazz reviewer John Eyles said in a review, "The predominant sound is a low-key, noir-ish Latin jazz fusion, dominated by electric bass, percussion and trumpet, which creates an oppressive sense of imminent danger. The film stars Benjamin Bratt, who voices some atmospheric scene-setting sections of the album; these are used sparingly enough so as not to intrude, but to enhance the air of sleaze and menace. In a large ensemble cast of musicians, key performances come from pianist Edsel Gomez, bass guitarist Fernandez Saunders and particularly trumpeter Jerry Gonzalez."
Jim Trageser reviewed the album for the Summer 2004 issue of Turbula, saying, "And so the music is New York – smart and sophisticated and dark and seedy and ebullient and tired and hard and sentimental, all at the same time. With a beat, always a beat, because New York is a city that lives to its rhythms."
Track listing
Personnel Chocolate Armenteros – trumpet Jerry Gonzalez – trumpet, percussion (quinto) Papo Vasquez – trombone Mario Rivera – baritone saxophone Mauricio Smith – flute Alfredo Triff – violin Lysandro Arias – piano Edsel Gomez – piano, electric piano Peter Scherer – keyboards Leo Nocentelli – guitar Andy Gonzalez – bass Fernando Saunders – bass guitar Robby Ameen – drums, congas, percussion Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez – drums, percussion Kip Hanrahan – percussion Richie Flores – congas Paoli Mejias – congas, percussion (quinto) Carlos Mestre – congas Edgardo Miranda – cuatro Yomo Toro – cuatro Vincente George – guiro Amadito Valdez – timbales Orlando Rios – vocals, batá drum Abraham Rodriguez – voice, batá drum, claves, congas Frankie Rodriguez – lead vocals Benjamin Bratt – vocals Felix Sanabria – vocals, batá drum
References