19 Seacape Dr Muir Beach CA 94965
Daniel Amat belongs to a generation of talented Cuban pianists who are equally at ease performing classical music, Cuban and South American traditional styles and jazz.Known for his work with his father, Cuban tres guitarist Pancho Amat, and his teacher, acclaimed classical pianist Ulises Hernández, he has also performed with great maestros such as pianist Chucho Valdés and flutist Orlando Valle ‘Maraca’ and with actor Andy Garcia’s Cineson All Stars.Daniel recorded three albums under his name. ‘El Piano que llevo dentro’, with the participation of great musicians like Tata Güines on congas, José Luis Quintana ‘Changuito’ on timbales, and Javier Zalba on saxophones, won the ‘Cuba Disco’ price. His following recordings ‘Bilbao, la Habana y vuelta’, with guest artists Chucho Valdés, Orlando Valle and Pancho Amat, and ‘Haciendo Son en otro Jazz’ with Pancho Amat have been highly praised by the press. Amat, who lives in Spain, has performed at international festivals a.o. the Montreux Jazz Festival, Jakarta Jazz and the Jazz Plaza Festival in Havana,and at many theaters and concert halls all over the world.In 2015 Amat organized a concert at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles revisiting ‘Cuban Classical Compositions’, focusing mainly on three important composers from the 19th and 20th century: Ignacio Cervantes, Ernesto Lecuona and Israel “Cachao” López. This concert featured saxophonist/flutistJusto Almario with top Latin jazz musicians and a string quartet. A new recording, ‘Alliance’, will be release soon.Down Beat magazine wrote:”Amat peeled back the curtain on a largely forgotten world. The pianist demonstrated a beautifully robust percussive command on the instrument, his right hand bouncing a full foot off the keys, à la McCoy Tyner…. lively interpretations indicated that, in the hands of talented and knowing interpreters, Cuban classical music springs to life like a genie from a lamp.”