Dan Pinto

...From the beginning, Dan Pinto's interest in the keyboard rock bands of the late 60s and early 70s are what fueled his desire to learn. As a keyboard player and composer, the piano was and has always been his instrument of choice. But Dan's introduction into music was through his interest in learning drums and percussion several years earlier. This made his approach into music all the more unique. As a drummer, Dan Pinto worked professionally both live and in the studio over the years. Playing in mostly rock bands at a young age, he would end up ultimately performing on both instruments which gave whatever band he worked in an undeniable advantage. Double drum & percussion solos were an enjoyable highlight for Dan and whatever other drummer he was working with at the time. And these which were usually high energy performances always translated over to the audience. It was no different for Joan Jett fans back in 1980 when his band "Juice" helped her to celebrate her CBS recording deal at the showplace in Dover, New Jersey. The double drum solo that Dan and Juice drummer "Kevin Williams" did as part of the opening for "Joan Jett and the Blackhearts" that night ended to a standing ovation. But apart from live performance, Dan has also done session work with many artists. He's performed with Dave LaRue, renowned Jazz bassist for the Steve Morse Band and Dixie Dregs which resulted in a CD release and he worked with several artists in conjunction with Doug Wain with the release of a live CD recorded at the Ritz in New York. But Dan can more regularly be found recording his own music in the studio.

...2 years into his music career as a drummer was all it took for Dan Pinto to start looking for something more. By 1977, he had already won a talent competition as a solo keyboardist at the age of 16. He had only been playing the instrument for a year and a half! Self taught at the piano, he learned how to physically play his instrument very well during the early 70's just prior to the advent of the synthesizer. This became a great asset allowing him to take what followed in technology and use it to enhance his own ability rather than hinder or suppress it. The result has ultimately given Dan Pinto the best of both Worlds and an ability to carefully know how to draw or blend the line between the two.

...Dan has always been a player first. As a composer at the keyboard and already being a rock & roll drummer, his interest was naturally drawn to the sound of keyboard rock bands. And back then there was much to choose from! But there was something about the sound of an orchestra that really took hold of his work. Classical music with pieces like "Pictures At An Exhibition" originally written by Mussorgsky and rewritten by Emerson Lake & Palmer or Mason Williams original rendition of "Classical Gas" on guitar combining rock and classical are the styles that really opened Dan Pinto's eyes and ears to music. But then something very interesting happened.....

...Before Dan Pinto ever became involved in music, he always had an interest in the way films were made. As early as 12 years of age, using scale models, he made attempts to recreate scenes from movies like "The Poseidon Adventure" and "The Battle Of The Bulge" with his father's 8mm camera. And even though his abilities as a filmmaker never fully developed, he found that 5 years later, he could connect with the film industry in a way that he hadn't thought of before, through his music. It was this idea that sparked his desire to write music for film. His first success came in the late 1980s writing music for industrial films. From there, he worked on short film projects for a few production houses in New York. By 1990, Dan Pinto had done work for AT & T, RCA, Cable television and many independent films. Then in 1992 he was given the opportunity to write music consistently for the Robin Leach hosted "Lifestyles Of The Rich & Famous" & "Runaway With The Rich & Famous" TV series shows. These shows were shown throughout the World and Dan's music prospered for several years as a result. But that wasn't enough.

...In 1995, 22 years after his first attempt, Dan Pinto tried his hand once again at film production and directing not to mention editing. But this time it was not for the reasons of wanting to make a film. The ultimate goal was to write a full length movie score. And since the film industry is such an incredibly difficult venue to land such a gig, Dan decided to do it from scratch on his own! It took 5 long years but he finally completed the project and released the music as one of his several CDs that are currently available. For details about his movie project and music from all his available CDs, please visit the Dan Pinto Official Website.

...Dan Pinto's many years of experience in the studio has by trial and error inadvertently developed him into a very talented producer and recording engineer on top of all else. Over the years, listening and experimenting with those styles that he grew up on by keyboardists such as Keith Emerson, Chick Corea and Rick Wakeman along with his more recent Jazz and Film music influences such as Pay Metheny, Lyle Mays, John Williams and Danny Elfman, just to name a few, has set a high standard for Dan Pinto as a composer. Add to that his well established background as a rock & roll drummer & percussionist along with his studies of orchestral arrangement and you've come up with a truly unique individual with far reaching ability and talent. Dan Pinto has put together a very large catalog of diverse original music that grows with every passing year. His 2008 CD release, "Anomalies," has come to define his unmistakable style as both a player and a composer. And it would seem that his critics and fans all agree as it has consistently ranked in the top 10 in Jazz Fusion, frequently at #1 on websites that judge independent artists.