the project

On Magic Mountain, the members of Walton Ornato have devised an antidote to the tedium of everyday life. The softly seductive Latin beats and silky melodies of the band's sixteen original compositions, blur sound and sensation into one glorious mirage, creating the aural equivalent of a romantic island escape.

It all begins with the sundrenched optimism of the title cut. On ballads like Watercolor and Manhattan Beach, the soulful saxophone solos of Leo Gandelman soar over the thoughtful piano improvisations of Walton Berger and the artfully subdued ethnic rhythms of percussionist Negrito Trasante. The temperature rises on Latin scorchers like Sambadoa when bassist/guitarist Kzan Gamma trades lines with guitarist Phil Yosta, and the funk gets thick on High Energy. For the most part, however, the musicians are content to float through the oceanic, medium tempo grooves that have come to characterize their richly eclectic, tropical jazz style. On Magic Mountain, Walton Ornato's sophisticated alchemy of latin fire, classical elegance and contemporary jazz finesse is indeed magical.

the artist

Walton Ornato is the brainchild of key-boardist, Walton Berger, and co-producer, co-composer, Felipe Ornato. The two met in music school in 1975; however, it was not until 1986 that they decided to join forces.

Both men were active composers and performers for many years. Berger taught music and played in rock bands, while Ornato gained recognition as a jazz producer and promoter. Separately, they had been interested in crossing genres and cultural influences in their own music, and these factors were magnified when they formed their own band. The artists also shared a strong connection to their Latin heritage. The richness of the musicians' Mediterranean experience became a major force in the evolution of the Walton Ornato sound. According to the collaborators, the main goal of the band is to erase the borderlines between styles. The artists enjoy combining influences as diverse as Ravel, Debussy, Mozart, Donald Fagen, Miles Davis, David Sandborn, Ivan Lins, Jorge Ben, Gilberto Gil and Azymuth, among many others.

discography

tracklist