By: Jonathan Mason
an Sistos is most widely known for his guitar contributions to pop and R&B
recording artists, such as Christina Aguilera and Toni Braxton, but the
professionally trained musician has now released his first solo album, In
the Midnight Hours, a collection of songs that crosses genre boundaries to
create a definitively unique sound.
His debut album also marks his first recorded appearance as a composer,
basing his wide-range virtuosity on a background of Latin music. Throughout
the album, his songs have an unmistakably Latin rhythm, and, combining this
with percussive elements and vocal interjections, his music, such as in
"Carnaval en Madrid," drives the listener along in a playful journey.
Other compositions on the album go further to make his years of classical
training apparent. In "Nocturne," a soft piece with lively turns, Sistos
places the twang of his Latin guitar on top of a string background to create
a song that makes a worthy contribution to the oft-covered "nocturne"
category.
Ultimately, Sistos can claim an artistically-successful first album. Despite
the overlay of Latin sound, classicists searching for a broader composition
will find notable composition listening to In the Midnight Hours, which also
absorbs the meandering of jazz and the talent behind classical arrangements.
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