PIANIST ARTHUR HANLON - 2010/01/15

What do Juanes, Laura Pausini, Ricardo Montaner, Luis Fonsi, Myriam Hernández, Alexandre Pires and Sergio Vallín Have in Common?

What do Juanes, Laura Pausini, Ricardo Montaner, Luis Fonsi, Myriam Hernández, Alexandre Pires and Sergio Vallín Have in Common? PIANIST ARTHUR HANLON

The most recognizable name in instrumental Latin pop, Billboard-topping pianist Arthur Hanlon’s trademark sound joins forces with his friends—Juanes, Laura Pausini, Ricardo Montaner, Sergio Vallín (of Maná), Myriam Hernández and Alexanre Pries, the top names in the genre-- for “Piano Sin Fronteras,” an exhilarating album of new tracks born out of camaraderie and sheer musicianship.

“We are eight artists, from eight different countries, joined by friendship and a mutual love for music,” says Arthur, a Manhattan School of Music graduate who drew inspiration for “Piano Sin Fronteras” from The Chieftains’ “The Long Black Veil.”

Full of radio hits, “Piano Sin Fronteras,” out on Universal Music Latino, brings together the top names in Latin music around the world with the leading instrumentalist in the genre in an unprecedented collection of all-new material. All songs in “Piano Sin Fronteras” have been written by Arthur alone or with his friends.

The first single off “Piano Sin Fronteras” is “ “Ya Te Olvidé,” a duet with Venezuelan superstar Ricardo Montaner, penned by Arthur with Montaner. The track currently entered Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, making Arthur the first pianist in ten years to enter the chart.

Fans of instrumental music will love the virtuoso guitars of Colombian rock star Juanes (in “Lago Calima,” named after a lake near Cali, Colombia) and Mexico’s Sergio Vallín, lead guitarist for rock group Maná (in “Café con Leche”) , in counterpoint with Arthur’s distinctive piano

The soulful voice of Brazil’s Alexandre Pires joins Arthur in the ballad “Te Tengo Dentro De Mi,” a track the two wrote while jamming in Arthur’s house. And Hanlon’s piano and Laura Pausini’s trademark vocals are the sole protagonists of “Prendo Te,” a song Laura wrote for her sister on her wedding, and in which she invited Arthur to put his piano counterpoint.

And of course, there’s Arthur’s solo tracks, compositions of evocative melodies laid over lush arrangements, ranging from uptempo dance to blends of blues and classical.

“Like Elton John, Hanlon has the ability to focus with laser-like precision on the melodic essence of a song and rework it to find new dramatism. Hanlon doesn’t sing, and you could think the piano would limit him to instrumental albums, but that isn’t the case. Like Chris Botti, trumpeter for Sting, or rock guitarist Ottmar Liebert, Hanlon brings a broad range of guest artists to create fascinating albums. -The Houston Chronicle