Cintron Latin Cool's Hit Men

Latin Beat Magazine, March, 2003 by Rudy Mangual

(Latin Cool Records)

With a name that resembles that of a European racecar, Cintrón is a powerhouse East coast band with a cast of 17 high-octane grade musicians. Slightly reminiscent of the super brass groups of the early seventies (Blood Sweat & Tears, Chicago, and Chuck Mangione), Cintrón blends a tasty and firm Latin percussion section (led by the group's leader, Edgardo Cintrón) with a screaming and powerful big band brass section, toped off with the smooth bilingual vocals of Rocco DePersia.

By injecting rhythm-and-blues and other urban flavors into the mix, Cintrón creates a unique style, projecting the wide versatility and numerous voices of this musical ensemble through a repertoire of classics and originals that spans from Tito Puente's Oye Como Va to Horace Silver's Song For My Father. Cintrón wails on their own creations, Absolutely and In My Heart. Other interesting treats include the opening track, Rose For My Heart, the classic Latin-soul hit Suavecito, and their interpretation of the Arsenio Rodríguez classic El Paso de Encarnación. (RM)