by Craig HarrisThe former pianist and music director for George Benson, Jorge Dalto continues to fuse pop, jazz and Afro-Latin influences. The leader of the InterAmerican Band, which featured his wife, Adela, on vocals, during the mid-1980s, Dalto has continued to build on his internationally-flavored sound. His recent collaborations with his wife have blended their Latin and Brazilian backgrounds.
Argentina-born Daltoserved as arranger for the Percussion Jazz Ensemble, a super-group of Latin musicians including timbale player Tito Puente, conga player Carlos "Patato" Valdes and violinist Alfredo De La Fe, in the early-1980s. Recordings of the band's performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival, in 1980, were released in 2000.
Dalto has consistently recorded with top-notch players. His album, Rendezvous, recorded in February 1983 and released a decade later, was credited to Jorge Dalto & Super Friends, a studio band featuring guitarists Benson and Eric Gale and drummer Steve Gadd.