Arthur Hanlon

Irish-American pianist Arthur Hanlon entered the world in Detroit, Michigan, where he spent his formative years. At fifteen he linked up with the Flip Jackson Band and committed himself fully to a musical path. He relocated to New York and enrolled at the Manhattan School of Music. During that period he immersed himself in tropical sounds and began blending Latin traditions with jazz and R&B elements in fresh ways. His first independent project, Global Impressions, showcased material written while he lived in New York. He followed that effort with Encuentros, his initial homage to Latin repertoire. Fonovisa/Melody then enlisted him for his third album, El Piano Amarillo (The Yellow Piano), whose traditional selections were arranged by Julio C. Reyes. The 2005 release La Gorda Linda spotlighted guest contributions from Tito Nieves, Arturo Sandoval, and Ana Bárbara. A subsequent project took an unexpected turn when Hanlon encountered the catalog of Latin pop outfit Mecano and transformed its songs into the 2006 album Mecanomania, issued under his own name. The next year he joined Puerto Rican singer Chayanne on tour. In 2009 he unveiled Piano Sin Fronteras, which brought together Colombian vocalist Juanes, Italian singer Laura Pausini, Venezuela’s Ricardo Montaner, and additional collaborators.