Using Miami-based musicians is a shift for the Grammy Award-winning George, who says he would not have recorded a tropical album here five years ago because the level of musicianship for the genre did not exist. Now, the caliber and versatility of Miami musicians is so strong, he is exporting them to other cities.

George's experience underscores the perception of many that it is an especially fertile time for Miami and its session men because of their ability to play virtually every genre of music. While their talent in playing a number of Latin styles has never been in doubt, what has increased markedly is these musicians' activity in mainstream pop and beyond.

"I'm recording for Ricardo Arjona, and I just finished the Barbra Streisand record," says percussionist Richard Bravo, who worked on the Barry Gibb-produced Streisand album alongside elite Miami-based players like drummer Lee Levin, guitarist Dan Warner and bassist Julio Hernandez.

"I can adapt to any situation," says Bravo, who is Venezuelan but was raised here. "I can't say I feel more comfortable with Latin music, but being Latin does help me play Latin percussion."

TWICE AS NICE

Bravo's duality is emblematic of many top Miami players.

"They're versatile because they're bicultural," producer Emilio Estefan says. "They have the syncopation of Latin music, and at the same time, they have all the influence of American pop."

Other key session players include percussionists Archie Pena, Rafael Solano and Robert Vilera; bassists Sal Cuevas and Fernando Tobon (who also plays in Juanes' band); guitarists Manny Lopez, Rene Luis Toledo and Andres Castro; trumpet players Teddy Mullet, Luis Aquino and Jose Sibaja; saxophonist Ed Calle; keyboardist Doug Emory; backup singers Vicky Echeverri and Lisa Richards; and Alfredo Oliva's string orchestra.

While some players arrived relatively recently from places like Colombia, Venezuela and Argentina, many -- like Levin, Calle, Mullet and Warner -- have been doing sessions for more than 20 years. With Latin music sales continuing to surge, even the veterans are finding a new level of demand for their services despite shrinking budgets and the closure of most big studios in recent years.

In fact, Miami is the fourth-largest recording center in the United States, behind New York, Los Angeles and Nashville.

The city has benefited from the versatility of its musicians and the increased quality, particularly for strings, during the past few years.

"We are very self-sufficient," says producer Kike Santander, who moved here from Colombia in the 1990s.

HISTORICAL CROSSROADS

Miami, of course, has been home to many legendary recordings by acts from the Bee Gees and Eric Clapton to Gloria Estefan and Ricky Martin. But it became a recording epicenter for most styles of Latin music in the late 1980s, thanks to producers like Estefan and Rudy Perez.

Perez used to record mostly in Los Angeles, but he found Miami a perfect crossroads for studio work. "It was close to Spain, artists started moving here, and it was convenient."

Most important, he says, "these guys could really play and adapt to different styles. I need a guy who is a top reader, a top-notch musician who can play the song."

"We do everything," says bassist Hernandez, who was born in Cuba but grew up in Las Vegas. His first gig when he moved to Miami in 1984 was playing for crooner Jose Luis "El Puma" Rodriguez. His credits range from Lauryn Hill and Michael Bolton to Placido Domingo and Ednita Nazario.

Levin, the city's most in-demand drummer, says that Miami players "are already familiar stylistically with what the Latin pop records want. It's the transition point between the American market and the Latin market."

Is there a "Miami sound," then?

According to guitarist Lopez, there is a Latin undercurrent in much of what is recorded here, even straight-ahead pop.

"It's bright, it's punchy, it's aggressive, and it's virtuosic, because we take chances," saxophonist Calle says.

"In other places, the attitude is sometimes, 'Keep it simple, and stay out of the way of the vocals.' We make music, and we let the producer decide when they want more or less of us."

Reuters/Billboard

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