Dominic Amato was born into a family of musicians. His father is a
saxophonist, his mother a multi instrumentalist, and his brother a vocal artist. Given his musical upbringing, it may come as little surprise that Dominic began experimenting with musical instruments from a very young age. In fact, no sooner had he celebrated his second birthday did he begin dabbling with the drums. But drawn to the wonderful sound of his father’s saxophone, it would not be long before Dominic would trade in his drumset for a sax of his own.
While honing his woodwind skills, Dominic took up the piano and, shortly
thereafter, the EWI (electronic wind instrument).
Although Dominic's musical affinity emerged at a very early age, it was
not until the summer of 2001 that he had ever attended any private music
lessons. But what he learned from his instructor in that summer would more
than make up for lost time. Perhaps Dominic feels this way because his
instructor was none other than the world renowned saxophonist and educator
Eric Marienthal.
“Among the many insights Eric has impressed upon me is the crucial role
that discipline and humility plays in cultivating musical talent. It's not
enough to just pick up an instrument and try to figure out a new lick or
jam along with a favorite tune; it takes focusing on fundamental exercises
and personal weaknesses.” -Amato
Now, as an adult, Dominic is still the devout music student he was as a
child, dedicating countless hours to finetuning his musical ability and
technique. Some of Dominic's heavy influences include Miles Davis, John
Coltrane, David Sanborn, Weather Report, the Chick Corea Elektric Band,
Yellowjackets, Michael Brecker, Bob Mintzer, and James Brown.
In 2004, Dominic was approached by the contemporary jazz group Turning
Point with an offer to join them in recording and performing a new album.
Dominic accepted with alacrity and, in March of 2005, the band began recording Matador under the new record label Native Language Music.
Dominic is currently touring as a featured player with Turning Point,
who are booked for jazz festivals and concerts nationwide. When not on
tour, Dominic can be found captivating audiences across the valley,
performing with such talented vocalists as Khani Cole and with the
funk/jazz fusion quartet Sacred Soul (Mel Brown, Raul Yanez, Dowell Davis).
Dominic also works as a first call studio session player and as a private instructor, conducting lessons out of his home studio when time permits.
Over the past few years, Dominic has had the opportunity to perform for
numerous clients and national corporations. Among them: Matell Toys, Jerry Colangelo, Sprint, the 100 Back Men Chapter, the Phoenix Suns, the Arizona Cardinals, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Jason Kidd Foundation, Amare Stoudamire, Motorola, the Fiesta Bowl Party Celebration, National Gift of Hope Organization, BET Jazz “Studio Jams”, Post Magazine, Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Cigna Health Care, XM Satellite Radio, KTVK News Channel 3, Good Morning Arizona, KPNX News Channel 12, and Motion Picture Producer Jean Carlo Tallarico.
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