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Japan Today
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
Eddie Palmieri, pioneering Latin jazz musician and Grammy winner, dies at 88
By SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS Eddie Palmieri, the avant-garde musician who was one of the most innovative artists of rumba and Latin jazz, has died. He was 88. Fania Records announced Palmieri's death Wednesday evening. Palmieri's daughter Gabriela told The New York Times that her father died earlier that day at his home in New Jersey after 'an extended illness.' The pianist, composer and bandleader was the first Latino to win a Grammy Award and would win seven more over a career that spanned nearly 40 albums. Palmieri was born in New York's Spanish Harlem on December 15, 1936, at a time when music was seen as a way out of the ghetto. He began studying the piano at an early age, like his famous brother Charlie Palmieri, but at age 13, he began playing timbales in his uncle's orchestra, overcome with a desire for the drums. He eventually abandoned the instrument and went back to the playing piano. 'I'm a frustrated percussionist, so I take it out on the piano,' the musician once said in his website biography. His first Grammy win came in 1975 for the album 'The Sun of Latin Music,' and he kept releasing music into his 80s, performing through the coronavirus pandemic via livestreams. In a 2011 interview with The Associated Press, when asked if he had anything important left to do, he responded with his usual humility and good humor: 'Learning to play the piano well. ... Being a piano player is one thing. Being a pianist is another.' Palmieri dabbled in tropical music as a pianist during the 1950s with the Eddie Forrester Orchestra. He later joined Johnny Seguí's band and Tito Rodríguez's before forming his own band in 1961, La Perfecta, alongside trombonist Barry Rogers and singer Ismael Quintana. La Perfecta was the first to feature a trombone section instead of trumpets, something rarely seen in Latin music. With its unique sound, the band quickly joined the ranks of Machito, Tito Rodríguez, and other Latin orchestras of the time. Palmieri produced several albums on the Alegre and Tico Records labels, including the 1971 classic 'Vámonos pa'l monte,' with his brother Charlie as guest organist. Charlie Palmieri died in 1988. Eddie's unconventional approach would surprise critics and fans again that year with the release of 'Harlem River Drive,' in which he fused Black and Latin styles to produce a sound that encompassed elements of salsa, funk, soul, and jazz. Later, in 1974, he recorded 'The Sun of Latin Music' with a young Lalo Rodríguez. The album became the first Latin production to win a Grammy. In 1975, he recorded the album 'Eddie Palmieri & Friends in Concert, Live at the University of Puerto Rico,' considered by many fans to be a salsa gem. In the 1980s, he won two more Grammy Awards, for the albums 'Palo pa' rumba' (1984) and 'Solito' (1985). In 1987, he recorded salsa singer Tony Vega on the album 'La verdad,' and in 1992, he introduced the vocalist La India to the salsa world with the production 'Llegó La India vía Eddie Palmieri.' In 1998, he released 'El rumbero del piano,' in which he once again explored the aggressive salsa that had always characterized him. Palmieri released the album 'Masterpiece' in 2000, which teamed him with Tito Puente, who died that year. It was a hit with critics and won two Grammy Awards. The album was also chosen as the most outstanding production of the year by the National Foundation for Popular Culture of Puerto Rico. During his long career, he participated in concerts and recordings with the Fania All-Stars and Tico All-Stars, standing out as a composer, arranger, producer, and orchestra director. In 1988, the Smithsonian Institute recorded two of Palmieri's concerts for the catalog of the National Museum of American History in Washington. Yale University in 2002 awarded him the Chubb Fellowship Award, an award usually reserved for international heads of state, in recognition of his work in building communities through music. In 2005, he made his debut on National Public Radio as the host of the program 'Caliente,' which was carried by more than 160 radio stations nationwide. He worked with renowned musicians such as timbalero Nicky Marrero, bassist Israel 'Cachao' López, trumpeter Alfredo 'Chocolate' Armenteros, trombonist Lewis Khan, and Puerto Rican bassist Bobby Valentín. In 2010, Palmieri said he felt a bit lonely musically due to the deaths of many of the rumberos with whom he enjoyed playing. As a musical ambassador, he brought salsa and Latin jazz to places as far afield as North Africa, Australia, Asia and Europe, among others. Former Associated Press Writer Sigal Ratner-Arias is the primary author of this obituary. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Eddie Palmieri: 10 Essential Songs
Eddie Palmieri picked up the piano when he was just about eight years old, and he didn't stop playing until the end. Influenced by his older brother Charlie Palmieri, Eddie, who died on Wednesday at age 88, would go on to become one of Latin music's most inventive and respected innovators. He wasn't just a prolific player; he was also a free-minded trailblazer with the skills to back up tons of imagination. More from Rolling Stone 'The Office' Spin-Off 'The Paper' Follows Struggling Midwest Newsroom in Trailer Charlotte Lawrence Loves Gracie Abrams and Sad Songs, But Rightfully Hates Men Who Vape Lizzo Calls Out Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle Ad on New Song Throughout his lengthy career, the musician would forge new paths in Latin music, experimenting freely with Latin jazz, salsa, and boogaloo, and adding in dashes of everything from psychedelic rock to folk music. He'd go on to win eight Grammys, including the first Best Latin Recording Grammy for 1974's The Sun of Latin Music. Many of his songs remain beloved standards that have influenced generations of salsa musicians and other artists. Here are 10 songs that shaped his career and represent the significant moments in his repertoire over the decades. 'Café'A sensuous, darkly hued son montuno, 'Café' was probably the first track where Palmieri reshaped the Afro-Latin formats that he grew up with into something personal – and deeply transcendent – while keeping the groove glued to the dancefloor. Two years later, Congolese rumba giant Franco and his O.K. Jazz orchestra recorded an endearing phonetic version of the song, underscoring the global reach of Palmieri's genius. 'Azúcar'Don't miss the 1:44 mark, when the call-and-response vocals by Ismael Quintana and the coro quiet down. Alone with the rhythm section, Eddie's piano glides forward like velvet — mathematically precise, radical and playful. 'Azúcar' is more than Palmieri's finest moment. This nine-minute gem may very well be the quintessential salsa anthem of all time. 'Ay Qué Rico'Palmieri's surprise foray into the boogaloo fad of the late Sixties underscored his inability to make frivolous music of any kind. Sure, the opening cut of Champagne, 'Ay Qué Rico' checks all the boxes with breathy female choruses and swanky hand clapping. But there's a royal grace to the throaty lead vocals by Joe Cuba veteran Cheo Feliciano, and extra weight to the bass lines by Cuban master Cachao. Palmieri's chords, as always, are great fun. 'Justicia'It was a matter of time before Palmieri's iconoclastic tendencies seeped into the lyrics of his songs. The title track of another classic album, 'Justicia' decries tyranny and discrimination, demanding social justice for Puerto Ricans and Black people. Quintana's ragged vocalizing was the perfect vehicle for the keyboardist's socio-political creed. 'Helado De Chocolate'Most of Palmieri's output is so joyous and visceral that it's easy to forget how elegant and smooth he could also be. He explored this refined persona on his two albums with vibes master Cal Tjader, and also on this chic instrumental off the Superimposition album. His passion for cosmopolitan jazz shines through. 'Vámonos Pa'l Monte'Palmieri's ideological ruminations contemplated an escape from the depression of big urban centers and into the simple joys of the Caribbean countryside. As always, the message was transmitted through a dense jungle of sound — the psychedelic organ lines are played by his brother Charlie, while Alfredo 'Chocolate' Armenteros' trumpet riffs are lethal. 'Puerto Rico'Just before Ismael Quintana left Palmieri for the questionable benefits of a solo career, he lent his vocals to this exuberant track off the Sentido LP — a paean to the wondrous island where salsa germinated. 'Puerto Rico' combines an accessible chorus about la isla del encanto with Eddie's off-the-charts piano crescendo and a swampy baritone sax riff. 'Una Rosa Española'During the Seventies, Palmieri's fascination with psychedelia, sprawling compositions and electronic keyboards brought him closer to rock & roll than any other salsero. Recorded with teen vocalist Lalo Rodríguez, The Sun of Latin Music projects an aura of daring reinvention. Here he combines a musty, proud contradanza with his Spanish take on the Beatles' 'You Never Give Me Your Money' — one of the most brilliantly eccentric moments in the annals of tropical music. 'El Día Que Me Quieras'By the early Eighties, a new style of progressive salsa had incorporated lush textures and symphonic arrangements — a grand panorama where el maestro felt right at home. The opening song of the stark White Album, 'El Día Que Me Quieras' enlists Cheo Feliciano at his vocal peak for a ferocious workout that kicks off with a misty tango intro before accelerating into salsa dura mode. 'Ritmo Caliente'Now in his sixties, Palmieri experienced a fit of nostalgia and resurrected the old Perfecta repertoire. His playing was as vital as ever, and added a sheen of good humored warmth to songs like 'Ritmo Caliente.' Nuyorican vocalist Hermán Olivera was a flawless addition to his orchestra, and the Perfecta hits shone in a concert setting during those golden years. Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked Solve the daily Crossword
Boston Globe
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Eddie Palmieri, pioneering Latin jazz musician and Grammy winner, dies at 88
Palmieri was born in New York's Spanish Harlem on December 15, 1936, at a time when music was seen as a way out of the ghetto. He began studying the piano at an early age, like his famous brother Charlie Palmieri, but at age 13, he began playing timbales in his uncle's orchestra, overcome with a desire for the drums. Advertisement He eventually abandoned the instrument and went back to the playing piano. 'I'm a frustrated percussionist, so I take it out on the piano,' the musician once said in his website biography. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up His first Grammy win came in 1975 for the album 'The Sun of Latin Music,' and he kept releasing music into his 80s, performing through the coronavirus pandemic via livestreams. In a 2011 interview with The Associated Press, when asked if he had anything important left to do, he responded with his usual humility and good humor: 'Learning to play the piano well. ... Being a piano player is one thing. Being a pianist is another.' Palmieri's early career and Grammy triumph Palmieri dabbled in tropical music as a pianist during the 1950s with the Eddie Forrester Orchestra. He later joined Johnny Seguí's band and Tito Rodríguez's before forming his own band in 1961, La Perfecta, alongside trombonist Barry Rogers and singer Ismael Quintana. Advertisement La Perfecta was the first to feature a trombone section instead of trumpets, something rarely seen in Latin music. With its unique sound, the band quickly joined the ranks of Machito, Tito Rodríguez, and other Latin orchestras of the time. Palmieri produced several albums on the Alegre and Tico Records labels, including the 1971 classic 'Vámonos pa'l monte,' with his brother Charlie as guest organist. Charlie Palmieri died in 1988. Tito Puente Jr., center, speaks after Eddie Palmieri, left, and the late Tito Puente win the Grammy for best salsa album for "Masterpiece/Obra Maestra," at the 43rd annual Grammy Awards, Feb. 21, 2001, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Kevork Djansezian/Associated Press Eddie's unconventional approach would surprise critics and fans again that year with the release of 'Harlem River Drive,' in which he fused Black and Latin styles to produce a sound that encompassed elements of salsa, funk, soul and jazz. Later, in 1974, he recorded 'The Sun of Latin Music' with a young Lalo Rodríguez. The album became the first Latin production to win a Grammy. The following year he recorded the album 'Eddie Palmieri & Friends in Concert, Live at the University of Puerto Rico,' considered by many fans to be a salsa gem. A global ambassador for Latin Jazz In the 1980s, he won two more Grammy Awards, for the albums 'Palo pa' rumba' (1984) and 'Solito' (1985). A few years later, he introduced the vocalist La India to the salsa world with the production 'Llegó La India vía Eddie Palmieri.' Palmieri released the album 'Masterpiece' in 2000, which teamed him with the legendary Tito Puente, who died that year. It was a hit with critics and won two Grammy Awards. The album was also chosen as the most outstanding production of the year by the National Foundation for Popular Culture of Puerto Rico. Advertisement During his long career, he participated in concerts and recordings with the Fania All-Stars and Tico All-Stars, standing out as a composer, arranger, producer, and orchestra director. In 1988, the Smithsonian Institute recorded two of Palmieri's concerts for the catalog of the National Museum of American History in Washington. Yale University in 2002 awarded him the Chubb Fellowship Award, an award usually reserved for international heads of state, in recognition of his work in building communities through music. In 2005, he made his debut on National Public Radio as the host of the program 'Caliente,' which was carried by more than 160 radio stations nationwide. He worked with renowned musicians such as timbalero Nicky Marrero, bassist Israel 'Cachao' López, trumpeter Alfredo 'Chocolate' Armenteros, trombonist Lewis Khan, and Puerto Rican bassist Bobby Valentín. In 2010, Palmieri said he felt a bit lonely musically due to the deaths of many of the rumberos with whom he enjoyed playing with. As a musical ambassador, he brought salsa and Latin jazz to places as far afield as North Africa, Australia, Asia and Europe, among others. Former Associated Press Writer Sigal Ratner-Arias is the primary author of this obituary.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Eddie Palmieri, Grammy-winning pioneer of Latin jazz and salsa music, dies at 88
Eddie Palmieri, a Grammy-winning pianist and bandleader who helped define Latin jazz, has died. He was 88. The famed musician died Wednesday, Aug. 6, according to Fania Records, a label responsible for several of his hit albums. "Today, Fania Records mourns the loss of the legendary Eddie Palmieri, one of the most innovative and unique artists in music history," the company wrote in a statement. The musician's youngest daughter, Gabriela Palmieri, told The New York Times her father had died following an "extended illness." A musical multihyphenate, Palmieri was both a pianist himself and a mastermind outside the orchestra, composing, directing, arranging and producing. Reared in Spanish Harlem, New York, he soaked up the sounds of jazz in the city and took after a musical family, playing drums in his uncle's orchestra. Drawing on his Puerto Rican roots, Palmieri's signature styling became a blend of Afro-Caribbean and jazz sounds. He would go on to found groups such as La Perfecta, La Perfecta II and Harlem River Drive, collaborating with other musicians to innovate in the salsa genre and bring a new twist to the big band sound of the decade. "Over the course of his seven-decade-long career, Eddie recorded for labels such as Tico, Alegre, Fania, Concord Picante, RMM and Coco Records, leaving an indelible mark on over four dozen albums," Fania said in its statement. Among those projects was "The Sun of Latin Music," the first Latin album to win a Grammy in 1974. "He will be greatly missed," the statement concluded. Palmieri, who was known not just for his musical prowess but for his full-bodied approach to conducting, became an elder statesman of both salsa and Latin jazz in later years, serving as the gold standard for innovation and creativity. "(I) work with complex African rhythmic patterns that are centuries old," he told MusicianGuide in an interview. "The intriguing thing for me is to layer jazz phrasings and harmony on top of those patterns."
5 days ago
- Entertainment
Eddie Palmieri, pioneering Latin jazz musician and Grammy winner, dies at 88
Eddie Palmieri, the avant-garde musician who was one of the most innovative artists of rumba and Latin jazz, has died. He was 88. Fania Records announced Palmieri's death Wednesday evening. Palmieri's daughter Gabriela told The New York Times that her father died earlier that day at his home in New Jersey after 'an extended illness.' The pianist, composer and bandleader was the first Latino to win a Grammy Award and would win seven more over a career that spanned nearly 40 albums. Palmieri was born in New York's Spanish Harlem on December 15, 1936, at a time when music was seen as a way out of the ghetto. He began studying the piano at an early age, like his famous brother Charlie Palmieri, but at age 13, he began playing timbales in his uncle's orchestra, overcome with a desire for the drums. He eventually abandoned the instrument and went back to the playing piano. 'I'm a frustrated percussionist, so I take it out on the piano,' the musician once said in his website biography. His first Grammy win came in 1975 for the album 'The Sun of Latin Music,' and he kept releasing music into his 80s, performing through the coronavirus pandemic via livestreams. In a 2011 interview with The Associated Press, when asked if he had anything important left to do, he responded with his usual humility and good humor: 'Learning to play the piano well. ... Being a piano player is one thing. Being a pianist is another.' Palmieri dabbled in tropical music as a pianist during the 1950s with the Eddie Forrester Orchestra. He later joined Johnny Seguí's band and Tito Rodríguez's before forming his own band in 1961, La Perfecta, alongside trombonist Barry Rogers and singer Ismael Quintana. La Perfecta was the first to feature a trombone section instead of trumpets, something rarely seen in Latin music. With its unique sound, the band quickly joined the ranks of Machito, Tito Rodríguez, and other Latin orchestras of the time. Palmieri produced several albums on the Alegre and Tico Records labels, including the 1971 classic 'Vámonos pa'l monte,' with his brother Charlie as guest organist. Charlie Palmieri died in 1988. Eddie's unconventional approach would surprise critics and fans again that year with the release of 'Harlem River Drive,' in which he fused Black and Latin styles to produce a sound that encompassed elements of salsa, funk, soul and jazz. Later, in 1974, he recorded 'The Sun of Latin Music' with a young Lalo Rodríguez. The album became the first Latin production to win a Grammy. The following year he recorded the album 'Eddie Palmieri & Friends in Concert, Live at the University of Puerto Rico,' considered by many fans to be a salsa gem. In the 1980s, he won two more Grammy Awards, for the albums 'Palo pa' rumba' (1984) and 'Solito' (1985). A few years later, he introduced the vocalist La India to the salsa world with the production 'Llegó La India vía Eddie Palmieri.' Palmieri released the album 'Masterpiece' in 2000, which teamed him with the legendary Tito Puente, who died that year. It was a hit with critics and won two Grammy Awards. The album was also chosen as the most outstanding production of the year by the National Foundation for Popular Culture of Puerto Rico. During his long career, he participated in concerts and recordings with the Fania All-Stars and Tico All-Stars, standing out as a composer, arranger, producer, and orchestra director. In 1988, the Smithsonian Institute recorded two of Palmieri's concerts for the catalog of the National Museum of American History in Washington. Yale University in 2002 awarded him the Chubb Fellowship Award, an award usually reserved for international heads of state, in recognition of his work in building communities through music. In 2005, he made his debut on National Public Radio as the host of the program 'Caliente,' which was carried by more than 160 radio stations nationwide. He worked with renowned musicians such as timbalero Nicky Marrero, bassist Israel 'Cachao' López, trumpeter Alfredo 'Chocolate' Armenteros, trombonist Lewis Khan, and Puerto Rican bassist Bobby Valentín. In 2010, Palmieri said he felt a bit lonely musically due to the deaths of many of the rumberos with whom he enjoyed playing with. As a musical ambassador, he brought salsa and Latin jazz to places as far afield as North Africa, Australia, Asia and Europe, among others.
