Eddie Palmieri (born December 15, 1936)
is an American
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
-winning pianist, bandleader, musician, and composer of Puerto Rican ancestry. He is the founder of the bands La Perfecta, La Perfecta II, and Harlem River Drive.
Early life
Palmieri's parents moved to New York from
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce (, , , ) is both a city and a municipality on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.
Ponce, Puerto Rico's most populated city outside the San Juan metropolitan area, was founded on 12 August 1 ...
, in 1926 and settled in the
South Bronx, a largely
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
neighborhood. There, he and his elder brother
Charlie Palmieri
Carlos Manuel "Charlie" Palmieri (November 21, 1927 – September 12, 1988) was an American bandleader and musical director of salsa music. He was known as the "Giant of the Keyboards".
Early years
Palmieri's parents migrated to New York from Po ...
were born.
He accompanied Charlie and participated in many talent contests when he was eight years old.
Palmieri continued his education in the city's public school system where he was constantly exposed to
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
music. He took piano lessons and performed at
Carnegie Hall at the age of eleven. Influenced by
Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Sphere Monk (, October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including " 'Round Midnight", ...
and
McCoy Tyner
Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet (from 1960 to 1965) and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Master and five-time Gram ...
, and inspired by his older brother, he determined to someday form his own band — which he accomplished in 1950 when he was fourteen years old. During the 1950s, Palmieri played in several bands including
Tito Rodríguez
Pablo Rodríguez Lozada (January 4, 1923 – February 28, 1973), better known as Tito Rodríguez, was a Puerto Rican singer and bandleader. He started his career singing under the tutelage of his brother, Johnny Rodríguez. In the 1940s, both m ...
's.
First recordings
In 1961, Palmieri founded the band Conjunto La Perfecta, which featured singer
Ismael Quintana
Ismael Quintana (June 3, 1937 – April 16, 2016) was a Puerto Rican singer and composer of salsa music.
Early years
Quintana was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. His family moved to The Bronx sector of New York when he was only two weeks old; there ...
. Apart from the big bands, at the beginning of the decade the
Pachanga
Pachanga is a genre of music which is described as a mixture of son montuno and merengue and has an accompanying signature style of dance. This type of music has a festive, lively style and is marked by jocular, mischievous lyrics. Pachanga o ...
was the Latin dance craze. Essential to the Charanga style is the five key wooden flute and at least two violins. Palmieri decided to replace the violins with two trombones for a heavier sound.
Two key elements to the 'Palmieri' sound were trombonists
Barry Rogers
Barron W. "Barry" Rogers (May 22, 1935 – April 18, 1991) was an American jazz and salsa trombonist.
Career
Born in The Bronx, he descended from Polish Jews and was raised in Spanish Harlem. His family (original name: Rogenstein) possessed a ...
(who was very influential as well as guitarist Bob Bianco, with whom Palmieri studied harmony to the
fourth chords sound that Palmieri is known for) and Brazilian-born
José Rodrígues. Together they were responsible for many of the 'head' arrangements, mambos and moñas that the band recorded. George Castro (flute),
Manny Oquendo
Manny Oquendo (January 1, 1931 – March 25, 2009) was an American percussionist of Puerto Rican ancestry. His main instruments were the timbales and the bongos.
He was a long-time member of Eddie Palmieri's Conjunto La Perfecta, which he le ...
(bongó and timbales), Tommy López (conga) and Dave Pérez (bass) rounded out the group. To this day, the group is known as one of the swingingest, most danceable, innovative and influential groups of that period.
Palmieri experimented by including a touch of jazz in his recordings, and incorporating a popular Cuban rhythm known as
mozambique
Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...
. ''Lo Que Traigo Es Sabroso'' (What I Bring is Saucy) and ''Mozambique'' are just two examples of his use of this rhythm. Seeking a bigger and punchier sound, Palmieri disbanded the band in 1968.
In 1971, Palmieri recorded ''Vamonos Pa'l Monte'' (Let's go to the Mountain) with his brother Charlie at the organ. That same year he also recorded ''Eddie Palmieri & Friends in Concert, At the
University of Puerto Rico
The University of Puerto Rico ( es, Universidad de Puerto Rico, UPR) is the main public university system in the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It is a government-owned corporation with 11 campuses and approximately 58,000 students and 5,3 ...
''. In 1975, Palmieri won the first
Grammy Award for Best Latin Recording
The Grammy Award for Best Latin Recording was presented from 1976 to 1983. Starting from 1984 the Latin field was expanded to Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album, Best Tropical Performance and Best Mexican/Mexican American Performance.
Years re ...
with ''The Sun of Latin Music'' (produced by
Harvey Averne
Harvey Averne (born 1936, Brooklyn, New York) has been described as "one of several prominent Jewish Americans in New York's bustling Latin music scene."
Introduction
Harvey Averne is an American record producer, and the founder of CoCo Recor ...
and arranged by René Hernández, long-time pianist with the orchestra led by
Machito
Machito (born Francisco Raúl Gutiérrez Grillo, December 3, 1909 – April 15, 1984) was a Latin jazz musician who helped refine Afro-Cuban jazz and create both Cubop and salsa music. Ginell, Richard S. ''Biography''. Allmusic, 2011/ref> He w ...
, and Barry Rogers (Un Día Bonito)). On July 21, 1979, he appeared at the
Amandla Festival along with
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...
,
Dick Gregory
Richard Claxton Gregory (October 12, 1932 – August 19, 2017) was an American comedian, civil rights leader, business owner and entrepreneur, and vegetarian activist. His writings were best sellers. Gregory became popular among the Afric ...
and
Patti LaBelle, among others.
In the 1980s, Ismael Quintana returned to the band, which also included
Cheo Feliciano
Cheo Feliciano (3 July 1935 – 17 April 2014) was a Puerto Rican singer and composer of salsa and bolero music. Feliciano was the owner of a recording company called "Coche Records". He was the first tropical singer to perform at the "Amira de ...
. Palmieri won two Grammys for the recordings of ''Palo Pa' Rumba'' and ''Solito''. He also recorded the album ''La Verdad'' (The Truth) with
salsa
Salsa most often refers to:
* Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments
* Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music
* Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music
Salsa or SALSA may also refer to:
...
singer
Tony Vega
Tony Vega Cesar, known professionally as Tony Vega (born July 13, 1957) is a Puerto Rican salsa music, salsa singer.
Early years
Vega was born in the town of Salinas, Puerto Rico, where he received his primary education. He was born into a f ...
in 1987. The next year, his brother Charlie died suddenly.
In the 1990s, Palmieri had participated in various concerts and recordings with the Fania All-Stars and the Tico All-Stars; he also introduced
La India
Linda Viera Caballero (born March 9, 1969), better known as La India, is a Puerto Rican singer and songwriter of salsa, house music and Latin pop. La India has been nominated for both Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards, winning the Latin Grammy ...
with the production of ''
Llegó La India via Eddie Palmieri'' (La India has arrived via Eddie Palmieri), released in 1992. In 1998, Palmieri received an honorary doctorate from the
Berklee College of Music.
In 2000, Palmieri announced his retirement from the world of music. However, he recorded ''Masterpiece'' with
Tito Puente
Ernest Anthony Puente Jr. (April 20, 1923 – June 1, 2000), commonly known as Tito Puente, was an American musician, songwriter, bandleader, and record producer of Puerto Rican descent. He is best known for dance-oriented mambo and Latin jazz ...
and won two Grammys; additionally he was also named the "Outstanding Producer of the Year" by the National Foundation of Popular Culture. Palmieri has won a total of 9 Grammy Awards in his career, most recently for his 2006 album ''
Simpático''. On November 6, 2004, Palmieri directed a "Big Band Tribute" to his late brother Charlie at Avery Hall at the
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
La Perfecta
Palmieri's La Perfecta departed from the traditional Cuban sources of salsa instrumentation by introducing a new stylistic device into the New York Latin sound. Their signature sound relied heavily on two trombones and a flute instead of trumpets. On the liner notes of their first album, Eddie's brother Charlie dubbed this combination the 'trombanga', referring to the trombones and the still popular
charanga which typically featured the flute. The combination helped to give La Perfecta a rich and bold sound which contributed to Palmieri's success with his new band. The trombone-based sound was later adopted by salsa band leaders
Willie Colón
William Anthony Colón Román (born April 28, 1950) is an American salsa musician and social activist. He began his career as a trombonist and also sings, writes, produces and acts. He is also involved in the politics of New York City. Colón ...
and Manny Oquendo, among others.
La Perfecta II
Palmieri formed a new band, La Perfecta II, with whom he recorded the CD ''Ritmo Caliente'' (Hot Rhythm). On April 30, 2005, "Mi Día Bonito", a tribute to Eddie Palmieri celebrating his 50 years in the world of music, took place at the
Rubén Rodríguez Coliseum in
Bayamón, Puerto Rico. The event included the participation of
Lalo Rodríguez
Ubaldo Rodríguez Santos (May 16, 1958 – December 13, 2022), known professionally as Lalo Rodríguez, was a Puerto Rican salsa singer recognized as one of the pioneers of the subgenre of Romantic or Erotic Salsa.
Early life
Rodriguez was b ...
,
Ismael Quintana
Ismael Quintana (June 3, 1937 – April 16, 2016) was a Puerto Rican singer and composer of salsa music.
Early years
Quintana was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. His family moved to The Bronx sector of New York when he was only two weeks old; there ...
,
Cheo Feliciano
Cheo Feliciano (3 July 1935 – 17 April 2014) was a Puerto Rican singer and composer of salsa and bolero music. Feliciano was the owner of a recording company called "Coche Records". He was the first tropical singer to perform at the "Amira de ...
,
La India
Linda Viera Caballero (born March 9, 1969), better known as La India, is a Puerto Rican singer and songwriter of salsa, house music and Latin pop. La India has been nominated for both Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards, winning the Latin Grammy ...
, Hermán Olivera, Jerry Medina, Luis Vergara and Wichy Camacho.
In November and December 2005, Palmieri teamed up with longtime trumpeter and band member
Brian Lynch to record the
Artistshare
ArtistShare is the internet's first commercial crowdfunding website.Crowd-Funding 101: What Every Musician Needs for a Successful Campaign It also operates as a record label and business model for artists which enables them to fund their projec ...
CD release ''
The Brian Lynch/Eddie Palmieri Project: Simpático''. This CD and accompanying multimedia web site features music by an all-star roster of jazz and Latin jazz artists, including
Phil Woods
Philip Wells Woods (November 2, 1931 – September 29, 2015) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, and composer.
Biography
Woods was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. After inheriting a saxophone at age 12, he began ...
,
Lila Downs
Ana Lila Downs Sánchez (born 9 September 1968
*
*) is a Mexican singer-songwriter. She performs her own compositions and the works of others in multiple genres, as well as tapping into Mexican traditional and popular music. She also incorporat ...
,
Donald Harrison
Donald Harrison Jr. (born June 23, 1960) is an African-American jazz saxophonist and the Big Chief of The Congo Square Nation Afro-New Orleans Cultural Group from New Orleans, Louisiana.
He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the Berklee Col ...
,
Conrad Herwig,
Giovanni Hidalgo
Giovanni Hidalgo a.k.a. "Mañenguito" (born November 22, 1963) is a Latin jazz percussionist.
Early years
Hidalgo was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he received his primary education. His grandfather was a musician, and his father, José ...
, Gregory Tardy, Mario Rivera, Boris Kozlov, Rubén Rodríguez, Luques Curtis, Robby Ameen, Dafnis Prieto, Pedro Martínez, Johnny Rivero, Edsel Gómez, Yosvany Terry. In 2007, the recording was awarded a
Grammy as the best
Latin Jazz
Latin jazz is a genre of jazz with Latin American rhythms. The two main categories are Afro-Cuban jazz, rhythmically based on Cuban popular dance music, with a rhythm section employing ostinato patterns or a clave, and Afro-Brazilian jazz, which ...
Recording.
Back in the studio
Palmieri returned to the studio to record three songs for the soundtrack to ''Doin' it in the Park: Pickup Basketball NYC''. The documentary, co-directed by Bobbito García and Kevin Couliau, explores the relationship between NYC playgrounds, basketball, arts and culture. In 2022, Eddie Palmieri appeared in a feature-length documentary titled
Santos - Skin to Skin.
Discography
* ''La Perfecta'' (
Alegre, 1962)
* ''El molestoso'' (Alegre, 1963)
* ''Lo que traigo es sabroso'' (Alegre, 1964)
* ''Echando pa'lante (Straight Ahead)'' (
Tico, 1964)
* ''
Azúcar pa' ti (Sugar for You)'' (Tico, 1965)
* ''Mambo con conga es Mozambique'' (Tico, 1965)
* ''
El Sonido Nuevo
''El Sonido Nuevo'', subtitled/translated ''The New Soul Sound'', is an album by Latin jazz vibraphonist Cal Tjader and pianist Eddie Palmieri recorded in 1966 and released on the Verve label. '' (
Verve
Verve may refer to:
Music
* The Verve, an English rock band
* ''The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve
* ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album)
* Verve Records, an American jazz record label
Businesses
* Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee ho ...
, 1966) – with
Cal Tjader
Callen Radcliffe Tjader Jr. ( ; July 16, 1925 – May 5, 1982) was an American Latin Jazz musician, known as the most successful non-Latino Latin musician. He explored other jazz idioms, even as he continued to perform music of Afro-Jazz, ...
* ''Bamboléate'' (Tico, 1967) – with
Cal Tjader
Callen Radcliffe Tjader Jr. ( ; July 16, 1925 – May 5, 1982) was an American Latin Jazz musician, known as the most successful non-Latino Latin musician. He explored other jazz idioms, even as he continued to perform music of Afro-Jazz, ...
* ''Molasses'' (Tico, 1967)
* ''Champagne'' (Tico, 1968)
* ''
Justicia'' (Tico, 1969)
* ''
Superimposition
Superimposition is the placement of one thing over another, typically so that both are still evident.
Graphics
In graphics, superimposition is the placement of an image or video on top of an already-existing image or video, usually to add to t ...
'' (Tico, 1970)
* ''Vamonos pa'l monte'' (Tico, 1971)
* ''In Concert at the University of Puerto Rico'' (Coco, 1971)
* ''Harlem River Drive'' (
Roulette, 1971) – with Harlem River Drive
* ''Recorded Live at Sing Sing Vol. 1'' (Tico, 1972) – with Harlem River Drive
* ''Recorded Live at Sing Sing Vol. 2'' (Tico, 1972, released 1974)
* ''Sentido'' (Coco/Mango, 1973)
* ''Sun of Latin Music'' (Coco, 1974) – with
Lalo Rodríguez
Ubaldo Rodríguez Santos (May 16, 1958 – December 13, 2022), known professionally as Lalo Rodríguez, was a Puerto Rican salsa singer recognized as one of the pioneers of the subgenre of Romantic or Erotic Salsa.
Early life
Rodriguez was b ...
* ''Unfinished Masterpiece'' (Coco, 1975)
* ''Eddie's Concerto'' (Tico, 1976)
* ''Festival 76'' (Coco, 1976)
* ''Lucumí, Macumba, Voodoo'' (
Epic, 1978)
* ''Eddie Palmieri'' (Barbaro, 1980)
* ''Timeless'' (Coco, 1981)
* ''Palo pa' rumba'' (Musica Latina International, 1984)
* ''Solito'' (Musica Latina International, 1985)
* ''The Truth / La verdad'' (
Fania, 1987)
* ''Sueño'' (Intuition, 1989)
* ''
Llegó La India Via Eddie Palmieri'' (Soho Sounds, 1992) – with
La India
Linda Viera Caballero (born March 9, 1969), better known as La India, is a Puerto Rican singer and songwriter of salsa, house music and Latin pop. La India has been nominated for both Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards, winning the Latin Grammy ...
* ''
Palmas'' (
Elektra Nonesuch, 1994)
* ''Arete'' (
RMM, 1995)
* ''Vortex'' (1996)
* ''El rumbero del piano'' (RMM, 1998)
* ''Live'' (1999)
* ''Masterpiece / Obra maestra'' (RMM/
Universal
Universal is the adjective for universe.
Universal may also refer to:
Companies
* NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company
** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal
** Universal TV, a ...
, 2000) – with
Tito Puente
Ernest Anthony Puente Jr. (April 20, 1923 – June 1, 2000), commonly known as Tito Puente, was an American musician, songwriter, bandleader, and record producer of Puerto Rican descent. He is best known for dance-oriented mambo and Latin jazz ...
* ''En Vivo Italia'' (2002)
* ''La Perfecta II'' (
Concord
Concord may refer to:
Meaning "agreement"
* Pact or treaty, frequently between nations (indicating a condition of harmony)
* Harmony, in music
* Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other ...
, 2002)
* ''Ritmo caliente'' (Concord Picante, 2003)
* ''Listen Here!'' (Concord Picante, 2005)
* ''
Simpático'' (
ArtistShare
ArtistShare is the internet's first commercial crowdfunding website.Crowd-Funding 101: What Every Musician Needs for a Successful Campaign It also operates as a record label and business model for artists which enables them to fund their projec ...
, 2006) – with
Brian Lynch
* ''Eddie Palmieri Is Doin' It in the Park'' (2013)
* ''Sabiduría / Wisdom'' (2017)
* ''Full Circle'' (Uprising, 2018)
* ''Mi Luz Mayor'' (2018)
See also
*
List of Puerto Ricans
*
Corsican immigration to Puerto Rico
Corsican immigration to Puerto Rico resulted in the 19th century from widespread economic and political changes in Europe that made life difficult for the peasant and agricultural classes in Corsica and other territories. The Second Industrial R ...
*
Charlie Palmieri
Carlos Manuel "Charlie" Palmieri (November 21, 1927 – September 12, 1988) was an American bandleader and musical director of salsa music. He was known as the "Giant of the Keyboards".
Early years
Palmieri's parents migrated to New York from Po ...
References
External links
* – official site
*
Eddie Palmieriat warr.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Palmieri, Eddie
1936 births
American bandleaders
American people of Corsican descent
American people of Puerto Rican descent
American salsa musicians
Fania Records artists
Grammy Award winners
Latin Grammy Award winners
Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners
Latin jazz musicians
Latin jazz pianists
Living people
RMM Records artists
Salsa
ArtistShare artists
Ropeadope Records artists
Concord Records artists