Eddie Palmieri (1936-2025)

Eddie Palmieri, a pianist, composer and leader who pioneered a smoldering Latin-jazz sound fronted by trombones and incorporated the jazz jam session into his approach, helping him widen his music and win eight Grammy Awards, died on August 6. He was 88.

Eddie was the younger brother of Charlie Palmieri, a Latin pianist with enormous rhythmic power. Eddie bypassed the boogaloo in the 1960s, preferring instead to lay the instrumental groundwork for what would become salsa in the early 1970s.

Unknown to many, Eddie was a superb solo pianist, despite his many years fronting a band. He also was among the last of the major artists of Puerto Rican heritage who revolutionized Latin music in the 1960s.

Here are 10 of my favorite track by Eddie Palmieri in his early period, in the 1960s and early 1970s:

Here's Tema La Perfecta, a cha-cha-cha from his first album, La Perfecta, in 1962...



Here's the title track from El Molesto (1963)...



Here's the title track from Lo que traigo es sabroso (1964)...



Here's Suave from Echando pa'lante (1964)...



Here's Azúcar fromAzúcar pa' ti (Sugar for You) (1965), Palmieris' most successful album...  



Here's the title track from Mambo con conga es Mozambique (1965)...



Here's Guajira En Azul from El Sonido Nuevo, with vibraphonist Cal Tjader (1966)...



Here's Samba Do Sueño from Bamboléate (1967)...



Here's Cinturita from Champagne (1968)...



Here's the title track from Vámonos pa'l Monte (1971)...



Bonus: Here's Palmieri performing an NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert solo in 2016...



Here he is with Chick Corea...



And here's Charlie Palmieri, who was more percussive than Eddie; he died in 1988...