The Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill

Eddie Palmieri

Only a handful of the leaders of the golden age of salsa (approximately 1969-1979) remain alive, and 10-time Grammy winner Eddie Palmieri is perhaps the best known. Born in Spanish Harlem and raised in the Bronx by Puerto Rican parents, the 81-year-old Latin jazz pianist, composer and band leader has been performing for more than 70 years. As a youth, Palmieri played piano at talent shows at age eight, debuted at Carnegie Hall at 11, played timbales in his uncle’s orchestra, at 13, and formed his first band at 14. At 25, he revolutionized the Latin music scene with Conjunto La Perfecta, where Palmieri replaced Latin music's traditional trumpets and violins with two trombones for a heavier sound, and blended the rhythms of his Afro-Caribbean heritage with the complexity of his jazz influences: Thelonious Monk, Herbie Hancock, and McCoy Tyner. After the breakup of La Perfecta, Palmieri expanded into soul, funk, and rock and adapted them to his New York salsa and jazz fusion. Palmieri continues to record and perform both for jazz and salsa audiences. His most recent album is Sabiduría/Wisdom, was recorded five years ago but was released on April 21, 2017.

Eddie Palmieri recently has been performing jazz venues with the Eddie Palmieri Latin Jazz Septet, but tonight at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill he returned to full-on salsa dance music with the 15-member Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra. From the first notes, this set was high-powered big band salsa, driven with descargas (improvised jam sessions) on old gems like 1964's "Muñeca." Palmieri's leadership on piano, three vocalists, and first-rate horn and percussion sections kept the music percolating with Caribbean rhythms for a fiery salsa that was loud and tight. With so many instrumentalists contributing their best shots, it was sometimes challenging for a listener to focus on individual contributions, but the overall sound was bright and the effect was dance-inducing. Palmieri's big band never fails to get a party started.

Visit Eddie Palmieri at www.PalmieriMusic.com.