The Latin Jazz world remains blessed with a number of important elders that serve as the standard bearers, role models, and pieces of living history that we need to treasure deeply. Many of these musicians spent their earlier days establishing the norms of this genre that we now know as Latin Jazz, working every day at defining the genre’s boundaries and possibilities. Some of them came into Latin Jazz through dance music, drawing upon the popular culture of salsa, while others entered the style through folkloric forms, mixing ancient cultural tradition with artistry. In both cases, these musicians needed to look beyond established norms of any one genre and find a common meeting ground between musical ideals, a daunting task that requires a keen musical insight. These musicians spent years refining these styles through regular performances, experimentation, and liberal risk taking; yet the job didn’t finish with the establishment of a style. Once they had helped form the rules of the genre, they looked for something more – they kept twisting and turning the rules of the game until they could find a personal and unique voice within the genre. They worked over the course of decades, following each generation and taking the best that it had to offer. The most important figures sustained through the years and used their time to move forward, never finding the luxury of settling into a comfort zone. These musicians continue to stretch the limits of their musicality well into the later years of their lives, giving us ample reason to cherish their contributions and praise their place in our world.

One of the Latin Jazz world’s most important musical elders, pianist Eddie Palmieri, turns 73 today, causing me to reflect upon the place of some of the Latin Jazz world’s vital elders. Palmieri spent years at the forefront of the salsa world, but it was always his jazz edge that made him irreplaceable and exciting. The combustible improvisatory flights of Palmieri’s groups like La Perfecta an Harlem River Drive made salsa history, set the tone for a whole new generation of artists, and made the line between salsa and Latin Jazz much more blurry. Palmieri jumped in and out of Latin Jazz contexts, always making a splash with his natural affinity for the style; still he kept the majority of his own musical output firmly set in the salsa world. Once Palmieri dedicated himself fully to Latin Jazz in 1994 with the formation of his Afro-Caribbean Jazz group and the release of Palmas, the whole spectrum of his career made sense. His performance style and musical approach always valued improvisation and his love of jazz harmony shaped the sound of his compositions. Over the next fifteen years, Palmieri became a mainstay artist on the jazz festival circuit, and he found a home in the most established jazz clubs around the world. He released several more albums that placed his work in a Latin Jazz context, such as Vortex, Ritmo Caliente, and Listen Here!, further clarifying his voice as an important figure in the genre. He always kept one foot in the salsa world, revisiting the work of La Perfecta, but his approach to the music seemed even more jazz-tinged than before. As the master hits 73 years, he stands as an important member of the Latin Jazz world, brimming with knowledge an style.

In celebration of Palmieri’s 73rd birthday, today’s Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix is dedicated to the living legend and his contribution to the world of Latin Jazz. The first clip finds Palmieri and his group performing a classic track from Palmas, “Doctor Duck” at the Jazz Cafe in London. In the second video, Palmieri and his group rework one of the pianist’s salsa classics, “Puerto Rico” into a blazing Latin Jazz piece in Stuttgart, featuring some high voltage sax work from Yosvany Terry. The last bit of footage includes some less than perfect visual quality, but the audio sounds great as Palmieri and company blaze through some music at the Heineken Jazz Festival in San Juan, Puerto Rico. These videos find Palmieri performing around the world, as musicians, club owners, and festival organizers recognize the importance of his contributions and worldwide audience members clammer to hear the master live. So as Palmieri journeys into another wonderful year of music, let’s take a minute to reflect upon his important career and appreciate his place in the Latin Jazz world – enjoy!

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Eddie Palmieri Group Performing “Doctor Duck” At The Jazz Cafe In London

Eddie Palmieri Group In Stuttgart Performing “Puerto Rico”

Eddie Palmieri Group At The Heineken Jazz Festival In San Juan, Puerto Rico

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Want to hear more from Eddie Palmieri? Check out these albums:

Listen Here!

Simpatico

Obra Maestra (Masterpiece)

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Do you have a video to contribute to satisfy our weekly Latin Jazz video fix? If so, send it in – it’s time to feed our addiction. I’m looking for live performances, from any context. I’ll most likely be posting one video per week, but if you’ve got another idea, let’s talk. So come on Latin Jazz videographers, musicians, and fans – let’s share some of our memorable videos! Get my contact info HERE.

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Check Out These Related Posts:
Revisiting Latin Jazz Classics: Palmas, Eddie Palmieri
8 Latin Jazz Tracks Featuring Manny Oqueno
Eddie Palmieri & Pete Escovedo At The Healdsburg Jazz Festival
Musical Longevity: Eddie Palmieri On Video

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