CABARET VILLE MAGAZINE. P173. CONT'D FROM P172
JAZZ EVENTS: EDITOR'S PICK
He began his
professional career as a pianist in the early '50s with Eddie
Forrester's Orchestra. In 1955 he joined Johnny Segui's band. He spent a
year with the Tito Rodriguez Orchestra before forming his own band, the
legendary "Conjunto La Perfecta," in 1961. La Perfecta featured a
trombone section (led by the late Barry Rogers) in place of trumpets,
something that had been rarely done in Latin music, and which
demonstrated the early stages of Palmieri's unconventional means of
orchestration. They were known as "the band with the crazy roaring
elephants" for the configuration of two trombones, flute, percussion,
bass and vocalist. With an infectious and soaring sound, Palmieri's band
soon joined the ranks of Machito, Tito Rodriguez, and the other major
Latin orchestras of the day. Palmieri's influences include not only his
older brother Charlie but Jesus Lopez, Chapotin, Lili Martinez and other
Cuban players of the1940s; and jazz luminaries Art Tatum, Bobby Timmons,
Bill Evans, Horace Silver, Bud Powell, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock and
Miles Davis. Equally important were influences derived from Palmieri's
curiosity and incessant search to unearth his family's roots and seek
out the origins of the music that profoundly inspired him. Says Palmieri,
"In Cuba, there was a development and crystallization of rhythmical
patterns that have excited people for years.
Eddie Palmieri
Cuban music provides the fundamental
from which I never move. Whatever has to be built must be built from
there. It's that cross-cultural effect that makes magnificent music."
.
His solid interpretation of Afro-Caribbean music and its confluence with jazz is evident in Eddie Palmieri's astute arranging skills, which assemble those components in dramatic and compelling compositions. His accomplishments have taken him through Europe, Japan and Latin America, showcasing his assemblage of seasoned musicians and kaleidoscope of musical styles. He served as a consultant to Paul Simon on his 1990 release Rhythm of the Saints and in 1993 was appointed to the board of governors of the New York chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Science. His interest is in expanding recognition of Latin music in its diverse forms. Palmieri remains a powerhouse of brilliance and sound that has stirred audiences for 50 years, continually and successfully seeking to captivate and elevate the senses, and taking them down paths of intensity to a place where there are no musical boundaries.
