Article: Eddie Palmieri: the sun of latin music part 2.

For the last 40 years Eddie Palmieri has enriched Latin music with his imagination. It is difficult to say he had one good year above all others because Palmieri has improved with each recording, an indication that he hasn't reached his peak. I'm not surprised that others are envious of him. Many dancers say that he is the best. Many say that he is the sun of Latin music, the most powerful in the world. He is reverentially referred to as the Messiah but I see him as Latin music's leading astronaut gliding in a spaceship over the musical heavens, searching, listening, imagining new ideas and sounds that will enable Latin music to branch out unto another dimension and perhaps make it universally accepted. --Max Salazar

(Part 2-Continued from June/July, 2002 issue) Coco Records

In 1973, Coco Records released Eddie Palmieri's Sentido. It was produced by Harvey Averne and Eddie Palmieri, and recorded in a small town called Blauvelt, New York. Palmieri packed a ferocious punch. Sentido contained Puerto Rico and Adoración: both composed by Eddie and his lead singer Ismael Quintana. Condiciones Que Existen (written by Palmieri) showed again the power of Latin rock and featured Harry Viggiano on electric guitar and studio musician Rick Marotta on drums.

"We were playing at a dance up on Boston Post Road (Bronx) and I was going through some financial situations at that time. I hadn't been recording and sure enough, Harvey Averne came to the dance that night. I had trouble making the payroll and he said, `Can I help you with some money?' I couldn't believe it. Wow! I was able to pay the band and everything. He told me, `Look, I'm starting a new company, I'd like to know if you're interested in signing with me to record,' and I said, "Sure! A brand new company, I like challenges like that." But I explained to him my situation with Tico and he said, `Well, let me have a partner talk to Tico and Morris Levy.' They made a monetary arrangement for my first two recordings for Mango Records (which became Coco Records). They compensated Morris Levy with a certain amount of money and bought me out of my contract for approximately thirty five thousand dollars. So, it was agreed upon and I signed with Mango."

The song Puerto Rico unquestionably became a modern-day classic that's been re-recorded but never duplicated. The late Barry Rogers' arranging skills were his best and the trumpet virtuosity of Victor Paz was unheralded. Palmieri's orchestra was obviously up for this one.

"I was living in Puerto Rico, by the ocean. I looked around, and as a matter of fact, it was a sad day because we had a trip to Puerto Rico ... Some of the musicians didn't want to stay and were going back, so they were leaving. I got the inspiration for the tunes Puerto Rico and Adoración. It hit me in Puerto Rico as I was swimming; I saw the islands, isla linda y bonita con sus aguas benditas. Three members of the orchestra departed: bass player Andy González and percussionist Manny Oquendo, who had returned briefly to the band left to form Conjunto Libre, along with Andy's brother, conguero Jerry González, still together today."

The debate concerning the origins of the term "salsa" has been a topic in recent years. What was taking place in New York City (in the early 1970s) was a phenomena catapulted by the Fania All Stars, the tempo and pace in New York City and the roots of Cuban-based music, combined with urban elements.

Around the time when he recorded Sentido, Palmieri was informed that Ismael Quintana, his lead singer since 1960, was leaving to become a Fania solo artist. Palmieri already had a deal with Harvey Averne and his new record label (Mango) and had resisted going with the burgeoning Fania Records. Palmieri was content collaborating with trombonist Barry Rogers again on a song called Un Dia Bonito, however, there was one small problem. "We didn't have a vocalist. In Puerto Rico I saw Justo Betancourt and I mentioned that I was looking for a young man that played guitar. He said, `Conozco a un chamaco que se llama Lalo (I know a kid named Lalo).' I said, `No kidding. Tell him to come to the hotel tomorrow.' And sure enough, the next day, there was a knock on my door. When I opened the door, I couldn't even see the young man; the guitar was bigger than he was. He came in and I said, `Let's go.' I took him to the home of René Hernández, who lived in Calle Del Parque in Puerto Rico. I told him to tune up the guitar and sing whatever he wanted, and he sang Deseo Salvaje. I looked at René Hernández. That's his first arrangement. We're in. The young man did the job and he rose to the occasion."

Both Eddie Palmieri and Harvey Averne (president of Coco Records) scored big with the 1974 release of The Sun of Latin Music. It was recorded at Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village, the same studios used by rock guitarist Jimmy Hendrix. The arrangements were all handled by pianist René Hernández except on Un Día Bonito, which Barry Rogers is arranged. The new singer, Lalo Rodríguez, was a mere 16 years of age.

The phrase and concept of The Sun of Latin Music came from the liner notes for the Sentido recording written by producer by Averne: "Perhaps Eddie Palmieri is more than a superstar, he could very well be the Sun of Latin Music today and for years to come."

From the 1974 liner notes by Averne: "Eddie Palmieri's aura shines more brightly in this album than ever before. The music is powerful, its rays are burning. When you feel the heat of his beat, the realization that the Sun of Latin Music has done it again will rush into your consciousness."

The Grammys

The pianist and bandleader was the hottest artist on Coco. His music was indicative of this. The Sun of Latin Music won the won the first Latin Grammy ever awarded.

"We let it all hang out. You can imagine when we were nominated, that got us excited. We went there ... It was wild because we were at our own little table. By that time, I was feuding with Coco (Mango had become Coco Records) so they were sitting somewhere else and the Fania table was just loaded. I was sitting there with Iraida and several others at table #13. I can never forget the number of table, which is supposed to be unlucky. Sure enough, they rattled off the category and they named me the winner ... I just flipped out." It was 1975.

Coco Records released Unfinished Masterpiece to more controversy. Then, in 1976, Palmieri won again, back-to-back Grammys. The album cover shows a close-up of a bearded Palmieri with a block out of place.

"When we went into the studio and we started to record, I didn't like what we had, the way it was coming out. As a matter of fact, the album was gonna be called Kinkamaché. We had problems at the studio. I said, `Well, it's not acceptable to me, you know. This number is not good and we have to do it again.' That started a whole situation of turbulence again so I said, `I'm not gonna record.' So I didn't finish the album. I was on piano on all cuts except on Resemblace--Jazz Waltz. Eddie Martínez played piano on that, I had lyrics for all that ... Cobarde, with Barry Rogers. He (Averne) finished the album."

Kinkamaché, a majestic chart that by no coincidence carried a Machito-style attack with a powerful sax section and originally slated to be the title track, was written by Eddie and arranged by René Hernández. This album was a slight departure from the studio effects and Alfredo de la Fe's electric violin used in the Sun recording. Unfinished Masterpiece was exactly that. With classical leanings (Random Thoughts), Palmieri and an amazing line-up of over 30 musicians included Panamanian Victor Paz on trumpet, Barry Rogers on trombone, and Nicky Marrero an timbal. If ever there was an album where Eddie wanted to take his band with funk and filigree and drive them through a brick wall, it was the one.

Eddie explained the song Kinkamaché, which he has rarely performed in public: "In the religion of Santería, you go the madrina (godmother) and they cut the coconut open for you. There are different position of the coconut, four pieces. How they throw it determines how your fate will be. What you have to do to correct that was gonna be the cover, four pieces of coconut and kinkamaché in red. We still won the Grammy."

Coco Records had also signed José Fajardo, Cortijo, Orquesta Broadway (Pasaporte) and Machito (whose album Fireworks was nominated for a Grammy in 1977) to their label. During this period, Palmieri never stopped working the club circuit. "I told them. `If you release that record, I'll never record for you again.'" They didn't believe me. I locked myself up in my home, even though it cost us dearly. In between, we did Lucumí, Macumba Voodoo (1978, Epic Records) which was a half-a-million dollar deal."

The Lucumi , Macumba Voodoo project for Epic/CBS was commercially unsuccessful; Palmieri's faithful wouldn't follow their "Sun of Latin Music" into the North American market. His experiment was a rock-influenced tribute to the African religions in Cuba, Brazil and Haiti. With the exception of Colombia Te Canto (with Eddie and older brother Charlie on dual pianos), this recording--produced by drummer Bobby Colomby (Blood, Sweat, & Tears)--fell by the wayside. As progressive as his music was at that point, he was also going against the tide. With Harlem River Drive, there was a political stance that was evolving within the Latino community; but in 1978, it was the disco craze that the music industry was dealing with.

Arguably one of Palmieri's finest moments was the white album with the small grand piano on the lower-left portion of the record cover simply titled Eddie Palmieri. Released in 1981 on ¡Bárbaro! Records, it was without a doubt, a monumental body of music, as beautifully symphonic as it was hard-driven. The "Madman's" piano playing had reached yet another level. The orchestral setting was rich with cellos, piccolos, and flutes and presented a variation of sounds, including waltz, tango and danzón. Also evident was the bandleader's ability to extract the very best from his musicians.

"It's really a musical jewel, René Hernández's arrangement of the tango El Dia Que Me Quieras and Ritmo Alegre; then Alfredo de la Fé brought Francisco Zumaque (arranger) to me. There was Víctor Paz, four trumpets, Barry Rogers, the three trombones and Cheo Feliciano. Little Ray (Romero) played bongó but I brought in Nicky Marrero to do that bell work. I brought in Sal Cuevas to go over Francisco Centeno. Then, the conga player on this could've been Milton Cardona, in particular on No Me Hagas Sufrir. He played a back thing that even Ralph Mercado brought to my attention. Milton Cardona is an excellent percussionist."

The first side opened with the Carlos Gardel tango El Día Que Me Quieras and followed with Bobby Collazo's Ritmo Alegre (Consuelate). The last two tracks, No Me Hagas Sufrir and Ven, Ven reunited Palmieri with vocalist Ismael Quintana. Francisco Zumaque provided the heavy charts, including Páginas de Mujer. It was clearly a stellar recording with an aggressive style and a majestic orchestra, delivering some of the finest vocals, courtesy of Cheo Feliciano and Ismael Quintana.

On the album Al Rojo Vivo (Puerto Rico, 1983) one of this writer's fondest memories was a concert at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente in Puerto Rico. I flew in that afternoon and acquired my tickets for the evening concert. We'd arrived early enough, and the show was a half-hour late in starting, with the audience stomping its feet, the place literally rocking! The show started with Charlie Palmieri and his orchestra, featuring Vitín Avilés, and ended with a combination of Charlie and Eddie's orchestras. At one point, vocalist Andy Montañez jumped on stage and sang the then unreleased 1983.

The legendary pianist and bandleader Charlie Palmieri had left New York for Puerto Rico in early 1980. During his four-year stay he suffered a heart attack while playing chess with his son Charlie Jr. Thanks to intense therapy and dedication, A Giant Step was released on Tropical Budda Records in 1984. It was a piano rhythm album.

"Perhaps one of his greatest recordings and his last as a leader, Al Rojo Vivo was done with Lalo Rodríguez and Barry Rogers. My brother Charlie had already suffered his heart attack. He was the one who set up that concert, but he suffered a heart attack. He came back to New York and told me about the concert. He had been taking care of my mother in Puerto Rico, so when he got his heart attack my mother was alone. We were living in Kings Park (New York), I was not doing very well at all, I was having a lot of problems, but we had no choice. I had to take care of my mother while my brother was healing, so we stayed on the island for about four years. We did a beautiful concert and my brother played. I stayed in Puerto Rico, my brother Charlie then came here. In 1984, I recorded Palo Pa' Rumba, Solito and La Verdad (in Puerto Rico) with Juancito Torres that won three Grammys. That band started traveling to Europe until I recorded again--Sueño, in 1989."

When Eddie relocated to Borinquen or "Party Rico" as he called it, he assembled and recorded an orchestra of solely Puerto Rican musicians. Under the musical direction of trumpeter Juancito Torres, the band included a young percussion phenomena by the name of Giovanni Hidalgo, nicknamed "Mañenguito," whose father José Hidalgo "Mañengue" played conga for Ricardo Ray's orchestra years before.

"Palo Pa' Rumba, a bad situation turning into a good situation, were ideas I had for about 15 years. It was going to be called Se Acaba el Mundo. In Venezuela they told me, `El día que tú grabes con Celia Cruz, se acaba el mundo (the day you record with Celia Cruz, the world will end).' That was the idea. The album design was a serpent consuming herself (African mythology) and the planet breaking up because ... se acaba el mundo (the world will end), and they never gave me the chance to do that."

Palmieri felt proud in bringing a first Grammy to Puerto Rico, and having young singers interpreting it with arrangements penned by him and Ray Santos (who was residing in Puerto Rico at the time).

Solito was the 1985 follow-up to Palo Pa' Rumba, with essentially the same orchestra. Conguero Eladio Pérez had retired, Giovanni switched from bongó to conga and Anthony Carrillo took over the bongó duties. Much of the band consisted of former members of the popular Puerto Rican songo group Batacumbele. With Solito, Eddie garnered his fourth Grammy, an honor that he shared on that occasion with Tito Puente and his Concord recording, Mambo Diablo.

La Verdad, a recording released in 1987, won Palmieri his fifth Grammy. The band offered a different look with singer Tony Vega, who had recently departed from Willie Rosario's orchestra and would tour Europe with the ferocious Palmieri organization. Also singing with the band were Luis Vergara and Jerry Medina. Noble Cruise was dedicated to jazz pioneer Thelonious Monk.

On September 12, 1988, Charlie Palmieri suffered his third massive heart attack and passed away at Jacobi Hospital in the Bronx. Latín music lost one of its legends and pioneers forever. At the time, Charlie was fronting and/or recording with four different bands, including those of Joe Quijano, Joe Cuba, his own Combo Gigante (in co-leadership with Jimmy Sabater), and that of Afro-Cuban jazz legend Mongo Santamaría.

The mid-eighties were full of surprises. One such surprise, in 1986, took place in the way of a concert series called "Latin Pianos in Concert" in which Eddie Palmieri functioned as its only musical director. In the opinion of this writer, who witnessed the first of the series from the second row of Hunter College auditorium in New York, it was the most special series ever presented by Ace Productions. The musical concept featured four pianists (playing together and individually) accompanied by a rhythm section--trumpet, trombone, baritone, sax and flute. Such a show had been done in Cuba and jazz artists had done it also (with the late Eubie Blake), but this was conducted with four of the finest pianists in the Big Apple in only one performance.

According to Eddie, "It has lost its original innocence. Its innocence consisted of something wonderful with great pianists--my brother Charlie, Jorge Dalto and Hilton Ruiz. Later, we brought in Michel Camilo and Danilo Pérez, all the different pianists. But no one believed in the independent movement of Mickey and Millie Melendez. Not only `Latín Pianos' but also `Latín Brass,' so many Latin things to be presented. I certainly enjoyed the works I did for them. There was only one that I wasn't able to fulfill for them, which was `Persia Atma.'"

Palmieri presented music specifically composed for the concert. Hence, Palmas would be released in 1994.

At the end of the '80s, saxophonist David Sanborn hosted his own late night Sunday show on the NBC network. On occasion the one-hour program would feature Latin music and artists. Dressed in black shirt and slacks (still mourning the loss of older brother Charlie), Eddie was introduced by pop legend Paul Simon. There was a short guitar demonstration by cuatro great Yomo Toro and tres master Nelson González. Television audiences were then treated to what tresero González described as one of the heaviest interpretations of Azucar ever played. Palmieri appeared with bass player Andy González, trumpeters Brian Lynch and Charlie Sepúlveda, violinist Shiro Sadamura, Francisco Aguabella and Giovanni Hidalgo (on congas), Charlie Cotto on timbal, and Anthony Carrillo on bongó. However, it was Sanborn's solo on alto sax at the clímax of Azucar Pa Ti that nearly tore the roof off of the NBC building at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

India

In 1991, the word was out that Eddie had a new singer, this young girl with a tremendous voice. At the time, Pete Emilio Rodríguez (Pete El Conde's son) had been the lead vocalist, in the band's repertoire, Palo Pa' Rumba was usually the test. It was at the old Village Gate where we first met Linda Caballero, the stunning young vocalist who was in the midst of recording with Palmieri for the RMM/Soho label. In 1992, the result was Llegó La India Via Eddie Palmieri. The combination of India and Palmieri was probably the most exciting show in Latin music that year. Besides ah appearance on Jay Leno's Tonight Show, they also appeared around New York at places such as Club Tattoo's and Central Park's Amphitheater, as well as in Florida and Puerto Rico. Singing house music with then husband Little Louie Vega and Marc Anthony, India (as she is known) launched a career in salsa singing the tunes Mi Primera Rumba, Llegó La India and Yemayá y Ochún. She would be the featured vocalist and usually do two numbers backed by the mighty Eddie Palmieri orchestra, which included David Sánchez and Conrad Herwig in the horn section and Richie Flores, José Claussell, Jimmy Delgado and Milton Cardona in the percussion section. Supplementing that was the late Pete "El Conde" Rodríguez on chorus. The CD was produced by Tom Del Mastro, Palmieri and Little Louie Vega. It was well received and the energy displayed was refreshing, unique and complimentary to both artists and even gave a shot in the arm to mainstream Latin music. Unfortunately, it was also short lived. Palmieri and India parted and she continued with an orchestra directed by pianist Oscar Hernández. The five-time Grammy winner Palmieri went head-first into a completely different direction, one he felt very comfortable with, Afro-Caribbean jazz.

Afro-Caribbean Jazz

Eddie Palmieri was making a statement, He'd decided to record his brand of Afro-Caribbean jazz with a one-trumpet, one trombone and one sax jazz concept. It was a statement that eventually inspired a Latin jazz category at the Grammys.

As Eddie puts it, "I make more statements than money (laughter). It started as a sextet with trumpeter Brian Lynch. That band went to Elat, Israel. We took Francisco Aguabella, Charlie Cotto, Polito Huertas and Anthony Carrillo. We went into Elat, Israel, an Arab settlement where you have to cross the sea from Tel Aviv to get to. That engagement was quite extraordinary. Randy Brecker performed with us. It was a unique three horns because of Brian Lynch, who was the founder of that sextet. That gave me the stimuli to write for such a great musician. He brought me Donald Harrison, who is an alumni of Art Blakey, then Conrad Herwig (trombone). So I had three of the greatest. What was I going to write for them? How would I satisfy their personal desires plus the percussionists' desires? I changed from jazz form to dance form compositions, then back. So that's what I had."

To Palmieri, it was important to maintain balance within the compositions and orchestrations that were in the jazz vein, harmonically, but phrasing and accenting the rhythm section, thus bringing together the Afro-Caribbean dance form. Eddie certainly had the rhythm section for the foundation (at the time it was Richie Flores on congas, mainstay José Claussell on timbal and from Puerto Rico, Paoli Mejias on bongó). It was the first time he was writing and arranging in a purely instrumental form, not for an orchestra and a singer.

Elektra/Nonesuch Records released Palmas, recorded at the Hit Factory in New York, April 1993, and released a year later. Still maintaining the vintage, rugged sound with a "taking the band through a brick wall approach," Palmieri literally played off his percussionists. The title track Palmas and the slick chachachá Slowviser showed off the band while Palmieri paid tribute to the Middle Eastern seas with the rock-influenced Mare Nostrum. The pianist always tried to fit in a bolero on most recordings as he did here with Bolero Dos. The result was Afro-Caribbean jazz ala Eddie Palmieri.

The Grammy winning pianist continued with his three-horn front line band. From Arete, the 1995 RMM/TropiJazz recording, came Sisters, a jazz bolero dedicated to his daughters. Crew, an exciting but short jam (3:58) where bongocero Paoli Mejias delivered a nasty solo, was also an RMM vídeo. The upbeat Waltz for My Grandchildren is reminiscent of his collaborations with the late Cal Tjader. The jazz walks and harmonies were provided by Harrison, Herwig and Lynch on horns while John Benítez (bass) and Adam Cruz (drums) were in the rhythm section.

By the time the CD Vortex was released in 1996, Palmieri was expanding his original concept as well as adding to the variation of his themes, not to mention throwing the funky bass of Oscar Cartaya into the mix. Example: Displacement sounds like background music for a French spy movie. The Prez was dedicated to his son Eddie II. Minuet! In G, as Palmieri puts it, was classical blasphemy, but Eddie's Riff was probably the heaviest of all the selections, based on the opening mozambique riff from the mid-'60s Carnaval en Camagüey (at the suggestion of son Eddie II).

Eddie Palmieri was never considered a sideman, although in the '50s he basically was; is not thought of as a session player, but in a manner-of- speaking, has lived in the studio all his life. He has been a leader of his own bands for most of the last four decades. During the latter part of the '90s, he made guest appearances with a number of different Latin and Latin jazz artists. From 1994 to 1998 he recorded with the Fania All Stars, trombonist Conrad Herwig, Tito Puente and the short-lived TropiJazz All Stars (1996-1997), Nuyorican Soul, and with vibraphonist Dave Samuels for the Tjaderized recording on Verve. This was something of a departure for the now elder statesman of Latin music. Up to this point, Tito Puente was the elder statesman.

"In 1989, I had already started the work for El Rumbero Del Piano, but the budget that they offered me, well, it wasn't gonna happen. So I put the music in the closet, which is what I'd done with the white album. Malagueña Salerosa, Pas D'Histoires and Para Que Escuchen were in the closet for eight years. I did the arrangements in 1990, '91. The budget that they offered, I just laughed at it. I said, `don't worry about it, I'll just go home.' Then India came in. The project with India was a deal that I couldn't resist, so I recorded with her. Malagueña Salerosa, the charming one. I did that arrangement over ten years ago. It's unbelievable. I saw the movie with Maria Felix and Pedro Armendariz. The story was about a military general who came to a town, fell in love with her and locked up her father and then she smacked the hell out of him. Then she sang Malagueña. I told my wife that I had to get the music. I did the same with El Dia Que Me Querías. I saw the movie with Carlos Gardel in Puerto Rico in 1972. When I saw the movie, my father was still alive, then I had the number, that's when I gave the arrangement to René Hernández."

Palmieri was now armed with a formidable orchestra fronted by two vocalists: Hermán Olivera and Wichy Camacho from Puerto Rico; Joe Santiago was on bass and Nelson González on tres. Included in the CD was an updated version of Café (thirty-three years later); Oiga Mi Guaguancó (written by Arsenio Rodríguez); El Dueño Monte, a bomba (featuring the legendary Cepeda family on percussion) and Donde Esta Mi Negra, with Los Pleneros De La 21.

"I'd never recorded a plena because of my respect for it. What we did here was stylize the primitive and modernize the plena. I've recorded the bomba, but nevera plena. I thought it was time for us to bring our folkloric roots back. We are the most unique country in the world, playing everyone's music but ours. Geographically it's pinpointed for the markets of Mexico, France, The Caribbean and the Virgin Islands. I know the work that was put in there. When we went over the budget, Ralph Mercado didn't even blink. We went over $40,000 dollars and my son and I went at it. What emerged is such an important piece of work in closing the 20th century, in my opinion."

Roberto Sancho and René López, both executives at Bronx Lebanon Hospital, had produced a number of memorable concerts at Hostos Center for the Arts, in New York. One such concert took place on October 17, 1996. On the bill that night was the progressive charanga of Los Jovenes Del Barrio, as well as Eddie Palmieri and Ismael Quintana. Unfortunately, Eddie ran late with his jazz ensemble and Hermán Olivera on a previous gig, so Quintana was unable to perform. RMM released both a video and CD titled Eddie Palmieri and Friends Live!

Masterpiece

Almost 50 years ago, the late Charlie Palmieri recorded classic recordings with Tito Puente, such as Puente in Love. Now Eddie was making history with "El Rey del Timbal." This pivotal piece was Masterpiece/Obra Maestra: Tito Puente/Eddie Palmieri. Tito Puente passed on during heart surgery on May 31, 2000. He didn't live to see the release of the CD. It was most fitting that his final recording was done in collaboration with the "Sun Of Latin Music." It was also the most incredible recording the pianist had the honor of recording in both centuries.

"Tito and I had been talking about it for many years and we finally got the opportunity. I'm elated that he went out the way he started ... to come back to the structures he started in 1949 and 1950 ... and he fell right into it. All my friends and I wanted to be Tito Puente. There could never be another Tito Puente, he delivered to the highest degree. Compositions such as Itutu Aché, Yambu Pa' Inglaterra, Muddy's Club Blues on the vibes and his own number called El Puente Mundial are amazing. In just one take in the studio, boom! And out! Next one, take, Tito-bam! In and out. He would knock out his work. It's all there. Everyone rose to the highest level. Tito rose to the occasion on every composition, especially on the ones he had to do timbal or vibe solos. You hear it on Rico Yambu, where he takes an incredible solo and he brings in the baqueteo. There used to be a gentleman named Montesino (The Happy Boys) in the early '30s, a Cuban drummer who used the baqueteo-type soloing and Tito captured that and displays it on the CD. The motto here was, and I quote the Daily News, `If love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece and that's what was achieved.' We had the greatest musicians and arrangers. We brought Mr. Ray Santos--he did Cielito Lindo/La Negra with the mariachi medley, which is very complicated to do, and he took the challenge and delivered. Then he did the medley of the ballads. After we heard it at the rehearsals the first time, we had to give him a standing ovation. That's how beautiful the arrangements are. Michael Stuart and Hermán Olivera were able to display their balladeer talent. To me, Hermán is the sonero of the 21st century. Pete "El Conde" on Marchando Bien, Jerry Medina on Itutu Aché, and Oscar D'León on Paris Mambo, brought another musical structure to the recording. Oh! and José Madera, who brought in El Bochinche. I had six songs and six arrangements there. It was mostly Tito's orchestra and then I had my independent specialists (laughter). Which means Piro Rodríguez on trumpet, Conrad Herwig, Joe Santiago working with Puente's bass player (Bernie Minoso), Sonny Bravo and me. It just worked very harmoniously. They thought we would clash because of egos. That wasn't allowed. They realized the respect I had for Mr. Tito Puente and he realized that what I structured for him was really for him. Everything was at the highest degree of respect. There had been talk for some time about Puente and Palmieri recording together; however, the complications stemmed mostly from booking schedules, as both of us were traveling extensively. I started the year in Australia. Then I went to Europe. From Europe I came in and had two days off. Then we did three days of rehearsals in March and that's how it started. It finally happened. I'm so happy that it did. It took 400 hours and a quarter of a million dollars to record it in the three best studios with the best engineers and the head engineer, Mr. Jon Fausty."

Yambu Pa' Inglaterra: "We had done a 10-city tour in England. In Glastonbury there were 200,000 people. They were there for about two weeks and there were tents everywhere. When there's bad weather they fly you in a helicopter, it was truly amazing what we saw there. In Manchester there were tremendous dancers. We were elated to see that in England. We've seen it in France, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, and Switzerland, anywhere we've gone there's a salsa fever. But England was very exciting. So we dedicated this composition to England. We have one for Germany, Muddy's Club Blues in Weinheim. I've been there eight times and the last time the Mayor brought us into City Hall and we signed the book. We were really loved there. There were approximately 400,000 people in Weinheim. It's the blues center of Germany. Muddy Club Blues is a small club owned by two gentlemen named Benny and Willie. They bring us in there constantly. So we did a composition there for the club and Tito Puente later told me he did his first German vibe solo (laughter) on Picadillo.

"There is no Picadillo like this one; a new intro and then Tito suggested, `Eddie, why don't we do what we did at the Beacon?' He had a tape of it. I said, `what did we do?' He said, `I do the solo on timbal.' It came out a classic. Then he went to fulfill a dream, to play with the Symphonic Orchestra of Puerto Rico and there he started to get shortness of breath. A symptom that he had a problem with for more than eight years. I believe he knew that it he took the operation the way he did, come out of it and not be able to play, then it would've killed him slowly. He would have been devastated. His angel and his congo took him away. Did he leave something here between him and me? In my opinion they're gonna have to deal with this CD for the next 100 years. It all started as Afro-Caribbean and now it's Afro-world. There's no country in the world that doesn't have a Latin music orchestra coming out. From Japan to Macedonia, we've been there and they're interested in our music anywhere we've gone. That's why this production was designed to give thanks to these countries that have received us well. Listening to the recording, it's most important to the student. It put an orchestra back where it belonged now that we have a mother ship of a big orchestra again."

The world lost its greatest ambassador of Latin music in the year 2000. During that summer, there was a promotional concert at New York's legendary Carnegie Hall. Featured that evening was the Tito Puente and Eddie Palmieri Orchestra. Singers Michael Stuart, Frankie Morales, Hermán Olivera, Wichy Camacho and Domingo Quiñones also appeared. The audience was treated to Eddie playing timbal as well as sax player Mario Rivera playing the vibraphone. Eddie explains' "Out of respect to Mr. Puente, it was only on certain compositions and I enjoyed it. Sonny Bravo, a tremendous talent on piano, and I shared the evening on the piano. If I played the timbales, he grabbed the piano. We had a nice relationship between the Puente orchestra and myself. We've been quite complementary."

On September 21, 2001 Eddie Palmieri performed at the Flushing Town Hall in New York to a packed house, a concert produced by Clyde Bullard. Appearing in the band that Friday with Palmieri were conguero "Pequeño" Johnny Rivero, Chris Washburne, Nelson Jaime, Ray Vega and John Dandy Rodríguez (the last two alumni of the Puente orchestra).

La Perfecta II

Fast-forward to the present and La Perfecta orchestra is back with a vengeance. La Perfecta was Palmieri's work of art; an ensemble created around 1960 with the collaboration of trombonist/arranger Barry Rogers. Known for their intricate trombone layers and killer tumbaos that burned many a dancehall, La Perfecta was one of the groundbreaking groups in the history of tropical dance music. After the deaths of trombonists Barry Rogers and José Rodríguez, Palmieri swore that he would never record the original tunes that he and the pivotal La Perfecta orchestra made famous. La Perfecta disbanded in 1968 and as far as he was concerned, there was no looking back. But never say never; the persistence of trombonist Conrad Herwig and one of his students Doug Beaver convinced Palmieri to revisit the music of his first band. Doug Beaver transcribed the original arrangements of the orchestra in a brilliant manner befitting and honoring the work of the original cast. After hearing them, Palmieri changed his mind and the result was the resurrection of La Perfecta II. In May of 2002, Palmieri released the CD La Perfecta II for the Concord Picante label. To reenact the sound and magic of the original outfit Palmieri called on the talents of trombonists Conrad Herwig, Reynaldo Jorge, and Doug Beavers; on percussion, José Claussell, Johnny Rodríguez Jr. and George Delgado; on trumpet, Brian Lynch; on bass, Joe Santiago; on flute, Eddy Zervigón; on saxophone, Mario Rivera; on chorus, Ray Viera, and on lead vocals, Hermán Olivera. Additional musicians in the production included Yosvany Terry on alto saxophone, Dafnis Prieto on drums, Dave Valentín on flute, Richie Flores on conga, and Pedro E. Rodríguez on chorus and clave. In a recent national tour by Palmieri and La Perfecta II, the press reviews were outstanding and the audiences' resounding response to the new Palmieri sound was proof positive that La Perfecta is back.

Latin Beat Magazine is looking forward to keeping you posted on the life and music of Eduardo Palmieri.

(Special thanks to Kathy Montañez, Luis Montañez, Max Salazar and Eddie Palmieri II.)

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