The Sun of Latin Music has set, so we should all wish safe passage to the truly great Eddie Palmieri.

I know Latin jazz like the back of my neck (which is to say better than the average citizen but not to what I’d consider an expert degree) but I do know that Eddie Palmieri a) is one of the Mount Rushmore giants and b) has had an incalculable impact on my own music in ways that manifest well beyond the way I play Latin music. I was first introduced to his work by the bassist Jairo Moreno in high school and then in more depth in college by trumpeter/composers Michael P Mossman and Pete Rodriguez, and for this I’m so grateful. It’s hard to simultaneously fit within a tradition and have a completely distinctive voice, but with his clever writing and powerful and daring piano artistry, he managed to achieve just that.

Here is a small handful of my favorite moments from his long, extraordinarily prolific, and brilliant career, presented here in chronological order and with a focus on music where his piano playing is prominent.  

1 ) “Conmigo” from La Perfecta (1962)

The first iteration of Conjunto La Perfecta is so delightful as a dance band that one could miss the authority of the piano playing. At least I’m guessing that’s so – it captivates me every time I hear it and this is a favorite example of all of that.

2 ) “Azúcar” from Azúcar pa’ ti (1965)

The extended piano solo amidst this long dance track is said to be a landmark in the development of this thread of Latin jazz. I’m not enough of an historian to corroborate that with confidence, but I can corroborate that it is ridiculously nasty.

3 ) “El Sonido Nuevo” from El Sonido Nuevo by Eddie Palmieri and Cal Tjader (1966)

This album with vibraphonist Cal Tjader is a key part of Eddie’s exposure to the broader jazz world. Equally importantly, it is gorgeous from top to bottom. Eddie’s playing on this tune that they co-wrote is somehow meditative and rhythmically powerful at the same time.  

4 ) “Caminando” from Vamonos pa’l monte (1971)

Eddie’s soulful electric piano work (including a slyly funky solo in the middle) is juxtaposed with organ by his brother, the brilliant and mercurial Charlie Palmieri (who, for the curious among you, is the featured soloist on the title track of this wonderful record).  

5 ) “Kinkamache” from Unfinished Masterpiece (1975)

From the same era as the more-heralded and genuinely wonderful Sun of Latin Music record, this track from an album of his original music is one of the most potent piano features among Eddie’s 1970s output.

6 ) “El Dia Que Me Quieras” from Eddie Palmieri (1980)

This whole album was the biggest revelation for me in college. Rene Hernandez’s arrangement takes some unexpected twists and turns as it goes from gentle to driving and back, and Eddie’s driving piano

7 ) “Verdict on Judge Street” from Sueño (1989)

There is not a ton of fully solo piano music by Eddie, but this is one of two such tracks on this album. It is one of the subtler examples I’ve heard of his piano playing too, at least until he leans in towards the end. Pure brilliance at the 88s.

8 ) “Impressions” from The Latin Side of John Coltrane (1996)

The Herwig/Palmieri relationship is a beautiful one, with the former playing trombone on some classic Eddie sides and the latter contributing to numerous “Latin Side of” projects over more than a quarter century (not to mention their forthcoming drum-less trio record with Luques Curtis on bass). I will never know if the nature of this song (co-arranged by the two of them) led to Eddie playing in an unusually impressionistic manner, but my goodness is it gorgeous.

9 ) “Paginas De Mujer” from Sympatico by Brian Lynch/Eddie Palmieri Project (2005)

This song is a highlight of the album that #6 on this list comes from and the idea of re-recording it seemed almost like heresy to me until I heard what joy Brian Lynch and his band bring to it, not to mention the piano being even further in the spotlight.

10 ) “Picadillo” from Eddie Palmieri Presents: Sonido Solar (2022)

This tune by Eddie’s idol-turned-collaborator Tito Puente is a highlight of El Sonido Nuevo and here he plays . There’s another track on the record where he engages in a two piano play-fest (can’t call it a duel or cutting contest because it’s too collegial) with his disciple Zaccai Curtis, who curated this program and plays on the rest of the record, but I chose this one because Eddie’s playing here (both as a soloist and accompanist) is so powerful well in his mid-80s. And it really warms the heart to hear him nourishing and being nourished by a younger generation of powerful and musically bilingual jazz/Latin musicians.