Concert Review: Eddie Palmieri Latin Band

Concert Review: Eddie Palmieri Latin Band
Venue: Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle
Date: May 26, 2015

10-time Grammy Award winner, Eddie Palmieri and his Latin Band performed their opening 5-night stand at Seattle’s Dimitirou’s Jazz Alley to an enthusiastic audience. Palmieri is a true legend, having been awarded the coveted Jazz Master award by the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) in 2013. The NEA Jazz Master award is the highest honor an American Jazz artist can receive.

I first heard of Eddie Palmieri back in 1994 with the release of his album Palmas. Surprisingly, Palmieri had been around since 1951, so even then, he was a seasoned musician hailing from New York. As Pianist, Bandleader, Arranger and Composer, the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences awarded Palmieri again with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.

So I was in for a real treat to say the least. Palmieri opened with a subtle piano piece that eventually erupted into a fusion explosion. What was of interest to me was the fact that Palmieri’s band was made up of young talent. Here was a true legend teaching and introducing the next generation of jazz musicians with this performance. Featuring Vincente “Little” Johnny Rivero (conga), Anthony Carrillo (bongo), Camilo Molina (timbales), Jonathan Powell (trumpet), Louis Fouche (alto sax) and Luques Curtis (bass), these guys were tight and impressive.

For over an hour and a half, Palmieri and band performed a colorful set of Latin infused jazz that had folks dancing joyously. If you’re into any type of Latin music, do not miss this opportunity to see and hear a living legend, you’ll be dancing to your hearts content.

Learn more about Eddie Palmieri here: http://palmierimusic.com

He will be at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley until May 30th, get your tickets HERE:

See more great concert photography at Peter Dervin’s website HERE