Eddie Palmieri, Grammy-winning Latin jazz pioneer, dies at 88

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FILE - Eddie Pamieri at the Pritzker Pavillion in Millenium Park in Chicago, Illinois, June 27, 2016. (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images)

Eddie Palmieri, the bold and boundary-pushing musician who transformed Latin jazz and salsa, has died at 88. His daughter Gabriela Palmieri told The New York Times he died Wednesday at his home in New Jersey after a long illness.

Palmieri was celebrated for his explosive playing, genre-bending compositions, and deep roots in both jazz and Afro-Caribbean music. He was the first Latino to win a Grammy Award—earning the honor in 1975 for The Sun of Latin Music—and went on to collect seven more, along with near-universal admiration for his role in shaping Latin music worldwide.

The backstory:

Born in Spanish Harlem on Dec. 15, 1936, Palmieri grew up surrounded by rhythm. Like his older brother Charlie Palmieri, he began playing piano as a child, but briefly switched to timbales before returning to the keyboard with what he called a percussionist’s spirit. "I’m a frustrated percussionist, so I take it out on the piano," he once joked on his website.

He cut his teeth with tropical bands in the 1950s, performing with the Eddie Forrester Orchestra, Johnny Seguí, and Tito Rodríguez. But in 1961, Palmieri launched his own group, La Perfecta, which would become one of the most influential salsa bands of the era.

Instead of trumpets, La Perfecta used trombones—creating a deeper, more aggressive sound that distinguished Palmieri’s style and set the tone for salsa’s evolution.

What they're saying:

Palmieri’s death was announced by Fania Records on Wednesday. His daughter, Gabriela, confirmed the cause and location to The New York Times.

In a 2011 interview with The Associated Press, Palmieri was asked whether he still had anything left to accomplish. With his usual mix of wit and humility, he replied:

"Learning to play the piano well… Being a piano player is one thing. Being a pianist is another."

Big picture view:

Palmieri’s impact went far beyond the stage. He was awarded the Chubb Fellowship at Yale University in 2002—typically reserved for global leaders—for his work building communities through music. The Smithsonian Institution recorded two of his concerts in 1988 for the National Museum of American History.

He was also a radio host, serving as the voice of NPR’s Caliente beginning in 2005, and he brought salsa and Latin jazz to global audiences in Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Despite the passing of his brother Charlie in 1988 and many of the rumberos he once played with, Palmieri remained active late into life, telling the AP in 2010 that he sometimes felt "a bit lonely musically" but kept going.