Eddie Palmieri – Mi Luz Mayor (Uprising Music/Ropeadope, 2018)
Mi Luz Mayor (My Greater Light) is dedicated to Iraida, Eddie Palmieri’s late wife, who was the love of his life. The legendary Latin jazz pianist, composer, arranger and band leader selected the music that Palmieri and his wife relished in their youth. The album features musical pieces by various composers and originals by Palmieri.
“Because this music is in her honor, everything from start to finish had to be of the highest caliber and I am proud to say that it is just that,” says Palmieri about Mi Luz Mayor.
Although Eddie Palmieri is well-known as a Latin jazz composer and performer, his music incorporates a rich variety of influences on salsa, Colombian music, Afro-Latin music, Colombian cumbia, rock, Puerto Rican rural music, mambo and romantic boleros.
The list of musicians who participated in Mi Luz Mayor is impressive. In addition to his regular band, Eddie Palmieri invited some of the finest musicians and vocalists in the Latin jazz and salsa scene, hailing from the US, Puerto Rico and Cuba.
Three special guests appear on Mi Luz Mayor, Puerto Rican salsa and bolero star Gilberto Santa Rosa on vocals; famed Puerto Rican-American salsa singer Hermán Olivera; and the fabulous Carlos Santana on electric guitar, injecting a remarkable solo on Mr. Congo, which makes this piece sound like top of the line Cuban timba.
The lineup on Mi Luz Mayor includes Eddie Palmieri on piano; Luques Curtis on bass; Karl Perazzo on timbales; Camilo Molina on timbales, drums and itótele; Pequeño Johnny Rivero on congas; Anthony Carrillo on bongos, cowbell and iyá; Nelson González on tres; Gabriel Lugo on okónkolo; Jerry Medina on backing vocals ; Juan Pablo Díaz on backing vocals; Brian Lynch on trumpet; Jonathan Powell on trumpet; John Walsh on trumpet; Pete Nater on trumpet; Chris Rogers on trumpet; Conrad Herwig on trombone; Jimmy Bosch on trombone; Joe Fiedler on trombone; Chris Washburne on trombone; Doug Beavers on trombone; Tokinori Kajiwara on trombone; Louis Fouché on alto saxophone; Yosvany Terry on alto saxophone; Ralph Moore on alto saxophone; Ivan Renta on tenor saxophone; Craig Handy on tenor saxophone; Jeremy Powell on tenor saxophone; Gary Smulyan on baritone saxophone; and Ronnie Cuber on baritone saxophone.
Special guests: Giberto Santa Rosa on lead and backing vocals; Carlos Santana on electric guitar; and Hermán Olivera on lead vocals.
Mi Luz Mayor features exceptionally good, timelessly crafted Latin big band songs by one of the brightest Latin Jazz artists of our time.
Buy the Mi Luz Mayor CD and download in Europe
Buy Mi Luz Mayor digital download in North America
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.