Eddie Palmieri, Grammy-Winning Pianist and Bandleader, Dies at 88

Eddie Palmieri, the influential American pianist, composer, and bandleader, died on August 6, 2025. He was 88.

Born Eduardo Palmieri on December 15, 1936, in New York City to Puerto Rican parents who had migrated from Ponce to the South Bronx (New York), he began performing in talent shows at age eight alongside his older brother, Charlie Palmieri. By eleven, he had performed at Carnegie Hall. Deeply influenced by Thelonious Monk, McCoy Tyner, and his brother, Palmieri formed his first band at 14 and later performed with several ensembles, including Tito Rodríguez’s orchestra.

In 1961, Palmieri founded Conjunto La Perfecta, featuring vocalist Ismael Quintana. Departing from the traditional charanga format, Palmieri replaced violins with trombones, creating a groundbreaking sound that would shape the future of salsa. Collaborators such as trombonist Barry Rogers and guitarist Bob Bianco were central to this evolution, incorporating complex harmonic structures and jazz-inspired arrangements.

Palmieri combined Latin rhythms from the Hispanic Caribbean with jazz improvisation, using the Cuban descarga format and later integrating the mozambique rhythm. His experimentation continued throughout the 1970s, highlighted by albums such as Lo Que Traigo Es Sabroso, Mozambique, and Vámonos Pa’l Monte. He won the first Grammy Award for Best Latin Recording in 1975 with The Sun of Latin Music. He received nine Grammy Awards in total.

His ensembles often included top musicians in Latin music, and his influence extended to artists like Willie Colón and Manny Oquendo. Palmieri re-formed La Perfecta as La Perfecta II in the 2000s and collaborated widely, including on Masterpiece with Tito Puente and Simpático with trumpeter Brian Lynch, both Grammy-winning projects.

Palmieri remained active well into the 2000s, honored with an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music in 1998 and celebrated at numerous tribute concerts. A pioneering force in Latin jazz and salsa, his work reshaped the genre’s sound and left a lasting legacy in both Latin and American music.

He is survived by family, friends, and generations of musicians inspired by his groundbreaking career.

For more information read his biography: Eddie Palmieri.