Carlos Manuel"Charlie"Palmieri(November 21, 1927 – September 12, 1988)[1]was aPuerto Ricanbandleaderand musical director ofsalsamusic. He was known as the "Giant of the Keyboards".[1]
Charlie Palmieri | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Carlos Manuel Palmieri |
| Also known as | "The Giant of the Keyboards" |
| Born | November 21, 1927 South Bronx, New York,U.S. |
| Died | September 12, 1988(aged 60) South Bronx, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Salsa |
| Occupation(s) | Bandleader,musical director |
| Instrument | piano |
| Labels | Coco |
Early years
editPalmieri's parents migrated to New York fromPonce, Puerto Ricoin 1926, and settled down in theSouth Bronxwhere Palmieri was born.[1]As a child, Palmieri taught himself to play thepianoby ear.[1]He attended the public school system. At age seven, his father enrolled him at TheJuilliard School,where he took piano lessons.[1]By the time Palmieri was 14 years old, he and his five-year-old brother,Eddie,participated in many talent contests, often winning prizes.[1]It was at this time that his godfather introduced him to the music of theLatinbands, an experience which inspired him to become a musician.[2]
In 1943, when still only 16 years old and still in high school, he made his professional debut as a piano player for the Osario Selasie Band.[1]He graduated from high school in 1946, and immediately went to play for various bands. He made his recording debut with the song "Se Va La Rumba" as a member of the Rafael Muñiz Band.[3]
Musical career
editIn October 1947,Tito Puente,the musical director of the Fernando Álvarez Band, was impressed with Palmieri and hired him to play for his band at theCopacabana Club;here he played with Puente until 1953 and, during the 1950s, he played with various bands.[1]Besides having played with Tito Puente, he played with Pupi Campo's Band, and worked onJack Paar'sCBSdaytime television show.[1]Palmieri also formed a couple of bands that performed at thePalladium Ballroom.These were however short-lived because of a lack of work.[1]During this time, he also worked as an accompanist for other bands.[4]
Palmieri worked for several years inChicago,but returned to New York and formed a band called Charanga La Duboney.[1]While performing at the Monte Carlo Ballroom, Palmieri heardJohnny Pachecoplaying theflute- the playing so impressed him that he hired him on the spot.[1]The mixture of Pacheco's flute with the strings of the violins in Palmieri's band led to the 1960sCharangacraze in the United States.[1]Palmieri was signed by theUnited Artists Recordcompany and had severalLatinohits.[1]Palmieri did however suffer various setbacks - first Pacheco left the band and then United Artists cancelled his contract because of a conflict of interest with their other recording star,Tito Rodríguez.[1]This led to Palmieri's signing with theAlegre Recordslabel and with whom he had two best selling "hits" with "Como Bailan La Pachanga" and "La Pachanga Se Baila Así".[4]
When the Charanga craze declined in popularity, Palmieri switched to the new trend, theboogaloo,by replacing the flute and violins with threetrumpetsand twotrombones,he also dropped the word "Charanga" from his bands' name and it became known simply as "La Duboney".[2]In 1965, he scored a hit withTengo Máquina y Voy a 60(Going like 60) and in 1967 withHay Que Estar En Algo/Either You Have It or You Don't.[1]In 1968, Palmieri recordedLatin Bugalúunder theAtlantic Recordslabel, which was also released in the United Kingdom.[4]
In the 1970s, Palmieri worked as the musical director for Tito Puente's television show,El Mundo de Tito Puente(Tito Puente's World).[1]He also taught and lectured about Latin music and culture at various educational institutions.[1]After reorganizing his band, Palmieri played theorganand recordedLa Hija de Lola(Lola's Daughter) andLa Vecina(The Neighbor). In 1971, he provided his organ playing talents to some of his brother's recordings.[3]In 1978, he added themelodicato his recordingThe Heavyweight,an LP recorded forAlegre Recordsthat also featured Bobby Rodríguez on bass, Quique Dávila on timbales, Papiro Allende on congas, Willie Rodríguez on bongoes, Roy Román y Lou Laurita on trumpets, Bobby Nelson on sax,Marco Katzon trombone, Harry Viggiano on tres, and the vocalists Meñique, Julito Villot, andAdalberto Santiago.[5][6]
Among the artists Palmieri worked with at one time or another were his brother Eddie,Celia Cruz,Tito Puente,Herbie Mann,Ismael Rivera,Rafael Cortijo,Ismael Quintana,Bobby Capó,Mongo Santamaría,Cal Tjader,andRay Barretto.[1]
Later years
editIn 1980, Palmieri moved back to Puerto Rico but returned to New York for business - on one trip there he suffered a massive heart attack and stroke.[1]He soon recovered and returned to the music world as the member of various bands. In June 1988, he debuted in the United Kingdom accompanied by London's Robin "King Salsa" Jones.[3]
Palmieri gave privatepianolessons to students at the Schuylerville Music Center in theThroggs Necksection of theBronxinNew York City.During this time he also appeared in the 1988 movieSalsa.[2]
Four days before his death, Palmieri gave a private show atLa Fortalezain San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he performed solo at the piano for the Governor of Puerto Rico (at the time, Rafael Hernández Colón) and his guests. On September 12, 1988, Charlie Palmieri suffered another heart attack upon his arrival at New York where, as the musical director of theJoe CubaSextet, he was to arrange a concert. He died later that day atJacobi Hospitalin theBronx.[3]
Tributes
edit| External audio | |
|---|---|
 You may listen toCharlie Palmieri's "Louie's Boogaloo"onYouTube |
On November 6, 2004, a Big Band Tribute to Charlie Palmieri was held atAvery Fisher Hallat theLincoln Center for the Performing Arts.TheHarbor Conservatory for the Performing Artshosts an annual competition for the Charlie Palmieri Memorial Piano Scholarship. The winner of the competition receives a scholarship to study Latin piano music at the Conservatory. The scholarship was started by Palmieri's lifetime friend, the lateTito Puente.[7]
Another notable friend and colleague of Palmieri's, as well as a great admirer, was the lateClare Fischer,who chose to kick off his 1989 album,Lembranças (Remembrances),with "C.P.", a piece dedicated to the composer's recently departed role model. In Fischer's words:
"C.P. - Charlie Palmieri - is dedicated to the wonderfully exciting pianist whom I have idolized for years! Charlie left us last year and the sadness I felt shows itself in some of the segments interspersed among the more spirited sections. We will miss him!"[8]
Discography
edit- Albums
- Easy Does It(1959)[9]
- El Gigante(1962) (akaRavel's Bolero in Mambo) (1995)
- Cuban Rhythms(1948) (tracks by Peruchin recorded in 1951)
- Charanga(1959) (akaLet's Dance the Charanga) (1960) (featuring Johnny Pacheco)
- Pachanga at the Caravana Club(1960) Performed at theBronx Opera House
- Viva Palmieri(1961)
- Salsa Na' Ma', Vol. 3(1963)
- Salsa y Charanga
- Tengo Máquina y Voy a 60(1965)
- Either You Have It Or You Don't(1966)
- Hay Que Estar En Algo / Either You Have It Or You Don't(1967)
- Latin Bugalú(1968)
- Adelante Gigante(1973)
- El Gigante del Teclado(1974)
- Electro Duro(1974)
- Impulsos(Coco Records,1975)
- Vuelve el Gigante(1975)
- The Heavyweight(1978)
- Con Salsa y Sabor(1977)
- A Giant Step(1984)
- Mambo Show(1990) (aka The Ensemble of Latin Music Legends)
- Alegre All-Stars Vol. 1(1961)
- Alegre All-Stars Vol. 2- El Manicero (1964)
- Alegre All-Stars Vol. 3- Lost and Found (1965)
- Alegre All-Stars Vol. 4- Way Out (1966)
- Alegre All-Stars Vol. 5- They Don't Make 'Em Like Us Anymore (1976)
- Alegre All-Stars Vol. 6- Perdido/Te Invita (1977) (2008)
- Cesta All Stars Vol. 1- (1975)
- Cesta All Stars Vol. 2- (1976)
- Contributing artist
WithRay Barretto
- La Cuna(CTI Records,1979)
WithHerbie Mann
- The Family of Mann(Atlantic, 1961)
- Latin Mann(Columbia, 1965)
WithCal Tjader
- Primo(Fantasy,1973)
- Cachao y Su Descarga '77'(Salsoul, 1977)
- Fireworks(Coco Records, 1977)
WithTito Puente
- Para Los Rumberos(Tico, 1972)
WithMon Rivera
- Que Gente Averigua(Alegre, 1963)
WithCelia Cruz
- Son Con Guaguanco(Tico, 1966)
- Descargas Live at the Village Gate(Tico, 1966)
WithEddie Palmieri
- Harlem River Drive(Rhino, 1971)
- Vamonos Pal' Monte(Tico, 1971)
- Live at Sing Sing with the Harlem River Drive(Tico, 1972)
- Live in Concert at the University of Puerto Rico(Coco Records,1973)
- Lucumi, Macumba, Voodoo(Sony, 1978)
See also
editReferences
edit- ^abcdefghijklmnopqrstColin Larkin,ed. (1992).The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music(First ed.).Guinness Publishing.pp. 1895/6.ISBN0-85112-939-0.
- ^abc"Charlie Palmieri Bio".Archived fromthe originalon 15 April 2008.Retrieved3 October2021.
- ^abcd"Charlie Palmieri music".Allaboutjazz.com.Archived fromthe originalon 20 December 2007.Retrieved3 October2021.
- ^abc"Artists - Palmieri, Charlie - Music of Puerto Rico".Musicofpuertorico.com.Archived fromthe originalon 28 October 2021.Retrieved3 October2021.
- ^"Descarga".Archived fromthe originalon 2011-06-10.Retrieved2009-11-03.
- ^"Barnes and Noble - Charlie Palmieri".Archived fromthe originalon 2012-03-23.Retrieved2009-11-03.
- ^"Eddie Palmieri pays tribute to his brother".Archived fromthe originalon 17 July 2011.Retrieved3 October2021.
- ^Fischer, Clare. Liner Notes forLembrancas.Concord Picante. March 1990.
- ^"Charlie Palmieri:Easy Does It".Also:Easy Does It(CD, 2005).AllMusic.Retrieved 2017-05-07.
