9-time Grammy Award winner, Eddie Palmieri, and his legendary band will open Lehman Center for the Performing Art’s Fall Season in the Bronx, on Saturday, October 17th at 8:00 p.m., with featured guests Giovanni Hidalgo and David Sanchez.  Palmieri will also appear on the Lehman Center stage for the first time with celebrated salsero Issac Delgado.  Opening for Eddie will be the Latin Jazz All-Stars showcasing their All-Stars Summit led by musical director and trombonist Papo Vazquez, which will also include Dave Valentin (flute), Anthony Carrillo (percussion) Edward Simon (piano), Piro Rodriquez (trumpet), Alvester Garnett (drums), David Sanchez (sax), John Benitez (bass), Giovanni Hidalgo (percussion) and special guest Andy Gonzalez. 

Palmieri won his first Grammy for Sun of Latin Music when there was no real music category for Latin Music.  “It took 17 years before a Latin music award was given a category.   I won the first Grammy for Sun of Latin Music in 1975.  They gave one Grammy for all the Latin performances in the world and they gave one Grammy for the Genre of Latin Music and that is the category I won. Since that time, there has been a tremendous amount of categories which certainly are deserving of the great talents we have in the Latin music genre today,” explained Eddie who went on to record “Unfinished Masterpiece,” “Palo Pa’ Rumba,” “Solito,” “La Verdad,” and many  more. “I have recorded about 35 albums and written about 200 compositions,” said Eddie who claims he is still excited about creating the music. “I am presently working on a DVD that should be out no later than December 2009.  It should be out around the Christmas holidays.  The DVD features the big band performing. I am pleased about how well the recordings have been going. It’s the first one celebrating my 50th year as an orchestra leader.  I have a few new compositions on it and of course audience favorites, “said Eddie of his new DVD entitled The 50th Anniversary of Eddie Palmieri.

A world traveler, Eddie has toured throughout the United States and Europe.  This year, Eddie traveled to Lebanon, Germany, Austria, and Japan.   “There are 3 orchestras I work with now.  I travel with a big band that consist of 3 trumpets and 2 trombones they play a certain amount of compositions that I have written.  Then there is the “La Perfecta” orchestra which performs the music I recorded from 1962 to 1968. I also work with the Afro Caribbean Jazz Octet which performs in the genre of Latin Jazz.  I’ve traveled throughout Europe and performed at the International Bandstand with the octet which drew nearly 2000 people,” said the Harlem born composer.  “We are very fortunate we are able to change and go from one musical genre to another,” said the bandleader who has attracted fans of every age.  “The beauty of my music is that we attract youth who sometimes approach me and tell me how their parents and grandparents love my music and that they have come to like the music themselves.   We play that ‘take no prisoner’ hardcore salsa, which is the type of music that the youth seem to enjoy.  In all my recordings, I have brought in young artists.  Some of them will be playing with me on October 17th at Lehman Center.  I work with young music students quite often.  I do music clinics throughout the United States and in Europe via the different music schools I visit. I just came from Alaska where I performed with students from the University of Alaska,” said Eddie.  “Working with the youth is important because they are the future of music.”  

Mr. Palimieri will also appear at the Iridium Jazz Club on March 11-14th and will be celebrating his 73rd birthday on December 9th, at the Blue Note.

For tickets and more information on the performance at Lehman College call the Box Office at 718-960-8833 or go on line at www.LehmanCenter.org.

For more go to http://www.eurweb.com/story/eur56694.cfm