[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14355]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 IN CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH AND IN RECOGNITION 
           OF LATIN JAZZ MUSICIAN AND COMPOSER EDDIE PALMIERI

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 15, 2016

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in honor of National Hispanic 
Heritage Month to join the community of El Barrio, The Village of 
Harlem, the City and State of New York, and the Nation in commemorating 
an outstanding Latin Jazz musician and composer, Mr. Eddie Palmieri. 
Eddie has spent his entire life arranging exquisite salsa and Latin 
jazz music while preserving the historic Afro-Caribbean contributions 
to the music world.
  Eddie was born December 15, 1936 in New York, NY to Puerto Rican 
immigrants. It was in his childhood home where he was first exposed to 
Latin music. His grandmother was a singer, his uncles were guitarists 
and his brother, Charlie Palmieri, attended the Julliard School for 
Music. When Eddie was only five years old, he started entering and 
winning talent competitions with Charlie. At an early age, he began to 
play the piano and at 13, he joined his uncle's orchestra, playing 
timbales. Eddie felt inspired to practice and perform publicly when he 
began watching his brother, Charlie, who was nine years older, play 
with talented musicians. He also started hearing the music Charlie 
played at home, where he was exposed to and influenced by the music of 
jazz greats such as Thelonius Monk, Bud Powell, Bill Evans and McCoy 
Tyner.
  Eddie's professional career as a pianist began when he joined various 
bands in the early 1950s including Eddie Forrester, Johnny Segui's, and 
the popular Tito Rodriguez Orchestra. In 1961, Eddie formed his own 
band, La Perfecta, which featured an unconventional front line of 
trombones rather than the trumpets, customary in Latin orchestras. This 
innovative sound that mixed American jazz into Afro-Caribbean rhythms, 
surprised critics and fans alike. Even though Eddie disbanded La 
Perfecta in 1968 to pursue different musical endeavors, he would return 
to the band's music in the 2000s.
  In the 1970s, Eddie perfected his arranging skills and released 
several impressive recordings that reflected his inventive musical 
technique. His unconventional style would once again surprise critics 
and fans with the 1970 release entitled ``Harlem River Drive.'' This 
recording was the first to merge what was categorized as ``Black'' and 
``Latin'' music into a free-form sound that encompassed elements of 
salsa, funk, soul and jazz. In 1975, Eddie won the first-ever Grammy 
for Best Latin Recording for ``The Sun of Latin Music.''
  As a result of Eddie's penchant for producing music in the funk Latin 
style, Little Louie Vega invited him to record on Nuyorican Soul 
(1997), a release that became very popular in the house and underground 
music scenes. In 2000, the successful musician announced that he was 
leaving the world of music. But before his retirement, he released 
``Masterpiece'' (2000) with Tito Puente. The album won two Grammys and 
Palmieri earned the ``Outstanding Producer of the Year'' award from the 
National Foundation of Popular Culture. Eddie was awarded the Chubb 
Fellowship by Yale University in 2002 for developing communities 
through music. That award is usually reserved for international heads 
of state.
  In 2005, Eddie also reached another landmark achievement when he 
became the first Latino host of a radio show on National Public Radio. 
The radio show ``Caliente'' which explores the intimate connections 
between American and Latin jazz was broadcasted by more than 160 radio 
stations nation-wide. Throughout Eddie's outstanding musical career, he 
has been lauded with many accolades including numerous Grammy Awards, a 
Eubie Blake Award in 1991, and a Harlem Renaissance Award in 2005. He 
has also been inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame, the Chicago Walk of 
Fame and the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame. Eddie has been recognized as 
an American icon by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American 
History in Washington, D.C., where two recordings of his performances 
are archived.
  Eddie Palmieri won yet another Grammy in 2006 for his album ``Listen 
Here!'' and in 2007, he received his most recent Grammy award for his 
collaborative effort with trumpeter Brian Lynch on the album 
``Simpatico''. Eddie Palmieri's innovative musical fusion of salsa, 
funk, soul and jazz has captivated audiences for nearly half a century. 
He has remarkably used his Puerto-Rican heritage, Afro-Caribbean roots 
and American identification to help diversify the rhythms of Latin 
jazz. For his noble creativity to help introduce Latin and salsa music 
to American audiences everywhere, I ask that my colleagues join me in 
paying tribute to Mr. Eddie Palmieri. A musical genius who paved the 
way to make Latin music an American hallmark while sustaining this 
genre's ties to its Caribbean legacy. An American Hero, Eddie Palmieri 
has devoted his life's work to improving the quality of life for the 
people of our beloved El Barrio and the Bronx, New York State, the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and this great Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage 
Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, 
cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came 
from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. During 
this year's Hispanic Heritage Month, in addition to paying tribute to 
my beloved friend Eddie Palmieri, and as a Korean War Veteran, as I 
conclude my 50 years of Public Service, including 46 years in the 
United States Congress, I also want to pay a very special salute to the 
Puerto Rican men and women who answered the call to serve during WWII, 
our beloved The 65th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed ``The 
Borinqueneers''.

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