El Rumbero Del Piano

One of the grand masters of the Latin jazz piano, Eddie Palmieri has had little new material, but more than makes up for it with this major release. Palmieri shows all the new kids in the Latin world just how it should be done with the energy and vitality of a teenager. In short, Rumbero del Piano kicks from start to finish as he rips into standards and original compositions. Somewhat the Afro Latin scholar, Palmieri has chosen his material carefully to include son montuno, bomba, and plena within the big band salsa lexicon. His piano solos, jagged slashes of color over rock steady rhythms, sear the paint off the walls in the process. Palmieri has never been in better form. --Derek Rath