Eddie Palmieri - Sugar Daddy (2007)

During the late '50s and early '60s, progressive Latin music was ruled by the charanga, a light and springlike configuration emphasizing flutes and violins. Although pianist Eddie Palmieri didn't break that mold, his debut recordings as a leader did change the game quite a bit. With nimble rhythms and a powerhouse front line featuring R&B trombone player Barry Rogers and Palmieri's strident piano playing -- he played his piano percussively, due to early timbales lessons -- the group lay at the intersection of R&B, jazz, and, of course, Latin music. Palmieri's debut album, La Perfecta released in 1962 on the Alegre label, was not only a Latin masterpiece but also paved the way for the free-form extravaganza that became salsa later in the decade. Palmieri's group continued until 1967, recording for Alegre or Tico, and the best of the band's work appears on the 19-track compilation Sugar Daddy. Compared to Ray Barretto, Tico's other star of the time, Palmieri's group had slightly less emphasis on the heavy groove (and novelty tendencies) of R&B popcorn. With plenty of percussion plus the soaring sonero vocals of longtime Palmieri associate Ismael Quintana, the band was closer to the sound of traditional Puerto Rican music than most Latin groups working then. The compilation includes four tracks from La Perfecta, as well as the best of his other '60s LPs like Echando Pa'lante (Straight Ahead) and Azucar Pa' Ti (Sugar for You) (the latter including the excellent ten-minute track "Azúcar").© John Bush /TiVo