Eddie Palmieri & Cal Tjader

An often-dazzling pianist whose technique incorporates bits and pieces of everyone from McCoy Tyner to Herbie Hancock and recycles them through a dynamic Latin groove, Eddie Palmieri (aka "El Maestro") has been a Latin jazz and salsa master since the mid-'50s. His approach can be compared to Thelonious Monk's for its unorthodox patterns, odd rhythms, sometimes disjointed phrases, and percussive effects played in a manner that is always successfully resolved. It's a free/hard bop/Afro-Caribbean blend, with keyboard solos and montunos that are forever stimulating. Palmieri has r...