Charlie Palmieri

The older brother of Eddie Palmieri, Charlie Palmieri was every bit as gifted a pianist as his sibling, very percussive and responsive to rhythm while also flashing florid passages that were clearly the product of a classical education. His piano studies began at seven and he attended the Juilliard School of Music, turning pro at 16. He started the group El Conjunto Pin Pin in 1948, and then played in a series of ensembles -- including those of Tito Puente, Tito Rodriguez, and Pupi Campo -- before forming his own Charanga Duboney group in 1958. As music director of the Alegre ...