Eddie Palmieri and his band bring their distinctive Grammy Award-winning sound to The University of Texas at Dallas on Friday, Feb. 23, in the Conference Center at 8 p.m.
Harlem-born Palmieri made his classical debut at Carnegie Hall at age 11. When he formed his first band at 25, he blended traditional Latin rhythms with the jazz influences of Thelonious Monk and McCoy Tyner. He continues to experiment with musical styles, merging salsa with rock, R&B, pop, Spanish vocals and jazz improvisation.
Palmieri has released more than 30 albums, seven of which have won Grammy Awards in four categories –Best Latin Recording, Best Tropical Latin Performance, Best Salsa Album and Best Latin Jazz Album. Obra Maestra, released in 2000, won the Grammy Award for Best Salsa Album and a Latin Grammy award. In 1990, he served as a consultant to Paul Simon on his album Rhythm of the Saints. Palmieri has performed in the U.S., Japan, Europe and Latin America.
He believes “music is a universal language that is the common thread binding different cultures. Through music and education we can each contribute to the positive development of our society.”
In addition to his numerous Grammys, Palmieri has received many awards and honors over the course of his career. In 1991, he received the Eubie Blake Award. Two years later, Palmieri was appointed to the board of governors of the New York chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Science. In 1998 Berklee College of Music granted him an honorary doctorate degree. Palmieri was awarded the Chubb Fellowship, generally reserved for international heads of state, in 2002 by Yale University. In 2005, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation, the Harlem Renaissance Award and the Key to the City of Holyoke, Massachusetts.
This event is sponsored in part by Lord & Taylor, Carl J. Thomsen Fund for Student Enrichment, the UT Dallas Multicultural Center and the UT Dallas Student Union and Activities Advisory Board.
Tickets for the concert are $25 for general admission and free at the door to UT Dallas students with a valid identification. Ticket office hours for advance purchase are from 2 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. To purchase tickets using Visa, MasterCard or Discover, please call 972-883-2552.
For information about the many musical, arts, theatre, dance and other performances and exhibitions held throughout the year at UT Dallas, please call 972-UTD-ARTS (972-883-2787), e-mail utdarts@utdallas.edu, or visit the School of Arts and Humanities’ website at http://ah.utdallas.edu/. Persons with disabilities needing special accommodations may call 972-883-2982, Texas Relay Operator: 1-800-RELAYVV.
About UT Dallas
The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor®, enrolls more than 14,500 students. The school’s freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UT Dallas, please visit the university’s website at www.utdallas.edu.