Maestro Eddie Palmieri didn’t just help define Latin jazz — he expanded its possibilities, proving it could be both deeply rooted and endlessly forward-looking. He stands as one of the architects of modern Latin jazz. A Bronx native who absorbed mambo, jazz harmony, and Afro-Caribbean rhythm at street level, he reshaped the sound of salsa and Latin jazz from the 1960s forward. With La Perfecta, he broke tradition by centering the trombone, giving his music a darker, more percussive edge that sti