Eddie Palmieri, Grammy-winning Latin jazz pioneer, dies at 88

The Brief

Eddie Palmieri died Wednesday at his home in New Jersey after a long illness, his daughter said.

He was the first Latino artist to win a Grammy and earned eight total over his career.

Palmieri helped shape the sound of salsa and Latin jazz across decades of bold experimentation.

Eddie Palmieri, the bold and boundary-pushing musician who transformed Latin jazz and salsa, has died at 88. His daughter Gabriela Palmieri told The New York Times he died Wednesday at his home in New Jersey after a long illness.

Palmieri was celebrated for his explosive playing, genre-bending compositions, and deep roots in both jazz and Afro-Caribbean music. He was the first Latino to win a Grammy Award—earning the honor in 1975 for The Sun of Latin Music —and went on to collect seven more, al