(AP) – Eddie Palmieri, the avant-garde musician who was one of the most innovative artists of rumba and Latin jazz, has died. He was 88.

Story continues below • New Mexico News Insiders: What Happens When The Rio Grande Runs Dry? • News: ‘You are very spiteful’: Community confronts McKinley County DA over funding issues • Trending: VIDEO: Man arrested, accused of setting father’s house on fire and stealing emergency vehicle • News: Repeat drunk driver saw jail as ‘free vacation;’ then an opportunity came in Bernalillo County

Fania Records announced Palmieri's death Wednesday evening. Palmieri’s daughter Gabriela told The New York Times that her father died earlier that day at his home in New Jersey after “an extended illness.”

The pianist, composer and bandleader was the first L

See Full Page