Catching Up With All of You…Dec. 2023 News

I’m catching up with some important news since December has been so crazy busy for me. For one, I want to wish one of my great musical inspirations, piano master Eddie Palmieri, a happy 87th Birthday which he celebrated earlier this month on Friday, December 15th. Not only did Eddie put out outstanding music for more than 6 decades but he led a series of orchestras full of top notch players since his start as a leader with La Perfecta back in the early 1960’s. Palmeri is a 10 time Grammy Award winner and NEA Jazz Master who retired earlier this year due to health issues. Palmieri won his first grammy award in 1974 for the classic recording “The Sun Of Latin Music” which included memorable songs such as “Nada De Ti”, “Nunca Contigo”, “Deseo Salvage” and “Un Dia Bonito”, his epic love letter to San Francisco. I aired a two part Birthday salute to Eddie during on December 9th and 16th. I wish the very best to el maestro including continued good health and a wish for a great year!

New added dates for NYE: Karabali, the all star band led by renowned Santana percussionist Karl Perazo and in-demand percussionist Michael Spiro will headline the last Salsa show at the Seahorse in Sausalito on Saturday, December 30th starting at 7 pm. This band takes no prisoners and have been fully stocked with great players from the San Francisco Bay Area Salsa scene such as Miguelito Martinez, Bill Ortiz and Jeff Cressman among others. Karabali is one exciting band that plays top-shelf explosive Salsa for your dancing and listening pleasure. For more information regarding tickets and dinner reservations, go visit the Sausalitoseahorse.com.

Ran into SF Bay based Musical giant John Santos at both the Spanish Harlem Orchestra and the Cabanijazz Project Latin Jazz shows a week ago. Santos was the emcee for the sold out SHO show at SFJAZZ center. Santos gave me a copy of the new John Santos Quintet and Friends recording “Vieja Escuela” which will be released in January on his Machete label. I played some of the new music during my Con Sabor Christmas program this past Saturday, December 23rd on KPFA 94.1 FM and online at www.kpfa.org. . You can access the program on the KPFA archives for the next two weeks at www.kpfa.org/archives. Then search for Con Sabor for Saturday, December 23rd at 9 pm.