Michel Camilo (born April 4, 1954) is a pianist and composer from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He is known as a great jazz, latin and classical pianist with superb technical ability, and has played and recorded with many world-famous musicians. Michel lists some of his main influences as Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, and Art Tatum. April 4 is the 94th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (95th in leap years). ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Pianist Claudio Arrau, Carnegie Hall, 1954. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... Santo Domingo de Guzmán, population 2,061,200 (Metro) (2003), estimated 2,253,437 (Metro) in 2006, is the capital and the largest city of the Dominican Republic. ... Jazz is a style of music which originated in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States at around the start of the 20th century. ... Latin American music, sometimes simply called Latin music, includes the music of many countries and comes in many varieties, from the simple, rural conjunto music of northern Mexico to the sophisticated habanera of Cuba, from the symphonies of Heitor Villa-Lobos to the simple and moving Andean flute. ... Classical music is a broad, somewhat imprecise term, referring to music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of, European art, ecclesiastical and concert music, encompassing a broad period from roughly 1000 to the present day. ... A musician is a person who plays or composes music Musicians can be classified by their role in creating or performing music: A singer (or vocalist) uses his or her voice as an instrument. ... Chick Corea on the cover of sheet music book Chick Corea Collection Armando Anthony Chick Corea (born June 12, 1941) is a multiple Grammy Award winning American jazz pianist/keyboardist and composer. ... Keith Jarrett (born May 8, 1945 in Allentown, Pennsylvania) is an American pianist and composer. ... Oscar Emmanuel Peterson, CC, CQ, O.Ont. ... William John Evans, (better known as Bill Evans) (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was one of the most famous jazz pianists of the 20th century; he remains one of the major influences on post-1950s jazz piano. ... Art Tatum, The Great Jazz Pianist. ...

Background

Michel was born into a musical family and as a young child showed great aptitude for the accordion that his parents gave him. Although he enjoyed the accordion, it was his grandparents' piano that sparked his interest the most, so at aged 9 he asked his parents to buy him one. Their response was to first send him to the Elementary Music School, part of the National Conservatory, and then a year later to grant his wish. This article is about the instrument as a whole. ... A short grand piano, with the top up. ... National Conservatory may refer to: National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts of Paris National Conservatory of Music Category: ...

The formal system of the music school taught Michel to play in the classical style, and by age 16 he was playing with the National Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic. Michel comments on his first encounter with the sounds of jazz, in an interview with the All About Jazz website:

”The first time I heard jazz was when I was 14 and a half. I heard the great Art Tatum on the radio playing his solo piano rendition of 'Tea for Two.' That immediately caught my ear. I just wanted to soak it in, to learn to play that style. Then I found out it was jazz.”

Michel studied for 13 years at the National Conservatory, and whilst developing his strong classical abilities was also heavily influenced by the bop tradition, and by the contemporary jazz of Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett and Chick Corea. His influences at this time also included Horace Silver, Errol Garner, and the ragtime music of Scott Joplin. BOP or bop may refer to: bleeding on probing (used by Captain Jack) balance of payments an organised party or club night at the universities of Cambridge and Oxford Bebop, an early modern jazz developed in the 1940s Blowout preventer used in oil and gas drilling acronym for bird of... Herbie Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an Academy Award and multiple Grammy Award-winning jazz pianist and composer from Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Hancock is one of jazz musics most important and influential pianists and composers. ... Keith Jarrett (born May 8, 1945 in Allentown, Pennsylvania) is an American pianist and composer. ... Chick Corea on the cover of sheet music book Chick Corea Collection Armando Anthony Chick Corea (born June 12, 1941) is a multiple Grammy Award winning American jazz pianist/keyboardist and composer. ... Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver, born on September 2, 1928 in Norwalk, Connecticut) is a famous jazz pianist and composer born to a Cape Verdean father (of mixed Portuguese-black descent) and a mother of Irish and African descent. ... Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 - January 21, 1977) was a jazz pianist whose distinctive and melodic style brought him both popular acclaim and the admiration of peers. ... Second edition cover of Maple Leaf Rag, perhaps the most famous rag of all Ragtime is an American musical genre enjoying its peak popularity between 1899 and 1918. ... Scott Joplin (born between June 1867 and January 1868[1] – died April 1, 1917) was an African American musician and composer of ragtime music. ...

When the Harvard University Jazz Band visited the Dominican Republic and heard Michel at a jam session, the bandleader encouraged him, 'You should be in the States', and so the idea was planted. In 1979 Michel moved to New York to study at Mannes College and at The Juilliard School, and broke onto the international stage in 1983 when Tito Puente's pianist was unable to make a concert at the Montreal Jazz Festival. On a recommendation, without hearing him, Tito asked Michel to play. Cuban reedman Paquito D'Rivera was in the audience, and immediately offered him a place in his band. For four years Michel toured internationally with Paquito, and recorded two albums with him. For the song by the Smashing Pumpkins, see 1979 (song). ... NY redirects here. ... The Mannes College of Music is a music school located in New York City, in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. ... The Juilliard School is a performing arts conservatory in New York City, informally but definitively identified as simply Juilliard, and most famous for its musically-trained alumni. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Tito Puente Ernesto Antonio Puente Jr. ... Festival International de Jazz de Montréal is one of the biggest jazz festivals in the world. ... Paquito DRivera is a Cuban-born, internationally-acclaimed, Grammy-winning jazz and classical saxophonistist and clarinetist. ...

Michel's emergence as a star in his own right began around 1985, the year he debuted with his trio at Carnegie Hall. In that same year he toured Europe with Paquito D’Rivera’s quintet, and recorded his first album, Why Not?, for Japan’s King label. In 1988 Michael debuted on a major record label, Sony, with the release of Michel Camilo. This became a bestseller and held the top jazz album spot for ten consecutive weeks. Other bestselling albums followed and so did the accolades, including a Grammy and an Emmy. Michel's collaborative 2000 album with flamenco guitarist Tomatito Spain won Best Latin Jazz Album in the first Latin Grammy Awards. 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Grammy Award statuette The Grammy Awards, presented by the Recording Academy (an association of Americans professionally involved in the recorded music industry) for outstanding achievements in the recording industry, is one of four major music awards shows held annually in the United States (the Billboard Music Awards, the American Music... An Emmy Award. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Bailaora (dancer) of Flamenco Belén Maya, photograph taken by Gilles Larrain at his studio, 2001 Flamenco is one of the great European nonacademic musical genres. ... This article doesnt deal with the tomatillo Tomatito (little tomato)s real name is José Fernández Torres (b. ... Grammy Award The Latin Grammy Awards were launched in 2000 with a telecast aired on CBS. It was the first primarily Spanish language prime-time program carried on an American network television. ...

As well as being an outstanding performer, Michel is a talented composer and has written scores for several Spanish language films including Los Peores Años de Nuestra Vida and the award-winning Amo Tu Cama Rica.

Michel tours extensively, and lectures in Europe, the US, and in the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico. He holds several honorary degrees, a Visiting Professorship and a Doctorate at Berklee College of Music, and has been honored in his home country by being named a Knight of the Heraldic Order of Christopher Columbus, and being awarded the Silver Cross of the Order of Duarte, Sanchez & Mella. The Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico is a state university and a music school in San Juan, Puerto Rico. ... Berklee College of Music, founded in 1945, is an independent music college in Boston, Massachusetts with many prominent faculty, staff, alumni, and visiting artists. ...

Association with other Musicians

Michel's regular trio lineup for many years was his long-term friends Anthony Jackson on contrabass guitar and El Negro (Horacio Hernandez) on drums. Charles Flores has occupied the trio's bass seat since their Grammy® winning album Live at the Blue Note. Lately Michel has drummer Dafnis Prieto as part of his trio. This new trio with Charles and Dafnis will be featured on the April 2007 upcoming release Spirit of the Moment. Anthony Jackson, (born 1952) is a contemporary American electric bass player based in New York City. ... A contrabass guitar is a low-register six-string instrument in the guitar family, tuned B-E-A-D-G-C (B=B0 - the lowest B on the piano), usually with a solid wooden body. ... For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ...

Other notable musicians he has played with include Tito Puente, Paquito D'Rivera, Dizzy Gillespie, Toots Thielemans, Airto Moreira, Chuck Mangione, Stanley Turrentine, Claudio Roditi, Mongo Santamaria, George Benson, Eddie Palmieri, Jon Faddis, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Lew Soloff, Tania Maria, Jaco Pastorius, Patato, Randy Brecker, Michael Brecker, Chuck Loeb, Giovanni Hidalgo, Wynton Marsalis, Katia and Marielle Labèque, Dave Valentin, Flora Purim, Delfeayo Marsalis, Chucho Valdés, Joe Lovano, Herbie Hancock, Tomatito, John Patitucci, David Sanchez, Hiromi, Cachao, Marcus Roberts, Steve Gadd, Danilo Perez, Gary Burton, Billy Taylor, Dave Weckl, Hilton Ruiz, Roy Hargrove, Romero Lubambo, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen, Lenny Andrade, Birelli Lagrene, Marian McPartland, Leonard Slatkin and Arturo Sandoval. Tito Puente Ernesto Antonio Puente Jr. ... Paquito DRivera is a Cuban-born, internationally-acclaimed, Grammy-winning jazz and classical saxophonistist and clarinetist. ... John Birks Dizzy Gillespie (October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was born in Cheraw, South Carolina. ... Jean Toots Thielemans (born Brussels, April 29, 1922) is a Belgian jazz artist well known for his guitar, harmonica play and also for his highly accomplished professional whistling. ... Airto Moreira (born August 5, 1941) is a Brazilian Jazz percussionist and musician. ... Chuck Mangione on his Feels So Good record album cover. ... Stanley William Turrentine (April 5, 1934 – September 12, 2000) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. ... Jazz trumpeter Claudio Roditi Jazz trumpeter Claudio Roditi. ... Ramón Mongo Santamaría (April 7, 1922 – February 1, 2003) was an Afro-Cuban drummer. ... This is an article about George Benson, Jazz musician. ... Eddie Palmieri (born December 15, 1936 in New York City) - pianist and bandleader. ... Jon Faddis, born in 1953 in Oakland, California, is an eminent American jazz trumpet player. ... Gonzalo Rubalcaba (born May 27, 1963 in Havana, Cuba) is one of the most important pianists in jazz today. ... Lew Soloff (born February 20, 1944 in New York City) is a jazz trumpeter. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Jaco Pastorius (December 1, 1951 – September 21, 1987) was a jazz bassist and composer remembered for his style and technique on fretless bass. ... Randy Brecker (b. ... Michael Brecker Michael Brecker (March 29, 1949 – January 13, 2007) was a popular US jazz saxophonist of the post-Coltrane era. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Giovanni Hidalgo (born March 9, 1963, in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a musician who is considered by many to be one of the top percussionists in the world today. ... Wynton Learson Marsalis (b. ... The French sisters Labèque, Katia (born March 3, 1950) and Marielle (born March 6, 1952), are one of the worlds most famous piano duos. ... Dave Valentin (born January 1, 1954) is a jazz flutist. ... Flora Purim is a Jewish Brazilian jazz singer known mainly for her work in jazz fusion. ... Delfeayo Marsalis (Born July 28, 1965 in New Orleans, LA) is an American jazz tombonist and record producer. ... Chucho Valdés (b. ... Joseph Salvatore Lovano (born 29 December 1952) is a jazz saxophonist and clarinet player. ... Herbie Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an Academy Award and multiple Grammy Award-winning jazz pianist and composer from Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Hancock is one of jazz musics most important and influential pianists and composers. ... This article doesnt deal with the tomatillo Tomatito (little tomato)s real name is José Fernández Torres (b. ... John Patitucci (born 1959) is an American jazz double bass player, specializing in hard bop, contemporary and Brazilian jazz. ... David Sanchez ( born August 6, 1969 in Tecoman, Colima ) was a Mexican soccer striker, an important player on Club Atletico Morelia from 1988 to 1990. ... Hiromi (上原ひろみ, Hiromi Uehara, born 26 March 1979) is a jazz composer and pianist born in Hamamatsu, Japan. ... Israel Cachao López (born 1918 in Havana, Cuba), often known just as Cachao (pronounced kah-CHOW) is a Cuban mambo musician and composer, who has helped bring mambo music to popularity in the United States of America in the early 1950s. ... Marcus Roberts (born September 7, 1963 in Jacksonville, Florida) is an American jazz pianist who has achieved fame as a gifted player committed to celebrating classic standards and jazz traditions. ... Steve Gadd (born April 9, 1945 in Rochester, New York) is a very well known session drummer, mainly known for work with Paul Simon, Steely Dan, Joe Cocker, Stuff, Bob James, Chick Corea, Eric Clapton, James Taylor, Jim Croce, Eddie Gomez, The Manhattan Transfer, Michal Urbaniak, Steps Ahead, Al Di... Danilo Pérez Panamanian pianist and composer Danilo Pérez. ... Gary Burton (born on 23 January 1943 in Anderson, Indiana) is a jazz vibraphone player, known for developing the then-innovative technique of playing the instrument with four mallets, rather than the usual two. ... Billy Taylor was born in Greenville, North Carolina on July 24, 1921. ... Dave Weckl (born January 8, 1960) is a highly acclaimed jazz fusion drummer. ... Hilton Ruiz (May 29, 1952 - June 6, 2006) was an American jazz pianist in the Afro-Cuban mold, but was also a talented bebop player. ... Roy Hargrove, born in 1969 in Waco, Texas, has gone from a child prodigy to become an established young jazz trumpeter, with several albums as a leader under his belt. ... Romero Lubambo (born 1955 in Rio de Janeiro) is a Brazilian guitar player. ... Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (May 27, 1946 – April 19, 2005) was a Danish jazz bassist known for his impressive technique and an approach that could be considered an extension of the innovative work of Scott LaFaro. ... Marian McPartland, born Margaret Marian Turner on March 21, 1918 in England near Slough, Buckinghamshire, is a British jazz pianist. ... Leonard Slatkin (born September 1, 1944) is an American conductor. ... Arturo Sandoval (born November 6, 1949) is a jazz trumpeter and pianist. ...

Discography

• 1984 - French Toast (w/ French Toast)
• 1985 - Why Not?
• 1986 - Suntan/In Trio
• 1988 - Michael Camilo
• 1989 - On Fire
• 1990 - On The Other Hand
• 1991 - Amo Tu Cama Rica (Soundtrack)
• 1993 - Rendezvous
• 1994 - One More Once
• 1996 - Two Much (Soundtrack)
• 1997 - Hands of Rhythm (w/ Giovanni Hidalgo)
• 1997 - Thru My Eyes
• 2000 - Spain
• 2001 - Calle 54 (Soundtrack)
• 2002 - Piano Concerto, Suite & Caribe
• 2002 - Triangulo
• 2003 - Live at the Blue Note
• 2005 - Solo
• 2006 - Rhapsody In Blue
• 2006 - Spain Again
• 2007 - Spirit of the Moment (April 24, 2007)

1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... MCMXC redirects here; for the Enigma album, see MCMXC a. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ...

External links

• Michel Camilo: Official Website