Azúcar
Eddie Palmieri · 1965 · from the album Azúcar Pa' Ti
Eight minutes of piano montuno and trombones: a New York classic, and a favorite of mambo (On2) dancers.
- piano
- montuno
- trombone
- descarga
Why it matters
Pianist Eddie Palmieri formed La Perfecta in 1961 with a sound nobody else had: two trombones and a flute where other bands had trumpets. His brother Charlie called it the “trombanga”, trombones plus charanga. Trombonist Barry Rogers helped shape it.
Azúcar Pa' Ti, from 1965 on Tico Records, was his most successful album, and the eight-minute Azúcar its big song. The Library of Congress added the album to the National Recording Registry in 2009.
What to listen for
- The piano montuno: Palmieri's repeated piano pattern, the engine of the whole track. Try finding the 1 in it, and then the 2.
- The trombones and the flute instead of trumpets: the “trombanga” sound of his band, La Perfecta.
- It's long, and it stretches out like a descarga: sections open up for the players to solo. Pace yourself, and let the solos change how you dance.