Special guests joined in with Camilo, such as percussionist Sammy Figueroa and tap dancer Raul. In 1988, Camilo debuted on a major record label, Sony, with the release of Michel Camilo, which became a bestseller and held the top jazz album spot for ten consecutive weeks. Suntan / In Trio had a trio with Anthony Jackson on the bass and Dave Weckl on the drums. 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. For four years, Camilo toured internationally with D'Rivera and recorded two albums with him.Ĭamilo's emergence as a star in his own right began around 1985, the year he debuted with his trio at Carnegie Hall. Cuban reedman Paquito D'Rivera was in the audience and offered him a place in his band. On a recommendation, without hearing him, Puente asked Camilo to play. In 1979, Camilo 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. When the Harvard University Jazz Band visited the Dominican Republic and heard Camilo at a jam session, the bandleader encouraged him, 'You should be in the States', and so the idea was planted. His influences at this time also included Horace Silver, Erroll Garner, and the ragtime music of Scott Joplin. Then I found out it was jazz."Ĭamilo studied for 13 years at the National Conservatory, and whilst developing his strong classical abilities was also heavily influenced by the bebop tradition, and by the contemporary jazz of Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea and Amilton Godoy (Zimbo Trio's pianist). I just wanted to soak it in, to learn to play that style. I heard the great Art Tatum on the radio playing his solo piano rendition of 'Tea for Two.' That immediately caught my ear.
Camilo 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. The formal system of the music school taught Camilo to play in the classical style, and by age 16 he was playing with the National Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic. 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. 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. Camilo lists some of his main influences as Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, and Art Tatum.Ĭamilo was born into a musical family and as a young child showed aptitude for the accordion that his parents gave him. He specializes in jazz, Latin and classical piano work. Michel Camilo (born April 4, 1954) is a Grammy-award winning pianist and composer from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
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