Versatile Keys
He could have stayed in his native Dominican Republic-holding a steady job as a member of the Caribbean country's National Symphony Orchestra-but fate had grander plans for him. In 1979 (at age 24), Michel Camilo left it all to study at Julliard and try his chances in the New York jazz scene, becoming one of many wannabes in town hoping for a break that would lead him to a steady career.
Four years of hard work began to pay off when The Manhattan Transfer won a Grammy in 1983 for their vocal recording of "Why Not?"-Camilo's composition. A couple of years later he debuted at Carnegie Hall with his trio, and by 1988 he'd secured a record deal with a major label. All seems so simple in retrospect.
Camilo is an extremely versatile musician who goes back and forth between classical, popular and Broadway music. But it's in the realm of jazz that he thrives, having played with the likes of Paquito D'Rivera (who introduced him to the world of Brazilian music), symphony orchestras, big bands and other collaborations.
On his most recent release, Rhapsody in Blue, Camilo pays homage to Gotham (as evidenced by the album's Empire State Building cover) by taking on two of George Gershwin's classical compositions. Backed by the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Ernesto Martinez Izquierdo, he blends both his classical training and his love for jazz-bringing it all together in his own way.
On the title piece, he plays more from the author's original jazz perspective than from a classical one. The same goes with "Concerto in F," which begins with a movement based on Charleston, moves into a bluesy pace on the second part, ending with "Prelude No. 2," where Camilo takes some liberties and improvises a bit.
At his residency at the Blue Note he returns to the trio format he is best known for (with Charles Flores on bass and Dafnis Prieto on drums), which has proven to be the ideal context in which the pianist can explore his chops and interactive skills. Expect him to revisit some of his favorite standards, blended with some Brazilian compositions and his own original material.