Michel Camilo

Biography

Michel Camilo (born April 4, 1954) is a Dominican pianist and composer. He specializes in jazz, Latin and classical piano work.

Background and career

Camilo was born into a musical family and as a young child showed 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 the age of 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.
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. 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. 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."
Camilo 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). His influences at this time also included Horace Silver, Erroll Garner, and the ragtime music of Scott Joplin.
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. 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. On a recommendation, without hearing him, Puente asked Camilo to play. Cuban reedman Paquito D'Rivera was in the audience and offered him a place in his band. For four years, Camilo toured internationally with D'Rivera and recorded two albums with him.
Camilo'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?×Why Not?4 May 1985 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracks1Just Kiddin'5:222Hello and Goodbye6:283Thinking of You9:084Why Not?7:365Not Yet6:306Suite Sandrine, Part V5:39, for Japan's King label. His album Suntan/In Trio had a trio with Anthony Jackson on the bass and Dave Weckl on the drums. 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. Special guests joined in with Camilo, such as percussionist Sammy Figueroa and tap dancer Raul. Other bestselling albums followed and so did the accolades, including a Grammy and an Emmy. Camilo's collaborative 2000 album with flamenco guitarist Tomatito Spain×Spain2000 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1Spain Intro3:222Spain5:333Bésame mucho7:544A mi niño José4:525Two Much / Love Theme5:566Para Troilo y Salgán6:027La vacilona5:268Aire de tango6:09 won Best Latin Jazz Album in the first Latin Grammy Awards.
As well as being a performer, Camilo is a 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.
Camilo 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.

Association with other musicians

Camilo's regular trio lineup for many years had his long-term friends Anthony Jackson on contrabass guitar and Cliff Almond on drums. Charles Flores has occupied the trio's bass seat since their Grammy-winning album Live at the Blue Note×Live at the Blue Note26 August 2003 · Album · LiveSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 54 tracks · 6 discsDisc 11Cocowalk6:122Two of a Kind6:533Hello & Goodbye8:434The Magic in You9:025Tequila4:506Dichotomy7:587Twilight Glow8:448Happy Birthday / Blue Bossa3:539This Way Out10:57Disc 21Cocowalk6:122Two of a Kind6:533Hello & Goodbye8:434The Magic in You9:025Tequila4:506Dichotomy7:587Twilight Glow8:448Happy Birthday / Blue Bossa3:539This Way Out10:57Disc 31Cocowalk6:122Two of a Kind6:533Hello & Goodbye8:434The Magic in You9:025Tequila4:506Dichotomy7:587Twilight Glow8:448Happy Birthday / Blue Bossa3:539This Way Out10:57Disc 41On the Other Hand6:422Mongo's Blues6:533Thinking of You9:094At Night (To Frank)6:155Why Not!8:276Silent Talk6:307See You Later6:228And Sammy Walked In6:359On Fire13:03Disc 51On the Other Hand6:422Mongo's Blues6:533Thinking of You9:094At Night (To Frank)6:155Why Not!8:276Silent Talk6:307See You Later6:228And Sammy Walked In6:359On Fire13:03Disc 61On the Other Hand6:422Mongo's Blues6:533Thinking of You9:094At Night (To Frank)6:155Why Not!8:276Silent Talk6:307See You Later6:228And Sammy Walked In6:359On Fire13:03. Lately Camilo has drummer Dafnis Prieto as part of his trio. This new trio released the album Spirit of the Moment×Spirit Of The Moment24 April 2007 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Just Now4:332My Secret Place4:413Spirit of the Moment5:034Repercussions7:095Nefertiti2:556Nardis3:507Trilogy5:268Giant Steps2:009A Place in Time5:0510Hurry Up and Wait5:1311Liquid Crystal3:5112Solar (Explorations)3:57 in April 2007.
Other musicians he has played with include Tito Puente, Paquito D'Rivera, Dizzy Gillespie, Katia Labèque, Toots Thielemans, Airto Moreira, Chuck Mangione, Stanley Turrentine, Claudio Roditi, Nancy Alvarez, Mongo Santamaría, George Benson, Eddie Palmieri, Jon Faddis, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Lew Soloff, Tania Maria, Jaco Pastorius, Patato, Randy Brecker, Michael Brecker, Chuck Loeb, Giovanni Hidalgo, Guarionex Aquino, Wynton Marsalis, Dave Valentin, Flora Purim, Delfeayo Marsalis, Chucho Valdés, Joe Lovano, Herbie Hancock, Tomatito, John Patitucci, David Sanchez, Hiromi Uehara, Cachao, Marco Rizo, Marcus Roberts, Steve Gadd, Danilo Perez, Gary Burton, Billy Taylor, Dave Weckl, Hilton Ruiz, Roy Hargrove, Romero Lubambo, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Leny Andrade, Bireli Lagrene, Marian McPartland, Leonard Slatkin, Arturo Sandoval, Frank Colón, Aisha Syed Castro, Béla Fleck, Lou Marini, Cliff Almond, Juan Luis Guerra 4.40, Mark Walker.
Camilo is one of the ambassadors to Music Traveler GmbH, together with Billy Joel, Hans Zimmer, John Malkovich, Sean Lennon, Adrien Brody.