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Born in 1954 in Santa Domingo in the Dominican Republic, Michel Camilo took to music early. His family had produced several generations of musicians and composers, so Camilo often found himself joining in with his nine uncles around his grandparents piano. His first instrument was an accordion and he recalls having written his first piece of music at age five. To test his musical mettle, his parents enrolled him in Elementary Music School, part of the Dominican Republic's National Conservatory System.
Camilo continued to excel at the accordion and eventually switched to the piano. Despite his musical talents, Camilo's parents wanted him to become a doctor. He transferred out of the national conservatory and began attending university with the intention of perusing a medical degree. Thankfully, his piano teacher intervened and got Camilo a fulltime job as a percussionist for the National Symphony Orchestra. He had never played symphony percussion before, but the gig helped him retain his ties to music with a prestigious appointment and a regular paycheck that pacified his family. He eventually returned to his conservatory training and began contemplating a move to the US to pursue a career in jazz.
Upon arriving in the states in 1979, Camilo studied briefly at Juilliard and Mannes College while getting his true jazz education gigging in the clubs of Manhattan. His earliest high profile gigs included recordings with the band French Toast, performances in the Broadway show Dancin' and a performance with Tito Puente at the Montreal Jazz Festival. He also began working with Paquito D'Rivera - an association that lasted three years. In 1985, he released his first album as a leader and performed with his trio at Carnegie Hall. Following the success and critical acclaim of Michel Camilo, his first major label album, Camilo began a successful recording career that has yielded 14 albums as a leader.
The classical music Camilo studied at the National Conservatory has remained a part of his professional life - he's performed as a featured soloist with a number of acclaimed groups including the Atlanta Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and The National Symphonies in America and The National Symphony of the Dominican Republic.
Camilo's recent releases show off his unparalleled virtuosity and his mastery of the keyboard, no matter the setting or style of music. 2003's release, Live At the Blue Note, featured Camilo with his trio and won a Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album. A year later, Michel Camilo Solo was released to critical acclaim. In 2006, Camilo's recording of Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue with the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra won a Latin Grammy for Best Classical Album.
Check out this week's Piano Jazz Shorts: the Piano Jazz podcast.
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Set List for Michel Camilo on Piano Jazz:The Magic In You (Camilo)
Reflections (Camilo)
Stella By Starlight (Washington, Young)
Our Love Is Here To Stay (G. & I. Gershwin)
Spain (Corea)
Corcovado (Quiet Nights) (Jobim)
Sand In My Shoes (Loesser, Schertzinger)
Blue Monk (Monk)
Camilo continued to excel at the accordion and eventually switched to the piano. Despite his musical talents, Camilo's parents wanted him to become a doctor. He transferred out of the national conservatory and began attending university with the intention of perusing a medical degree. Thankfully, his piano teacher intervened and got Camilo a fulltime job as a percussionist for the National Symphony Orchestra. He had never played symphony percussion before, but the gig helped him retain his ties to music with a prestigious appointment and a regular paycheck that pacified his family. He eventually returned to his conservatory training and began contemplating a move to the US to pursue a career in jazz.
Upon arriving in the states in 1979, Camilo studied briefly at Juilliard and Mannes College while getting his true jazz education gigging in the clubs of Manhattan. His earliest high profile gigs included recordings with the band French Toast, performances in the Broadway show Dancin' and a performance with Tito Puente at the Montreal Jazz Festival. He also began working with Paquito D'Rivera - an association that lasted three years. In 1985, he released his first album as a leader and performed with his trio at Carnegie Hall. Following the success and critical acclaim of Michel Camilo, his first major label album, Camilo began a successful recording career that has yielded 14 albums as a leader.
The classical music Camilo studied at the National Conservatory has remained a part of his professional life - he's performed as a featured soloist with a number of acclaimed groups including the Atlanta Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and The National Symphonies in America and The National Symphony of the Dominican Republic.
Camilo's recent releases show off his unparalleled virtuosity and his mastery of the keyboard, no matter the setting or style of music. 2003's release, Live At the Blue Note, featured Camilo with his trio and won a Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album. A year later, Michel Camilo Solo was released to critical acclaim. In 2006, Camilo's recording of Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue with the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra won a Latin Grammy for Best Classical Album.
Check out this week's Piano Jazz Shorts: the Piano Jazz podcast.
Subscribe!
Set List for Michel Camilo on Piano Jazz: