Heavy Friends
Saturday January 3rd, 2026 with Heavy Ben
In Memoriam - 2025 (Part 4)

Part four in the annual Heavy Friends series that pays respects to the departed. Part one October 18 https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/410/72462.html Part two November 29 https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/410/73046.html Part three December 27 https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/410/73400.html Part five January 24 https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/410/73858.html Pictured: Eddie Palmieri. The pianist and band leader of Puerto Rican descent grew up in New York City. "The Palmieri sound" blended Afro-Caribbean rhythms, salsa, jazz, and soul, creating a heavy, danceable music that redefined Latin music in New York and beyond. The band was named after a highway that cuts through Harlem, allowing cars to bypass the local streets of the neighborhood entirely, where the rich zipped past to avoid the harsh social realities of the ghetto. For Palmieri, this highway was a symbol of the inequalities of modern society. Palmieri was 88. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Palmieri Eddie Palmieri: A Revolution On Harlem River Drive (Red Bull Music Academy) We hear from pianist Eddie Palmieri, as well as musical peers, historians and journalists talk about his 1971 Latin-funk masterpiece, "Harlem River Drive," and how it altered the ambitions of his contemporaries. You'll learn how, inspired by the activist and revolutionary movements of the time, he set about making a record that stood the test of time. https://youtu.be/rt2pMXe1Zt8 (to embiggen the show icon, right-click and choose "Open image in new tab")