Palmas (album)

The album was produced by Palmieri, who also composed all of its songs. Palmieri wanted to record without vocalists, and with the three horn players taking solos; two of the horn players were ex-Jazz Messengers. Palmieri often treated the piano as a percussive instrument. Eight musicians played on Palmas. ==Critical reception==

The Miami Herald deemed the album "conventional Afro-Cuban jazz, featuring driving rhythms on the bottom and boppish melodies, jazz harmonies and improvisation on top." The Philadelphia Tribune determined that Palmas "cooks from start to finish with a solid mix of mambos, cha-chas, and ballads." The Province labeled the album "infectious African-Caribbean music with unmistakable jazz roots." The St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted that José Claussell "takes the percussion solos and tears the rhythms apart at the same time he's putting them back together, an act of creation through destruction that all great timbales players seem able to do quite casually." AllMusic wrote that "Palmieri typically starts off a number with familiar Latin piano patterns which quickly evolve into completely innovative chord combinations." ==Track listing==