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Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Carli Muñoz is a jazz pianist whose music of choice was jazz, European avant-garde and American pop music. Among his early influences were ragtime, early American ballads, boogie woogie and classical music, especially that of Erik Satie and Edgard Varèse.
At age 16, Muñoz travelled to New York City with a rock band he co-founded with Jorge Calderon called The Living End, AKA: Space, which for 18 months served as a house band at a New York club. Muñoz later moved to Los Angeles, where he worked with Wilson Pickett, Jan and Dean, The Association, George Benson, Charles Lloyd, Chico Hamilton, Wayne Henderson, Les McCann, Peter Cetera and Evie Sands.
From 1970 through 1981, Muñoz toured with the Beach Boys, playing Hammond B3 and piano. Following his return to Puerto Rico in 1985, Muñoz stayed out of the spotlight. In December 1998, he opened a restaurant, Carli Cafe Concierto, where he performs jazz music. He often returns to the mainland to perform and record.
Recent CDs include Love Tales (piano solo); Both Sides Now, with bassist, Eddie Gómez, drummer Joe Chambers and flautist Jeremy Steig; Live at Carli's Vol. 1, Live at Carli's Vol 2 and Live at Carli's Vol 3, the first second and third of a live series recorded at Carli Cafe Concierto; and Maverick, with Eddie Gómez on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums, Don Byron on clarinet and David Sánchez on tenor saxophone.
His latest release is a CD in the pop rock genre and the title is In My Soul, in memory of Carl Wilson and Dennis Wilson, released in February 2013.
Now a renowned solo artist in his own right, Carli’s 2018 release, Follow Me – is an ambitious mix of world music, blues, rock and pop, with jazz at its foundation, and a call to action inspired by the first African woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize, Wangari Maathai. Recalling sophisticated sounds that one might hear on a Steely Dan or a Sting album, Follow Me features Muñoz’s trademark virtuosic, exuberant piano playing and incorporates lush strings and woodwind arrangements as well as fine contributions from Muñoz’s Grammy-winning bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Billy Drummond.
Carli has performed and/or recorded with the following great musicians and artists:
The Beach Boys, Wilson Picket, Jan and Dean, The Association, The Living End, Peter Cetera, Dean Martin, George Benson, Wayne Henderson, Charles Lloyd, Les McCann, Chico Hamilton, Jimmy Haskell, Eddie Gomez, Joe Chambers, Jeremy Steig, Jack DeJohnette, Don Byron, David Sanchez, Lenny White, Chris Potter, Lucille Dixon, Putter Smith, Michael Simbelo, Sabu Martinez, Lucille Dixon, Chris Pinnick, Duke Mc Vinnie, Jorge Calderon, Alex Acuña, Nathaniel Phillips, James Gadson, Reggie Mc Bride, Bussy Feiten, Lee Ritenour, Manolo Badrena, Paulinho DaCosta, Victor Feldman, Bobby Lyle, Ian Underwood, Richard Tee, Greg Phillingames, John Hartmann, Justo Almario, Kenny Gradney, Dusty Springfield, Joel Peskin, Glenn Ferris, Sal Marquez, Rickie Lee Jones, Blondie Chaplin, Ricky Fataar, Henry Gross, Evie Sands.
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