Born in 1942 in Harlem, Larry Willis grew up around music; jazz was popular in his neighborhood, and closer to home, he had a brother who played piano. As a child, Willis noodled around on the piano that was in the house, but his talent seemed to lie in singing.
Since he first came to New York 30 years ago, pianist and composer Michel Camilo has made a name for himself as an inventive and ferocious jazz player. His amazing skills at the piano, forged at the Dominican Republic's National Conservatory and National Symphony Orchestra — and later, at Mannes and Juilliard in New York — have allowed him to make contributions to the world of classical music as well.
