Eddie Palmieri, the avant-garde musician who was one of the most innovative artists of rumba and Latin jazz, has died. He was 88. Fania Records announced Palmieri's death Wednesday evening. Palmieri’s daughter Gabriela told The New York Times that her father died earlier that day at his home in New Jersey after “an extended illness.”

Eddie Palmieri, a Grammy-celebrated pianist, composer and bandleader widely recognized as a leading figure in the Latin jazz and salsa music scene, died on Wednesday at his home in New Jersey, according to his Facebook page.