Mark Dimond

American pianist, songwriter and leader of Conjunto Sabor. Also known as Markolino. Born in 1950 on the Lower East Side, New York City. An associate of Willie Colón's late-'60s band who also played a small part in Héctor Lavoe's early solo career, Mark Dimond was a splendid pianist with a deft touch, as well as an excellent arranger. Brujeria, his first LP, appeared in 1971 on the Vaya label, thanks to help from Larry Harlow and Johnny Pacheco. Although it was a one-shot, it's one of the more interesting salsa records of the classic era. Dimond's piano playing was in similar company to Eddie Palmieri, playful and elegant, and Brujeria allowed him a lot of soloing space. His piano also appeared on Ismael Quintana's self-titled debut for Vaya in 1974, and one year later, Dimondmade his highest-profile contribution, for Héctor Lavoe's debut splash, La Voz. Also in 1975, Dimond produced his second solo LP, Beethoven's V, co-billed with Frankie Dante. Dimond, however, never headed a session again, reportedly brought down by drug addiction, Markolino died in Miami, Florida, in 1986.