"Carl Ferguson"

His birth name is Emilio, but throughout his young adult life, he was known as Emi. After he moved to Los Angeles, and began to gain some notoriety, people would pronounce his name "Emul," "Ameal," "Eeemahl" ...so to make a long story short, he decided to go by Emilio. When you tell someone your name is Emilio, "like Emilio Estivez," it always comes out right.

Emilio Palame was born on March 14, 1954 in Buffalo, New York. In his early years he found a deep passion for music. Countless hours were spent teaching himself to play the piano in the basement of his parents' house. Leading a group of young musicians by age twelve, Emilio played organ and sang in a band that performed at local concerts, clubs, and school events.

After studying privately throughout high school, and performing with his band, Summer Voyage, Emilio was awarded a state scholarship to attend Fredonia State University to further his education in music. While studying at Fredonia, Emilio composed, arranged, and conducted ensembles for album recordings and local television. He directed the Fredonia Jazz Ensemble program for four years - longer than any other student director before or since! Touring the East Coast, he taught clinics and performed concerts at major jazz festivals, winning "Outstanding Composer/Arranger" and "Outstanding Ensemble" awards at the Notre Dame Jazz Festival in 1975, '76, and '77.

Emilio graduated from SUNY Fredonia in 1976 with two Bachelor Degrees: B.A. in Music Theory and Composition and B.S. in Music Education. As a post-graduate, he was hired by the university to teach music theory, jazz arranging and improvisation, and private instruction for piano. During this time, many of his original scores for big-band and orchestra were published by Jenson Pub and Kendor Music. Halfway to his Master's Degree, Emilo decided to leave school to pursue his musical career as a composer/arranger and performer with his own big-band.

In 1977 Mark Records released "Make Room", Emilio's first commercial recording. In addition to producing and arranging the album, Emilio conducted his big-band; featuring himself on piano. "Make Room" received great acclaim in the jazz scene from top critics such as George Beck and Dale Anderson. The release of the album spawned a series of concerts in which Emilio headlined with major artists such as Tony Bennett, Buddy Rich, Lionel Hampton, and Stanley Turrentine.

Even as Emilio was beginning to make a name for himself in the more traditional jazz scene of the East Coast, he found a new love in the more modern R&B/Jazz/Funk movement of the West Coast and moved to Los Angeles in 1978.

Over the next several years, Emilio expanded his musical career beyond the jazz with which he had already tasted success. He performed and recorded with many artists in L.A., building a reputation that eventually landed him the coveted seat as accompanist/conductor for the legendary Miss Peggy Lee.

During his expansive eleven-year collaboration with Miss Lee, Emilio performed with many major acts including Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme, George Burns, Count Basie and has conducted the Milwaukee and Pittsburgh Symphonies and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. More than just an accompanist, Emilio co-wrote "Circle In The Sky" with Miss Lee, the song that "represented the full circle she'd described in her lifetime.

Spawning from his great success with Miss Lee, Emilio went on to perform and/or record with Paul Williams, Mamas and the Papas, Andy Williams, Connie Stevens, The Joffrey Ballet, Lanie Kazan, Sha Na Na, Chuck Mangione, Mike Garson, Mark Winkler, Junko Yagami, Ernie Watts, and Sam Riney. He also did eight CDs with Grant Geissman, and worked on the set of TV shows such as "Cheers", "Fraiser", "Friends", "Just Shoot Me", and "News Radio". After touring both nationally and internationally for many years, Emilio decided to settle back home in Los Angeles and established himself as a studio keyboardist, composer/arranger, and producer.

He composed/arranged selected cues for "King of the Hill" on FOX and national advertising campaigns for The Travel Channel, TWA, Best Stores, and Stacker II. Emilio also orchestrated/arranged for composer Guy Moon on "The Fairly Oddparents", "Chalk Zone", "Danny Phantom", and "Barnyard" on Nickelodeon. In 2003 Emilio and his son Emerson began composing their first television series, "Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide" on Nickelodeon. Since then, they've composed fifty-three episodes of "Ned's" and received critical acclaim from television and music professionals alike. In August 2006, Keyboard Magazine featured their work in a three-page article. In 2007, Emilio composed and produced the original score to the independent film The Waiting Room, featured at the Cannes Film Festival.

Currently, Emilio is continuing his work as a studio musician, producer, arranger and band leader.