Tito Puente was born in New York City in 1923 and became one of the America’s most popular band leaders in the 1950’s until his death in 2000. His Puerto Rican background and familiarity with Afro-Cuban music made his jazz/mambo music of the 1950’s extremely popular. Some little known facts about Tito include the fact that he was also a saxophonist, pianist, vibraphonist, composer, and arranger in addition to being s successful band leader and drummer. He studied composition at Juilliard Conservatory in the 1940 after the Second World War and arranged most of the music for his orchestra.
Tito Puente - Episode 1
Most of the recordings on this podcast have to do with the kinds of music that influenced Tito when he was living in New York; popular Afro-Cuban dance music mixed with American big band music. After the war Tito was hired as a drummer and arranger by the popular bandleader Pupi Campo. Tito formed his first band in 1948 making records for the Tico Record Label. His first major hit was “Abaniquito” recorded in 1949.
Composition | Artist | Album | Year |
Oye Como Va | Tito Puente Orchestra | Tito’s Greatest Hits | 1977 |
The Peanut Vendor | Don Aspiazu and His Orchestra | At the Casino | 1930 |
Parapampin | Orquestra Casino Del Playa | The Original Cuban Flavors | ca. 1938 |
Anabacoa | Perez Prado with Beny More | | ca. 1954 |
Tanga | Machito and His Afro-Cubans | | ca. 1949 |
Sing Sing Sing | Benny Goodman Orchestra | | 1938 |
Manteca | Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra | | 1947 |
Earl Wilson Mambo | Pupi Campo Orchestra | Latin Jazz Essentials | ca. 1948 |
Abaniquito | Tito Puente Orchestra | | 1949 |
Tito Puente - Episode 2
Tito found great success in the 1950’s with the public’s interest in mambo music. The center for mambo music was the Palladium Ballroom on 53rd St. and Broadway in New York. Puente successfully managed all aspects of his orchestra; writing and arranging music, directing, performing, and also acting as the business manager. Much of the band’s success was due to the outstanding percussion section consisting of Tito, Mongo Santamaria, and Willie Bobo. Bobo and Santamaria were two of the most important percussionists that played with Tito in the 1950’s and helped make his band the powerhouse that it was. In 1956 Tito released one of his most popular albums, Cuban Carnival and in 1958 another popular album, Dance Mania Vol 1. Both of these popular albums feature selections that blend Afro-Cuban music with big band jazz.
Composition | Artist | Album | Year |
Ran Kan Kan | Tito Puente Orchestra | | ca. 1952 |
Coco My My | Tito Puente Orchestra | Caravan Mambo | ca. 1953 |
Tito Mambo | Tito Puente Orchestra | Caravan Mambo | ca. 1954 |
Elegua Chango | Tito Puente Orchestra | Cuban Carnival | 1956 |
Mambo Gozon | Tito Puente Orchestra | Dance Mania Vol. 1 | 1958 |
Para Los Rumberos | Tito Puente Orchestra | Cuban Carnival | 1956 |
Tito Puente - Episode 3
In addition to being an excellent timbale player, Tito was a very good jazz vibraphonist. He was one of the first jazz musicians to play the vibraphone on Latin jazz recordings. His 1st recorded solo on the vibes is on the recording “Mambo Diablo.” He used the vibraphone liberally on the album Tito Puente in Love from 1957. Interestingly enough, he plays marimba instead of the metallic sounding vibraphone on Hong Kong Mambo.
Composition | Artist | Album | Year |
Mambo Diablo | Tito Puente | Caravan Mambo | ca. 1954 |
Cuban Fantasy | Tito Puente | Cuban Carnival | 1956 |
Philly Mambo | Tito Puente | Tito Puente in Love | 1957 |
Cool Mambo | Tito Puente | Tito Puente in Love | 1957 |
Vibe Mambo | Tito Puente | Tito Puente in Love | 1957 |
Temptation | Tito Puente | Tito Puente in Love | 1957 |
Hong Kong Mambo | Tito Puente | Dance Mania Vol. 1 | 1958 |