10 De Coleccion

Performer: Tito Puente
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Because, as the title indicates, there are less than a dozen Tito Puente tracks on 10 de Coleccion, the compilation hardly has any chance of acting as a definitive guide to the late percussionist and bandleader. Still, the ten songs that did make the cut are all good -- particularly "Lagrimas Negras," "Ran Kan Kan," and "Almendra" -- showing off his big band well, and making for, overall, a nice taste of what Puente has to offer. ~ Marisa Brown

New York City-born percussionist Tito Puente infused his big-band music with the mambo sound he helped to popularize in the US. He started out playing with the likes of Noro Morales and Machito before starting his own band in the late 1940s. Known as "King of the Mambo," Puente styled himself after the great swing-era band leaders, and ruled for years over a dance-oriented world of Latin rhythms spiced with jazz and pop. Through mambo, cha-cha, salsa, and more, Puente's career weathered the ups and downs of musical trends, and the iconic band leader, who passed away in 2000, ranks as a legend of Latin jazz.

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