Tito Puente had an illustrious career, both as a performer and as a composer, one of the most influential Latin musicians of the 20th century. This compilation draws on what could be considered his most prolific and adventurous time, the 30 years from the mid-`50s to the mid-`80s. Given the amount of material in that period, selecting just 21 tracks to represent Puente`s music is a challenge, but one that`s been taken on and largely conquered here.
This album showcases his incredible musical diversity with mambo, pachanga, boogaloo, salsa and Latin jazz styles. His remarkable solos on vibes and timbales are accompanied by some of his favourite singers, including Santos Colon, Celia Cruz and the wild La Lupe, whose performances were explosions of vocal passion. A Puerto Rican-New Yorker, whose musical soul always lay in Cuba as well as Puerto Rico, this swinging master class is a must for dancers and musicians alike.