mikeweil

That's Lonnie Hewitt and Eddie Coleman on piano and bass, respectively. S. Duncan Reid and myself knew of this footage but never had seen it.

Night Beat (1957) RCA Victor LP 1447 This album was released in several format: besides the mono and stereo 12" LPs there was a release on three 45 rpm EPs. There were CD reissues not only in the RCA Tropical series but also on Koch Jazz, and a CD on Bear Family (that combined it with mucho puente). The latter is of special interest as it icludes two previously unissued tracks as well as one released only on a compilation; OTOH it omits two tracks for playing time limitations that were recorded already in 1956. To make things even more complicated, mono and stereo issues of the mucho puente albums are totally differed in content, the stereo issue combining half each of the mono Night Beat and mucho puente LP tracks (which is why Bear Family joined them in their reissue). The Bear Family reissue has complete personnel for each session, has great new liner notes, and even states master numbers! (details will be posted soon)

Let's Cha Cha with Tito Puente and His Orchestra (1957) RCA Victor LP 1392 The title says it all. Puente reacted to the growing popularity of the Cha-Cha-Cha, a rather new Cuban dance invented by Enrique Jorrín, that was not as difficult to learn as the mambo. The abbreviation in the title, "Cha-Cha", is common but should be avoided, as it is the term for a child's butt in Cuban slang .......... The sound is excellent mono, and it retains its warmth and transparency in the 1994 CD remaster, done by ....... Dick Baxter. That CD adds a bonus track to the 12 of the LP. This is one of the best sounding mono Cuban band recordings I have heard. It may have to do with the fact that there is less brass and more charanga instrumentation with flutes. Personnel: * marks soloists) Tito Puente* (timbales, vibes, arranger) - Mongo Santamaria* (congas) - Willie Bobo (bongos, guiro, timbales) - Bobby Rodriguez (bass) - Alvin Gellers* (piano) - Al Casamenti (guitar) Trumpets: Bernie Glow (1,5,6) or Al de Risi (all others), Jimmy Frisaura, Frank Lo Pinto, Gene Rapetti Saxes & Flutes: Jerry Sanfino* (alto & flute), Allen Fields (alto), Marty Holmes, Eddie Caine (1,5,6,7,10,12,13), Ray Beckenstein (2,3,4,8,9,11) (tenor), Joe Grimm (baritone) Vocal chrous: probably El Viejo Macucho, Yayo El Indio, Tito Puente Tracks: 1 Lindo Cha Cha (Puente) 2 It's The Bururu (Dame El Bururu) (Obdulio Morales) 3 Vibe Guajira (Guajira En Vibrafono) (Puente) 4 Let's Cha Cha (Ray Coen) 5 Ki-Ku-Ki-Kan (Raul Azpiazú) 6 Habanero (Ray Coen) 7 Just For You (Johnny Conquet) 8 Cha Cha Fiesta Johnny Conquet) 9 Cha Charuguao (Justi Barreto) 10 You Are An Angel (Justi Barreto) 11 Guaririambo (Mongo Santamaria) 12 Cubarama (Puente) 13 Así Es Como Era (Malibú) (Puente) (bonus track not on LP) Recorded August 23, 1956 (7,10,12) - August 24, 1956 (1,5,6,13) - August 25, 1956 (2,3,4,8,9,11) ------------------------------------------------------------ The Complete RCA Vol. 1 includes two Boleros with vocalist Hilda Nieves dated August 8, 1956 that probably were released as a single; they also popped up on a Tropical Series compilation "Si Me Comprendieras (Boleros Con Feeling Vol. 5)" (https://www.discogs.com/Various-Si-Me-Comprendieras-Boleros-Con-Feeling-Vol-5/release/9806216); they could have added these just as well. 1 Sin Amor (Puente) 2 No Me Obligues (Mario De Jesús)

# Excellent stuff! This was one of the very best mambo orchestras and should be known better among jazz fans.

That CD is from 2007 and seems to be rare. I'm interested. Where did you see this announced, please? Could this be a reissue of the 2007 album?

Puente Goes Jazz (1956) RCA Victor LPM 1312 Personnel: (the album credits list only the featured soloists; I have added a regular band member probably participating) Trumpets: Nick Travis, Bernie Glow, prob. Jimmy Frisaura Saxes: Gene Quill, Marty Holmes Piano: Alvin Gellers - Guitar: Barry Galbraith - Bass: Bobby Rodriguez Timbales, Vibes: Tito Puente - Congas: Mongo Santamaria - Bongos, Timbales: Willie Bobo Tracks: (those marked * were recorded February 6, 1956) 1. What Is This Thing Called Love (Cole Porter 2. Tiny - Not Genghis (Ted Sommer) 3. What Are You Doin' Honey (Marty Holmes) 4. * Lotus Land (Cyril Scott) 5. * Lucky Dog (Puente) 6. Birdland After Dark (Oscar Pettiford) 7. That's A Puente (Ted Sommer) 8. Yesterdays (Jerome Kern) 9. Terry Cloth (Ted Sommer) 10. * Tito 'In (A.K. Salim) This was reissued on CD several times by RCA ( NL/CD 74719) in Spain, under the Bluebird imprint (66148-2), on BMG Classics in Europe ( 74321653692 ), but not in the Tropical Series (too jazzy?): They misspelled the name of the Mongolian emperor on all issues, Genghis is correct, not Ghengis! There were two tracks recorded on February 5, 1956, the second of which appeared on the Night Beat album: Havana After Dark (Chico O'Farrill) Flying Down To Rio (T.B. Harms) --------------------------------------------------------- I just compared the sound of the Spanish CD (no mastering cerdits) with the box set: the latter again has a higher level, but some detauis seem to get overpowered by the sheer loudness. This was a mono recording - some latter day engineers seem to have a hard time having to live with this.

Discs 3 & 4, mabe more ...

Disc 1

Just saw it was reissued on CD twice, on Blue Moon and él/Cherry Red, both c/w African Jazz.

Has Jungle Jazz ever been reissued on CD? I'd like to have that one.

Maybe some packages are placed in quarantene before being forwarded to the recipient.

Brand new, pulled from the mailbox today, fresh from the label: https://divineartrecords.com/recording/froberger-complete-fantasias-and-canzonas/ Terence Charlston never disappointed me, so far.

This weekend's evening bottle:

Once more: Tito was under contract with Tico from 1949 to 1955. A total of 156 tracks were released on 78 rpm records, plus one 12" LP, Puente in Percussion. LP compilations of the 78s were released on the Tico label from 1952 (the first 10" LP). Since Tico was bought by Roulette some reissues may bear the Roulette label. AFAIK the only LP recorded for Roulette was Bossa Nova By Puente in 1962. I have said Puente was allowed to record for other labels during his tenure at Tico. This resulted in the 27 tracks recorded from 1949-1951 for RCA and the LP for Seeco. He was under contract with RCA from late 1955 to 1960, which resulted in the LPs I listed in an earlier post. In between there was the Mambo on Broadway LP with some of the earlier tracks. You must differentiate between recording dates and release dates. But that is not easy as the old LP never stated recording dates. The years after 1960 are more complicated. Short term contracts, (Tico again among them, by then owned by Roulette) - except for the very end with Concord, 1982 until his death in 2000, with some posthumous releases.

That must be this one: Contents are identical to the Spanish CD I have. https://www.discogs.com/Tito-Puente-And-His-Orchestra-Mambo-On-Broadway/release/10686681

Cuban Carnival (1956) Tito Puente's first RCA project conceived for LP was Cuban Carnival. The title is a program and a personal confession, as Puente had chosen Cuban music as his working ground, even though he was born in New York in a Puerto Rican family. His personal style fusing high level jazz arrangement techniques with Cuban rhythm is in full bloom, with screaming brass and hot percussion. This album was respoinsible for Puente's participation in a late 1956 music festival Cuba featuring musicians working in the USA at the time - Puente was astonished that he was not called and told some of his Cuban colleagues who wondered waht had happened and contacted the Cuban organisation responsible. They sent them a copy of this album, which obviously convinced them. The full story can be read in Powell's book. The album also shows Puente's increasing fascination with Afro-Cuban religion, demonstrated by the opening track, dedicated to the important Cuban orishás, Eleguá and Changó. It was the first track he recorded for RCA that passed the three minute mark of his recordings for singles. (For Tico, only the Puente In Percussion LP featured tracks longer than three minutes.) So far I do not have exact recording dates for all tracks. The ones marked * were recorded on April 3, 1956. A note on the CD reissue says "recorded in New York City, 1955 & 1956" - at the moment I cannot confirm any tracks having been recorded in 1955. Personnel: Tito Puente (timbales, vibes) Mongo Santamaria, Willie Bobo, Carlos "Patato" Valdez, Cándido Camero, John Rodriguez (Cuban percussion) Alvin Gellers (piano) Bobby Rodriquez (bass) El Viejo Macucho (vocals on # 10; other vocalists/chorus not identified) Nick Travis, Frank Lo Pinto, Jimmy Frisaura, Gene Rapeti, Bernie Glow, Andres "Merenguito" Forda, Sam Seavors (trumpets) Santo Ruso, Eddie Bert, Robert Ascher, Sam Takvorian (trombones) Jerry Sanfino, Marty Holmes, Ed Caine, Sol Schlinger, Allen Fiedls, José Madera, Dave Kurtzer (saxes & flutes) This is a collective listing, obviously. The regular Puente band has been enlarged (he had no trombones and only 3 trumpets and four saxes in his touring band, Gellers, Rodriguez, Mongo, and Bobo were the rhythm section; plus singers). Tracks: 1. Eleguá Changó (Puente) * 2. Cuál Es La Idea (Puente) * 3. Pa' Los Rumberos (Puente) * 4. Que Será (Puente) 5. Oye Mi Guaguancó (Puente) 6. Yambeque (Puente) * 7. Happy Cha-Cha-Chá (Puente) 8. Mambo Buda (Puente) 9. Cha-Cha-Chá De Los Pollos (Ray Coen) 10. Guaguancó Margarito (Silvestre Mendez) * 11. Cuban Fantasy (Ray Bryant) The 1990 CD reissue in the Tropical Series does not credit a mastering engineer. I compared it to the tracks on the first Complete RCA box set from 2000, which sound louder, a lttle harsher. Maybe they used the digital master from 1990 and tried to "improve" on it - two sudden image shifts of the original mono recording are identical on both issues. Puente's RCA recordings always sound extreme due to the shouting brass, but the 1990 CD is a bit easier on the ear. This CD would have been the opportunity to add the late 1955 / early 1956 tracks tracks never released on LP (or only on compilations), but they missed it.

The November 28, 1955 and January 9, 1956 sessions One of the reasons for Puente signing with RCA may have been that he saw greater potential for recording projects intended for the new 12" LP format - George Goldner at Tico was mainly interested in good selling singles and had to be talked into issuing the "Puente In Percussion" album. But Puente's recordings for RCA obviously started with another four track session intended for single release. It took place on November 28, 1955, say the recording dates in the Complete RCA box sets. - Port Tu Amor (Everlasting Love) (Luis Varona) / Vibe Cha-Cha (Puente) - RCA Victor ‎– 47-6370 - Cuban Nightmare (Puente) / Four Beat Cha-Cha - RCA Victor ‎– 47-6527 One or the other of these tracks popped up on compilations issued many years later; the first two were added to the Spanish CD reissue of the Mambo On Broadway LP; all four were on the two Complete RCA box sets (two in each of them). I do not have personnel listings, although they should exist in the RCA vaults. Musically, they continue the style of Puente's Tico singles. The Complete RCA Vol. 1 has two tracks recorded on January 9, 1956, so far I could not find a single release. The first pops up on a few compilations. - Mambozooka (Puente) - Mama Inez (Moises Simón)

The Bielefelder Katalog had one great disadvantage: Like the Schwann it depended on whatever listings the labels or distributors had sent. So, regularly several labels were not represented although available in Germany. That's why I disposed of them many years ago. There is a big difference between album listing and real accurate, thoroughly researched discographies. Most stuff available on the web belongs to the former category and is of little use.