Tito Puente’s 50-Year Musical Love Affair

One of the rare multi-CD collections by a U.S. label dedicated to an Afro-Caribbean artist, “50 Years of Swing” features one of the most seminal and prolific figures ever in Latin popular music.

Because Tito Puente has generally lacked the creative daring to make him the equal of such artists as Machito and Eddie Palmieri, it’s easy to think of him as the “meat and potatoes” of Latin music.

But that missing spark doesn’t mean he isn’t a towering figure. Puente, 74, has not only made outstanding music himself, but has also helped introduce scores of other valuable performers.

Puente, who was born in New York of Puerto Rican parents, was at his creative peak in the ‘50s, when he was widely credited with helping spread the popularity of various Latin dance styles, including the mambo and the cha cha.

Most of his albums don’t possess the extra personality and sizzle that are found in the most addictive Latin jazz and salsa, but this lavish three-disc set is the one to take home. It demonstrates that the percussionist, composer and arranger is an artist whose total contribution to music is bigger than the sum of its parts.

“50 Years of Swing” is a refreshingly luxurious affair, complete with crisp, digitally remastered sound, an exhaustive booklet and attractive packaging.

The smartest thing about the box set is that the compilers avoided the temptation of simply presenting all 52 selections in chronological order. Instead, the music is divided into three programs that are based on feeling.

Disc 1 is the highlight, transporting the listener to New York’s Palladium in the ‘50s where the mambo explosion was born, and where Puente shared the stage with such legends as Machito and Tito Rodriguez.

On the disc, we find selections from what is arguably Puente’s best album, 1957’s infectious”Dancemania,” which featured vocalist Santos Colon. The first disc also includes such staples of Latin music as “Guantanamera” and “El Manicero.”

Disc 2 concentrates on the instrumental side of Puente, who always seemed infatuated with the explosiveness of big-band American jazz and its complex brass orchestrations. His love for the style led him to work with such respected artists as Woody Herman, Cal Tjader, Lionel Hampton and George Shearing.

Disc 3 is mostly about Puente’s association with the RMM label, which focused on more mainstream salsa numbers, many featuring the latest crop of singer-superstars (India, Tony Vega, Tito Nieves). These efforts sound sparkling, though a bit shallow.

Throughout the set, one is impressed by Puente’s love affair with music--from his early experimentation with percussion ensembles in the album “Top Percussion” (one track from which is included here) to his collaborations with a remarkable range of vocalists, from Graciela and Celia Cruz to Hector Lavoe and Oscar D’Leon.

Typical of the care and respect with which the collection was designed is a heartwarming series of vintage, blue-tinged photos from various stages in Puente’s career--photos that virtually trace the history of Latin music.

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