Tito Puente - The Complete 78's, Vol. 3 & 4 (1949 - 1955) (2010)

Continuing what is perhaps the most admirable reissue campaign in Latin music history, The Complete 78s, Vols. 3-4: 1949-1955 presents the final 76 tracks of Tito Puente's earliest recordings as a leader. Originally, Emusica head Giora Breil had commissioned Joe Conzo to compile and annotate a four-volume collection -- later reissued as a two-part series of box sets, each set having four discs -- from the dawn of Tito Puente's leadership of a band, a series of 156 songs recorded from 1949 to 1955 and released on the Tico label as 78-rpm records. Although Puente was recording for RCA around the same time (those sides appear on The Complete RCA Recordings, Vol. 1), these Tico songs present a far different side of the Latin maestro, and there are few parallels between the material. Where Puente was recording plentiful swing crossovers for RCA ("Tuxedo Junction" and "Take the 'A' Train" in addition to his early masterpiece "Ran Kan Kan"), his material for Tico found him keeping mostly to what his core audience in Spanish Harlem wanted to hear: plentiful hard mambos with the occasional bolero or ballad and, overall, few direct concessions to mainstream music. This was the equivalent of Duke Ellington on OKeh or Charlie Parker on Dial -- recordings for the hardcore faithful that showed a band as it existed instead of as it wanted to be sold. However, despite assumptions either way, that doesn't necessarily make this a better or worse set than the fruits of the RCA years, and indeed, for a crossover audience whose numbers usually overwhelm the core base, Puente's Tico recordings will be less familiar and even less dynamic. But the level of musicianship was high, with future heroes Charlie Palmieri, Mongo Santamaria, and Willie Bobo heard over these two volumes. The Complete 78s, Vols. 3-4: 1949-1955 is a treasure trove for Latin fans.

Tracklisting:
01. Tito Puente - Bam Baram Bam Bam (3:10)
02. Tito Puente - Picao Y Tostao (2:48)
03. Tito Puente - The Silver Star (2:51)
04. Tito Puente - El Alardoso (3:03)
05. Tito Puente - Mambo Rama (2:28)
06. Tito Puente - Tropicana (2:50)
07. Machito - Caravan Mambo (3:00)
08. Tito Puente - Mambo Inn (2:35)
09. Tito Puente - Philadelphia Mambo (2:45)
10. Tito Puente - 1626 Madison Avenue (2:28)
11. Tito Puente - The Carioca (2:30)
12. Tito Puente - Cool Mambo (2:32)
13. Tito Puente - George Woods Mambo (3:06)
14. Tito Puente - Confucius Mambo (2:29)
15. Tito Puente - Baila Mi Cha Cha Cha (2:46)
16. Tito Puente - Ya Lo Puedes Decir (3:10)
17. Tito Puente - Cha Cha Cha (2:03)
18. Tito Puente - Los Rumberos Se Van (2:22)
19. Tito Puente - Bien Explicado (2:24)
20. Tito Puente - Alma Muerta (2:48)
21. Tito Puente - Rico Melao (2:15)
22. Tito Puente - El Espejo (3:02)
23. Tito Puente - La Rumba Te Llama (2:50)
24. Tito Puente - Los Cinco Sentidos (2:38)
25. Tito Puente - La Geringoza (2:45)
26. Tito Puente - Chi Que Te Va Gustar (2:36)
27. Tito Puente - Malcriada (2:46)
28. Tito Puente - El Diablo De Esa Mujer (2:30)
29. Tito Puente - I Love You Baby (2:09)
30. Tito Puente - Bananas (2:06)
31. Tito Puente - Mambo With Me (2:56)
32. Machito - Autumn In Rome (2:29)
33. Tito Puente - Ran Kan Kan (3:11)
34. Tito Puente - Happy Heart (2:54)
35. Tito Puente - Adela (2:50)
36. Tito Puente - The Man From Jamaica (2:38)
37. Tito Puente - Cha Cha Mambo (2:53)
38. Tito Puente - Oigan Mi Cha Cha Cha (2:52)
39. Tito Puente - Mambo Lenko (2:54)
40. Tito Puente - Cha Cha Bounce (2:56)
41. Tito Puente - Mambo Típico (2:58)
42. Tito Puente - Mambo Rumbón (2:47)
43. Tito Puente - Almendra (2:56)
44. Tito Puente - Mambolino (2:55)
45. Tito Puente - Suavecito Cha Cha (2:52)
46. Tito Puente - Mambo Con Cha Cha Cha (2:15)
47. Tito Puente - Pare Cochero (2:44)
48. Tito Puente - Coco May May (2:45)
49. Tito Puente - Cogele Bien El Compás (2:30)
50. Tito Puente - Cha Cha Cha For Lovers (2:48)
51. Tito Puente - Carolina (2:31)
52. Tito Puente - Enjoy My Cha Cha Cha (Goza Mi Cha Cha Cha) (2:52)
53. Tito Puente - Having A Ball (Rico Vacilón) (2:53)
54. Tito Puente - Espinita (2:18)
55. Tito Puente - Tito's Merengue (2:30)
56. Tito Puente - The Fence (La Empaliza) (1:51)
57. Tito Puente - The Knockout (2:36)
58. Tito Puente - Hot Tamales (Los Tamalitos De Olga) (2:34)
59. Tito Puente - Tee Pee Mambo (2:16)
60. Tito Puente - TJ Mambo (2:44)
61. Tito Puente - Prelude To Rhythm (2:45)
62. Tito Puente - Mangue (2:20)
63. Tito Puente - Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White (2:42)
64. Tito Puente - All Of You (2:49)
65. Tito Puente - Coco Seco (2:24)
66. Tito Puente - Los Marcianos (2:27)
67. Tito Puente - Todos Bailan Mi Cha Cha Cha (2:36)
68. Tito Puente - La Palma (2:34)
69. Tito Puente - Cuidado Con La Mano (2:19)
70. Tito Puente - Al Ritmo Del Cha Cha Cha (2:43)
71. Tito Puente - Tito's Cha Cha Cha (2:43)
72. Tito Puente - Cha Cha Guaguancó (2:42)
73. Tito Puente - Invitation (2:52)
74. Tito Puente - My Funny Valentine (2:42)
75. Tito Puente - Totiri Mundachi (2:33)
76. Tito Puente - Tarde De Cha Cha Cha (2:24)