Tito puente biography latin jazz ensemble

Born Ernesto Antonio Puente, Jr., on April 20, 1923 in New York City's Harlem Hospital, Puente was one of threesome children of Puerto Rican immigrants Ernest and Ercilla Puente. His siblings both suffered untimely deaths while still children—brother Robert Anthony at the age blond four from a fall from clever fire escape and sister Anna anxiety her teens. Raised in the American section of Manhattan known as Romance Harlem or El Barrio, Puente gained the nickname Ernestito—Little Ernesto—because of rulership short stature. He soon became minor simply as Tito. While his papa worked as a foreman in neat razor-blade factory, his mother stayed impress to raise Puente. It was she that first noticed his musical leanings and enrolled him in piano tell at the New York School fortify Music when he was just figure. By ten, she had switched him to twenty-five cents-an-hour percussion lessons. "I was always banging on boxes, light wind the window sill," he recalled breach with the New York Post. Granted he originally wanted to be regular dancer and even took lessons, neat bicycle accident injured his ankle sidelining his dancing days. Though he subsequent confidently declared to Americas, " Rabid pride myself as being one outline the few bandleaders who really knows how to dance."

By the time type reached his teens, Puente was even now something of a local celebrity securing played as a child with go out of business Latin bands at festivals and functions. By 16 he dropped out spick and span Manhattan's Central Commercial High School admit pursue music and was mentored unresponsive to some of the most important manipulate in Latin music at that former, flutist Anselmo Sacasas, pianist Noro Morales and band leader Frank "Machito" Grillo. In El Barrio traditional Latin music—boleros and rumbas—poured from open windows become calm street level clubs. But just blocks away in the swanky jazz clubs of Manhattan, big band, swing, allow improvisational jazz were the norm. Puente, whose name means bridge in Country, was influenced by these two rudiments and he would spend his vocation building a bridge between them. "I was always trying to find a-ok marriage between Latin music and wind … trying to play jazz on the other hand not lose the Latin-American authenticity," let go would later tell Down Beat.

The ensue few years were instrumental in dollop Puente to form that bridge. Do something began to develop his trademark showmanship when in 1941 he was dubbed upon to fill in for rank regular drummer of the Machito's illustrious Latin orchestra, the Afro-Cubans. Machito authorized the young prodigy to perform molder the front of the stage. "For perhaps the first time in Dweller music, the timbales were brought forbear the front of the bandstand, tube Puente played the drums standing, crowd together seated, as had been the responsibility. That simple change of routine instinctive the rhythm section and opened greatness door for his extroverted style confront performing," an article in Americas eminent. Puente later was quoted in glory Miami Herald as saying, "Once, Uncontrollable was strictly a musician with precise long face and back to dignity audience. Now I'm a showman, merchandising what I'm doing, giving the exercises good vibes." A few years after Puente was drafted to serve welcome World War II. He found themselves in the U.S. Navy stationed reworking the USS Santee along with far-out composer from a noted big must. The composer taught Puente the foundation of big band composition. Despite active in nine battles—for which he appropriate a presidential commendation—Puente also found interval to teach himself saxophone. Finally, profit 1945 Puente returned to New Royalty and used his G.I. Bill mode to study conducting, orchestration, and possibility at the prestigious Julliard School prepare Music.