Tito was a Guest Artist for Luis ‘Perico’ Ortiz at his Hasta Siempre concert that celebrated Perico’s 55th Anniversary at Lehman College in the Bronx on January 20, 2018. Together they celebrated his unbelievable music career. Tito performed an outstanding drum solo to Perico’s Mis Tres Amigos, a musical salute to his father Tito Rodriguez, Machito and Tito Puente.
In the 1950’s America fell in love with the MAMBO and “The Home of Mambo” was the PALLADIUM BALLROOM at 53rd Street & Broadway. Re-named The Palladium from Alma Dance Studio in 1946, six local bands were booked with MACHITO the headliner. This continued playing to huge audiences of all colours and creeds until 1948 when TITO PUENTE appeared as a bandleader for the first time. Later, singer TITO RODRIGUEZ and his band became a major crowd-puller and competed with Machito & Puente as the star act; thus THE BIG 3. The Palladium was the heart of Mambo & Latin music until it closed in 1966.
The Big 3 Palladium Orchestra is the brain-child of Machito’s son Mario Grillo. After a discussion with Ina Dittke (BPR) & Jyrki Kangas (Pori Jazz Festival) in New York, it was decided to approach the Puente & Rodriguez families to represent the music of the Palladium era. Margaret Puente and Tito Rodriguez Junior were delighted to offer their original charts for use, along with the Machito scores.
Joe Madera began writing augmented charts to enable the bigger group to perform these pieces of Americana Music History and the ball was now in motion. Grillo, Rodriguez, Madera and Brian Theobald (BPR) spoke about the format & personnel to be used and the Orchestra began to take shape. Using members of the Tito Puente, Machito, and Tito Rodriguez bands,a formidable big band was formed under the leadership of Mario Grillo (Machito Jr.) and Tito Rodriguez Jr.
Dates followed in 2002 at The Belleayre Jazz Festival, up state New York; The Kimmel Centre, Philadelphia; Concord Jazz Festival, San Francisco and The Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, Ravinia Jazz Festival, Tanglewood, Pori Jazz Festival and many others with the orchestra receiving rapturous applause at each venue.
“The most brilliant large Latin jazz ensemble this side of Havana. Sensational, incendiary” – Chicago Tribune
The New York Times critic proclaimed The Big 3 Palladium Orchestra as “Americas first Latin Repertory Orchestra. “ – Praise indeed.
Born in Spanish Harlem in 1923, Tito began a professional career at the age of 13, playing with local Latin & Society bands before moving on to the, then big names. From ’42 to ’45 he was in the US Navy and was honourably discharged with a Presidential Commendation for Bravery in nine sea battles. By 1948 he had completed his formal music education at Julliard School of Music in Manhattan and formed his first band, The Piccadilly Boys. The band led to the Tito Puente Ensemble etc. and after many US hits he wrote & recorded Oye Como Va, which is still the number one Latin anthem and which Carlos Santana made internationally famous in the 70’s. Tito Puente collected many Doctorate Degrees and commendations and was depicted on a US Postal Stamp in ’96 as well as receiving a “Star” on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Up to his death in 2000 at age 77, Tito continued to record, (120 + Albums) with numerous Grammy awards & nominations and appear ‘live’ around the world.
The Machito Orchestra was founded in New York in 1939 by Frank Grillo (Machito) & Mario Bauza. Both of Cuban origin they began a partnership that would last until the 70’s, when Grillo’s son Mario replaced Bauza as musical director. Surviving fashion changes and fads, the band continues to work on all the continents of the world playing concerts, dances & clubs, retaining their Afro-Cuban roots whilst portraying present day Latin nuances. Machito received many Grammy nominations and in 1982 was proclaimed winner of ‘The Best Latin Recording’. Machito & The Afro Cubans performed with all the major Jazz & Latin star names, recording with many, and, to this day, are still touring Europe and South America as well as performing regularly in New York and the other US States.
Pablo ‘Tito’ Rodriguez was born on 4 January 1923 in Santurce, Puerto Rico. The internationally renowned vocalist, percussionist, bandleader, composer and record producer was equally talented as an up-tempo sonero and romantic singer. Tito began his musical career at the age of 16 in 1939. For a 10-year period he sang with the legendary orchestras of Cuarteto Caney, Enrique Madriguera, Xavier Cugat and Jose Curbelo. During his career, Tito recorded over 50 albums with RCA, Tico, United Artists Records, Musicor and his own label, TR Records. His orchestra alternated with Puente, Machito and other bands at the Palladium when the rhythms of Mambo, Cha-cha-cha and Merengue were at their peak. While with UA, he established himself as a ballad singer with the classic interpretation of Involvidable, which sold millions of copies. In the late ‘60s he hosted an immensely popular variety show in Puerto Rico. Tito’s last performance was sold out at Madison Square Garden. Tito Rodriguez died on 28 February 1973 of leukaemia. Time Magazine referred to him as ‘ the Frank Sinatra of Latin Music’.
Source: www.bprmusic.com • Article by: Ina Dittke
You want swing? We’ll give you swing, brother. The mega-mambo Palladium Orchestra is musically directed by José Madera. Madera, a Puente orchestra veteran, is joined here by the sons of Latin music big-band royalty: Tito Puente Jr., Machito Jr. (Mario Grillo), and Tito Rodriguez Jr. in what is not simply a marketing effort. These three men are all capable timbaleros, and this live recording from New York’s Blue Note, March 6, 2004 tore down the house.
Playing the tunes that the three originals were famous for are heavy hitters like Louis Bauzo, Oscar Hernan- dez, Héctor Colón, Eddie Montalvo, Jerry Madera, and Chis Washburne to name a few. Most of the thirteen tracks are high voltage mambo-jazz instrumental tracks like “Cuban Fantasy,” “Mambo Inn,” and “Palladium Days.” There are also tracks that require vocals like “El Cayuco,” “Mama Guela,” “Complicacion,” and “Chevere.” For these, the vocalists Luisita Ayala, Sammy Gonzalez, and Herman Olivera do a simply superb job.
There seems to be a resurgence, as of late, for the sounds generated by the bands of the ‘50s and ‘60s. The Big 3 Palladium Orchestra, with it’s screaming horn section, frenzied rhythm section, and its high-octane, bone-crunching arrange- ments is, by far, the most hard-core tribute record I have heard in a long time. A guaranteed dance-club oor burner.
Source: Descarga.com • Review by DJ Alert
The 2006 Tanglewood Jazz Festival opened, as usual, with an evening of Latin Jazz; a nice feature, which gives the Berkshire audience an opportunity to experience a type of music rarely presented hereabouts. It was a generous helping served up Friday night in Ozawa Hall, starting with The Spanish Harlem Orchestra (13 members), led by pianist and arranger Oscar Hernandez, and closing with the Big 3 Palladium Orchestra (20 members), led in turns by Machito, Jr, Tito Rodriguez, Jr, and Joe Madera, Jr.
Over the course of nearly four hours, a thoroughly sat- isfying musical sampler was delivered, broken up, unfortunately, by too much talking by the M.C. and the various band leaders, each of whom (except the relatively succinct Oscar Hernandez) failed to appreciate the audience’s capacity to learn what they will about the history and development of the music and of the Big 3.
Both of these bands is comprised of stellar players and there was no shortage of star turns throughout the proceed- ings. Except for a couple of numbers, the S.H.O. was fronted by a trio of vocalists who doubled as dancers/cheerleaders/jesters, depending on the nature of the tune, much to the delight of the audience.
Hernandez, a gifted composer (and also Reuben Blade’s musical director) directed his Grammy-winning band with a light touch and made sure all his players got into the game; all the solos were right on and were well-received, by audience and band member alike.
The Big 3 Palladium Orchestra was founded for the purpose of perpetuating the legends of Machito, Tito Rodriguez, and Tito Puente and their musical battles in New Yorks’ Pal- ladium Ballroom dating back to the 1950s. Tonight’s concert was touted as a “battle of the Latin big bands,” but it didn’t feel like a competition and we noticed no wagering among the audience.
The members of the B3PO are every bit as good as
the SHO, but they’re kept on a tighter rein and dressed in suits and ties, as was the norm in the 1950s. Despite the duds, the conga/bongo duo of Eddie Montalvo and Louis Bauzo were loose
and limber all night and there were ery solos from every section of the band. The brass section included the diminutive Carmen Laboy, who coaxed some nasty growls from a baritone saxophone that’s almost as tall as she is.
Saturday afternoon saw the return for the fth con- secutive year of Marian McPartland, with guest Elvis Costello, for a “live taping” of her NPR show “Piano Jazz.” The longest-run- ning and one of the most popular shows on public radio, it’s no wonder this segment is always a big draw for the festival. But, one wonders how many people come a second time, because its novelty value far out-weighs its entertainment value. Kind of
like watching sausage get made; the radio program is always an entertaining and edifying hour, but the “live taping” is usually an uncomfortably chopped-up two hours.
Nonetheless, Ms. McPartland, always warm and witty, is a global treasure, and a true pioneer deserving of all the accolades accorded her. And the loquacious Costello, with a demonstrated af nity for lovely ladies of jazz, was the perfect guest, providing plenty of charming badinage to smooth out the proceedings. And if the appearance of his wife had been known in advance, the audience could’ve been doubled.
Source: NewBerkshire.com • Review by Dave Conlin Read
Following in the legacy of their superstar parents (Tito Rodríguez,Machito and Tito Puente), Tito Rodriguez, Jr., Mario Grillo, Jr. and Tito Puente, Jr. came together in 2001 to perform the music of the ‘50s Palladium era mambo. The brainchild of Mario Grillo, Jr., this rebirth Read More
Considering the temperature was low and the pavilion audience sparse, Saturday night’s installment of Ravinia’s Jazz in June series did not have a lot going for it.
Except for some of the most accomplished Latin jazz artists on the planet. Read More
On January 12, a crowd packed midtown Manhattan’s Club Babalú to witness a special showcase featuring The Big Three Palladium Orchestra, an orchestra comprised of alumni from the big bands of the three giants of Latin music: Frank “Machito” Grillo, Tito Puente, and Tito Rodríguez. Read More
Musical eras flashed by and intermingled like happily jumbled memories at the Verizon Jazz Festival’s finale, a free concert Saturday afternoon on the Columbia University campus. The 1930’s, 50’s, 60’s and 90’s were all up for grabs as five first-rate groups appeared during the six-hour concert. Read More
Tito Rodriguez Jr.’s show on Monday night was made for dancers, and they obliged by packing the floor. Mr. Rodriguez plays timbales, and much of the power of his Latin band comes directly from the percussion section. Read More
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