15. Tito Puente and his Orchestra – Dance Mania Vol. 1.

Ah, the first flicker of the contemporary…

Although Tito Puente died in 2000, from my point of view the first time I discovered his stuff was when he turned up in the “Who shot Mr Burns?” cliffhanger in “The Simpsons”, so that’s where he is in my uneducated head. Clearly his yellow alter-ego doesn’t really do justice for a grand career stretching out across six decades, and this is an album that’s going to prove it.

It’s fiery, it’s pure fifties mambo, and it doesn’t take much to hear the professionalism and precision that Tito’s orchestra bring to the percussion and horn that dominate this album. It’s over a little too quickly, and with the prospect of 986 albums to go it didn’t stay in my mind for long, but it’s a fiery listen that will sound good as it’s passing through your ears.