Born in 1923 in Spanish Harlem, Tito Puente spent his youth singing on street corners and performing as a percussionist at the Park Palace where he broke the mold by playing stand up. In 1948, he formed the Picadilly Boys, later renamed the Tito Puente Orchestra, and helped popularize the Mambo during the early ‘50s. Marrying Latin rhythms and jazz, Puente quickly earned crossover appeal. In 1978, he won his first of four Grammy Awards and, one year later he was invited to perform at the White House, the first Latin orchestra leader to be so honored. Still going strong, Puente surpassed the 100th album milestone with the release of “Tito Puente’s Golden Latin Jazz All Stars ‘In Session’” in 1994…