Johnny Albino, Trío San Juan

Guitarist/singer Johnny Albino was born Juan Antonio Albino on December 19, 1917, in Guayama, Puerto Rico. It was during a stint with the U.S. Army in World War II that Albino began to pursue music, forming a quartet and singing U.S.O.-sponsored events for fellow servicemen. By the late '40s, Albino had relocated to New York City, where he performed regularly as part of the San Juan Trio (which also included members Jaime Gozilez, first guitar, and José Ramón Ortiz, second voice). The group's up-tempo Latin stylings proved to be a hit with audiences worldwide, as they soon b...