Mambo King, King of Latin Music, King of the Timbales, Sultan of Salsa…when you've got this many nicknames, you must have something going on, and the late Tito Puente certainly did. An unbelievable timbales player who was also adept at other instruments (he plays some vibes during this 1983 concert); a respected bandleader; a prolific composer (most famously of “Oye Como Va,” the Santana hit that made Tito a fortune in royalties); an entertaining performer--the New York-born Puerto Rican musician had it all, including a total mastery of the Latin jazz performed here. Joined by a band that includes piano (the superb Michel Camilo), guitar, bass, flute, trombone, and two additional percussionists, Puente makes his way through some jazz (“Stella by Starlight”), a little pop (“On Broadway,” somewhat modeled after the George Benson arrangement), and plenty of hot Latin music, including a smokin' “Tito's Especiale” (with an amusing scat singing exchange between Puente and flutist/saxophonist Mario Rivera), as well as, of course, the aforementioned crowd favorite “Oye Como Va.” The Dolby Digital stereo is solid, the video direction decent if unimaginative, and the Latin beat is sensuous and irresistible…simply put, this is splendido (if that's a word). Highly recommended. (S. Graham)
Tito Puente: Live in Montreal
(1983) 59 min. DVD: $19.99. Image Entertainment (avail. from most distributors). Color cover. Volume 18, Issue 4
Tito Puente: Live in Montreal
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