Search - Tito Puente :: King of Kings: The Very Best of

A great first Tito Puente album

Karl Becker | Iowa, USA | 04/10/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Get a great introduction to the early work of Tito Puente, El Rey, the King. Tito Puente, salsa extraordinaire and father of afro-jazz, was an incredible talent who will be long remembered. This CD is the perfect collection to get started with Puente's vast library.Smooth latin grooves are guaranteed on every track. Scary tribal rhythms shine through on Dance of the Headhunters. As one of my friends said, if you don't bob your head to Ti Mon Bo, you probably don't have a pulse. Night Ritual, Hong Kong Mambo, and El Cayuco would rank as some of my favorites if I had to choose, but thankfully I don't.Informative liner notes give a good history lesson about Tito's roots, how he begun, and how he lasted and played amazing music even into his older years. Puente will certainly be remembered for one of the longest lasting, highest quality musicians the world has ever seen.A great stepping stone for other Puente albums, this will give a brief introduction to many of the styles Puente cultivated over the years. I suggest Mambo Birdland: Dancemania, a live album from the late 1990s, as a wonderful chance to hear Puente and his full orchestra in rare form, playing a live show in the Palladium, decades after his playing originally sparkled there.A high quality album all around, a great beginning to more Puente albums. Highly recommended to any newcomers to salsa who have interest. As the liner notes proclaim, El Rey esta meurte: long live the King!"

Great compilation

COMPUTERJAZZMAN | Cliffside Park, New Jersey United States | 11/07/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"this CD is a compilation of Tito Puente's music, mostly recorded in the 50's and early 60's. Every selection is a winner, and if you are just getting started listening to Tito Puente's music, this is a good jumping off point. However, please note: this is not a CD of strictly "mambo" or "salsa" music, there are other selections here that do not fit that category, although all of the tunes are Latin in flavor."