COVER -> POWERSSOUND
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Puente appeared a few years ago at the Columbus Jazz Festival, a weekend event staged at various outdoor venues around the river that flows through the downtown of Ohio's capital city. With stellar support from a polished group of backup players, Puente put on a sizzling demonstration of his prowess on the timbales and the vibraphone.
That warm and sticky July night seemed to have put the large audience into a heat-induced stupor. Not much seemed to move the audience until Puente led his musicians into a solid version of his own composition, "Oye Como Va." That's the song made famous by Carlos Santana a couple of decades ago.
Pretending (or perhaps he was serious) to be upset by the audience reacting to a tune they knew only as the hit record by another artist, Puente fussed and fumed for a minute before resuming the concert, which was one of the good moments I'd experienced during many instances of listening to live music (there's no substitute for the real thing).
Puente is gone, but thanks to the music he made over his long and productive career, fans can continue to be soothed or excited by his work for years to come.
The timbales king spent 13 years working for the Concord label, which has released a two-CD package called, "Tito Puente: The Best of the Concord Years." In the 24 cuts, you'll find outstanding examples of the Puente bands, from Latin favorites to Jazz arraignments that give a new twist to familiar melodies.
Side One opens with an eight-minute version of the George Benson favorite, "On Broadway." If anything, this one tops the original hit. The Latin tune, "Ran Kan Kan" is impossible to hear without patting your feet. The Ellington-era favorite, "Lush Life," gets a soothing sound with an undercurrent of repressed excitement. Dave Brubeck's monster hit from the 50s, "Take Five," adapts very well to a Latin beat. The first CD comes to a rousing climax with a sturdy version of "Oye Como Va," which clocks in at nearly six minutes.
Jazz gets added emphasis on the second CD, which opens with "Machito Forever," a tribute to the veteran Latin singer, maracas player and bandleader. Machito is generally credited with creating the idea of meshing jazz with Latin rhythms. Puente took that idea and expanded it, but this tribute song shows that Puente was willing to give credit to those who went before him.
Side Two contains a beautiful version of the jazz standard, "Green Dolphin Street." Also impressive is Puente's nod to Chick Corea, whose beautiful melody called "Spain" is perhaps the most recorded jazz compositions in recent years.
People who acquire this tribute may long for more Puente. You're in luck, because Concord continues to have 15 Puente albums still available. If you are unfamiliar with the work of Tito Puente, buy "Tito Puente: The Best of the Concord Years." You won't regret it.
Chico O'Farrill Cooks
While I'm on this Latin music kick, let me recommend the latest album from composer Chico O'Farrill. The new title is "Carambola" (Milestone Records).O'Farrill's story is worth reciting. He's been in the music business since 1945. Yes, that's 55 years. The now 79-year-old icon will be the subject of a new film biography dealing with Latin jazz. He deserves the recognition.
The new album is no rehash of old songs with new arraignments. "O'Farrill went into hiding for a couple of weeks," filmmaker Jorge Ulla told the Los Angeles Times. O'Farrill phoned Ulla and invited him over. "He had the floor covered with music sheets. . . He kept writing more and more material--wonderful material--and realized we had a new album."
The result is "Carambola." The dozen tracks reflect what O'Farrill has been doing for 55 years: creating sweeping, jazz-oriented compositions which pay a nod to the symphonic world, yet never lose contact with Latin rhythms or jazz inflections. To think that a man of 79 still has this much energy and ability tends to cause one to catch a breath.
This is a big band, 20 strong, with O'Farrill at the piano. Written with authority and verve, the dozen compositions show a talent that runs deep and shows no signs of being ready to head for the barn.
It's purely wonderful.
Jam Miami
Concord Records continues to stay busy, releasing one after another albums containing spectacular exams of today's jazz. For sheer excitement and entertainment, you will have trouble topping "Jam Miami: A Celebration of Latin Jazz."Recorded in Miami (where else!) and slated to be broadcast on PBS (check your listings), "Jam Miami" will awaken even the comatose with its spectacular performances by some of the biggest names in the field. Chick Corea and most of his Origin group are on board, along with Arturo Sandoval (trumpet and flugelhorn to the max), Poncho Sanchez (a new album coming out) and many others. Guests include Dave Valentin, who's a whiz on the flute, and fantastic trumpet master Ray Vega (put cotton in your ears; this cat plays LOUD!)
The ten tunes range from the overdone to the clever. In the overdone category is "A Night in Tunisia," which still receives a superb rendering, and the surprise is that "Theme from I Love Lucy" turns out to be such a Latin charmer.
Season's Greetings
Since this is the last full-featured issue of G21 prior to the holidays, I want to offer you the warmest greetings. To my regular readers, I bow in humility. To newcomers to the crowd, thanks for coming by and I hope you'll stop back.To all: Have a Wonderful Holiday!
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