Best of 1

Tito Puente | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 21, 1992)
• Original Release Date: August 25, 1992
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony U.S. Latin
• ASIN: B000005LHM
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #29,371 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #4 in Music > World Music > Caribbean & Cuba > Cuba > Big Band
  • #11 in Music > World Music > Caribbean & Cuba > Cuba > Mambo
  • #92 in Music > Latin Music > Tropical > Salsa

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

This remastered retrospective gathers together choice recordings from Tito Puente's greatest decade: the 1950s. Puente brought big-band jazz to traditional Afro-Cuban music and fostered an American craze for Cuban music, which originated in Puente's native New York City. The Best Of includes such great mambos as "Swingin' the Mambo" and "Mambo Gozon," featuring the smooth, sweet voice of Santitos Colon, and the outstanding cha chas "Que Sera Mi China" and "Separala Tambien." Other highlights include "A Gozar Timbero," showcasing Puente's enormous talent on timbales, and "Cuban Nightmare," with its blazing horns and furious percussion. The final instrumental, "Picadillo," shows off Gilberto López's nimble piano fingers while firing through a mambo jazz jam. Though The Best Of features recordings from as far back as 1950, the sound quality is outstanding. What's more, the band is red-hot, and best of all, Tito's at the height of his percussive powers. An exhilarating musical testament. --Karen Karleski

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Now THIS is Music!!!, March 2, 2001

By 

Senta Colombo (Gilroy, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Best of 1 (Audio CD)

I was inspired to buy this CD after listening to "Talk of the Nation" on NPR doing a special on Tito Puente. I'm just a 29 year old white girl, and I had never heard this kind of music!!! And all I've got to say is, I don't know what that stuff was that I used to listen to, poetic ramblings and such, but THIS IS MUSIC. You can NOT sit still listening to it. You just have to get up and dance. I'm not a Tito Puente expert, and I don't know which album is supposed to be the best, but I happened to choose this one, and it's GOOD. I'm going to buy another Tito Puente album today! --Senta

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ABSOLUTLY INCREDIBLE!!!!!, January 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Best of 1 (Audio CD)

This is my favorite of all of his albums. When I first bought this albim, I was blown away. Every single player on this album adds so much. Tito's orchestra is so tight, and all the solos are great. Song number 3,4,6,7,8 are especially good. Song number 6 apeals to me the most, because of the fat barrie line in the middle of the song, also the sax solo, trumpet solo, and of course Tito's solo. I could listen to to this whole album so many times and NEVER get tired of it. Anyone who is a latin-jazz lover should defintally pick this album up.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fun&classic music, February 12, 2000

By 

A customer "mistermaxxx" (usa) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Best of 1 (Audio CD)

you can never get tired of Tito Puente's music.it is pure energy&genius.the percussion&horns are no joke.this disc is a party disc.TiTo Puente deserves more props for his contributions to music.