Customer Reviews

Rey Del Timbal: Best of

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have a number of Tito Puente, Mongo Santa Maria, Machito, and other great Afro-Cuban musicians albums. I thought this complilation would add some titles I haven't been able to locate. What a disappointment. Ran Kan Kan, which I remember hearing as a child, is not the original recording. Instead a second-rate cut. This continues throughout the disc. The best part was the liner notes, which praised Tito's fantastic album, Tito in Purcussion, yet a cut was not included. Stay away from this one.

This record grooves as is typical of Afro-Cuban/Latin styles of music. This is nothing like the popularized from of Latin music that we hear of nowadays. This album features all that was good about the late Tito Puente, with everything from great jazz ballads such as "Night Beat" to the smashing sounds of his classic Mombo styles, such as "Ran-Kan-Kan," my favorite, "Machito Forever," and Puente's anthem, "El Ray del Timbal." Overall I liked this album because it displays all of the Mambo King's talents in a wide variety of settings. This album, I think, is one of the best ways to discover REAL latin music.

Tito Puente is a titan. The brilliance and sophistication of his arrangements harnessed to the talent of the musicians is exuberant and flawless. Liner notes are thorough and insightful.

I had been listening to Tito Puente for some time on radio, but this is my first CD of his that I have purchased. It is a great mood-lifter for these long, long Wisconsin winters. It puts you somewhere else for a while and is great break without having to go to the airport. Without being an authority on the genre, I say "thumbs up"!