El Rey (Tito Puente album) explained
| El Rey |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Tito Puente |
| Border: | yes |
| Genre: | Latin jazz |
| Prev Title: | Cha Cha With Tito Puente at Grossinger's |
| Prev Year: | 1960 |
| Next Title: | Percussion's King |
| Next Year: | 1997 |
El Rey is a 1984 Latin jazz album on the Concord Picante label by musician, band and orchestra leader, Tito Puente. Puente's move towards jazz came at the same time as Eddie Palmieri's albums. It includes performances by Tito Puente not only on timbales, but on vibraharp playing a medley of "Stella by Starlight" and "(Tu, Mi) Delirio", as well as "Autumn Leaves" and "Rainfall".[1] [2] There are also excellent, inventive, driving performances of two works by John Coltrane: "Giant Steps" and "Equinox", as well as Puente's own hit songs "Oye Como Va" and "Linda Chicana".
Personnel
The 9-piece band includes: Tito Puente on timbales, vibes, and vocals; Johnny "Dandy" Rodriguez on bongos, congas, and vocals; Jose Madera on congas and timbales; Francisco Aguabella on congas; Ray Gonzales on trumpet and flugelhorn; Mario Rivera on flute, soprano, and tenor saxophone; Jimmy Frisaura on valve trombone; Jorge Dalto on acoustical and electric piano, and Bobby Rodriguez on bass.
All arrangements are by Tito Puente, with the exception of "Giant Steps," which was arranged by Jorge Dalto. Puente produced the album.
Track listing
- Oye Como Va - a new version of the 1963 hit[3] [4]
- Autumn Leaves
- Ran Kan Kan
- Rainfall
- Giant Steps
- Linda Chicana
- Stella By Starlight / Delirio
- Equinox
- El Rey del Timbal
Notes and References
- Steven Joseph Loza Tito Puente and the Making of Latin Music 1999 - Page 64 "... period became a fermenting period even for Tito? Maybe because of Tito versus Palmieri, because look at that album El rey. Look what happened all of a sudden with that Latin Jazz Ensemble. That stuff became extremely high-quality stuff."
- Marvin Martin Extraordinary People in Jazz - 2004 - Page 147 "A subsequent album, El Rey, offered works by John Coltrane, and another, Salsa Meets Jazz, the alto saxophone of Phil Woods. In 1987 he received Down Beat's Best-Percussionist Award. Puente ranks among the most prolific record makers."
- Michael B. Bakan World music: traditions and transformations - 2007 Page 231 "By the time he released his most popular song, "Oye Como Va," on the 1963 album El Rey Bravo, he had almost 40 albums as a bandleader to his credit, including big sellers like Dance Mania (1958)."
- Steve Sullivan Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings - Volume 2 2013 - Page 477 "Puente revisited Oye Como Va on the 1984 album El Rey, and a 1992 live version appears on the three-disc Puente career retrospective, 50 Years of Swing."
