CD of the Day - "Tito Puente: Live at Monterey"

CD of the Day
Tito Puente: "Live at The 1977 Monterey Jazz Festival" (MJF/Concord) 2008

Tito Puente (who passed away in 2000 at the age of 77) was a percussionist, bandleader, and composer whose music and style bridged modern jazz and mambo, Afro-Cuban and 1970's rock, and got lots of generations dancing in the process. Puente also influenced the rock band Santana, as well many others both in and beyond the Latin sound.
This CD is a previously unreleased concert recording of Puente's big band tearing it up in front of a wildly appreciative audience on September 18, 1977. Throughout, Puente lights a fire under both the band and the crowd with his crackling timbales and vibraphone. In addition, vibes legend Cal Tjader joins in for the last song, Tito's own "Picadillo".
But the highlights are César Portillo de la Luz's bolero "Tu Mi Delirio", a cha-cha-cha/fusion arrangement written by Brazilian trumpet player Paulo de Paula for Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing" and Puente's originals "Para Los Rumberos" and "Oye Como Va", both covered by Santana, the latter being Tito's most famous composition thanks to Carlos' rendition on the "Abraxas" album.
There's also Puente's signature tune, "El Rey del Timbal," and a latin-jazz epic adaption of Richard Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra," retitled "Tito's Odyssey", in a reference to the use of Strauss' symphonic poem in the soundtrack of Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" movie.
Featuring crooner Frank Figueroa, the underrated Panama reedman Mauricio Smith (great baritone sax & flute solos), Albert Shikaly (tenor sax), Martin Oberlander (alto sax), Jimmy Frisura (trumpet & valve trombone), our Paulo de Paula (lead trumpet & arranger), Richard Pullin (trombone), Paquito Pastor (piano), Nilo Sierra (bass), Mike Collazo (drums), Jose Madera (congas), Louis Bauzo (bongos), and Manuel Santos & Julio Rodriguez (trumpets). Includes extensive liner notes by Jesse "Chuy" Varella, music director at KCSM FM-91, the top San Francisco Bay Area's jazz radio station.
Monterey's founder, Jimmy Lyons, produced the original concert, which was produced for CD release by Jason Olaine & Nick Phillips. At the time of that performance, Puente was signed to Tico Records, but he later would sign with the Concord label, thanks to the impact of that 1977 concert, his debut at the Monterey Jazz Festival.
So far, the best item released on this "Live at Monterey" series.