Live At The Playboy Jazz Festival (2002)

"Salsa and Latin jazz suffered a tremendous loss when, on May 31, 2000, Tito Puente died at the age of 77. Thankfully, the influential percussionist/bandleader left behind a huge catalog; one certainly cannot complain that El Rey wasn't well documented during his long career. This album was recorded at the Playboy Jazz Festival 1994, however, the recording remained in the can for eight years and didn't come out on CD until 2002. Puente was a master of both vocal-oriented salsa and instrumental Latin jazz. Puente's set is 100 percent Latin jazz, and the timbalero oversees a rock-solid band that includes saxman Mario Rivera, trumpeter Charlie Sepulveda, flutist Dave Valentin, bassist Andy Gonzales, pianist Hilton Ruiz, drummer Ignacio Berroa, and conga player Giovanni Hidalgo. Nothing groundbreaking occurs, but the all-star lineup is inspired and hard-swinging on Freddie Hubbard's "Little Sunflower" and Duke Jordan's "Flight to Jordan," as well as Mongo Santamaria's "Afro Blue" (Allmusic)