El Rey Bravo

by John BushThey'd been calling him "El Rey" for years, but Tito Puente really proved it on this, one of his best original LPs on Tico. Yes, this is the one with "Oye Como Va," one of the brightest, most exuberant Latin performances of the century, but El Rey Bravo has plenty of other features for Puente's tight pachanga orchestra. "Tokyo de Noche" has great ensemble playing, as well as nice features for flute and violin, while "Tombola" (recorded the same year by the Puerto Rican All Stars) is a nice ballroom tune.