Tito Peak

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741), nicknamed il Prete Rosso ("The Red Priest") because of his red hair, was an Italian Baroque composer, Catholic priest, and virtuoso violinist, born in Venice. Recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers, his influence during his lifetime was widespread over Europe. Vivaldi is known mainly for composing instrumental concertos, especially for the violin, as well as sacred choral works and over forty operas. His best known work is a series of violin concertos known as The Four Seasons..

Tito Puente was never one for half measures, and even in death there's no modesty involved, as the label calls him King of Kings. It might be an exaggeration, but only a slight one, and it gets the attention. Still, as the saying goes, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and there's a hearty meal here, albeit one missing one or two choice dishes, like Puente's original version of "Oye Como Va," a song that indirectly brought him a whole new audience. However, "Honk Kong Mambo" is here, "Dance Mania," and "Dance of the Headhunters," so it's hard to find too much fault with the disc's 21-track selection. While the man wasn't shy about having his timbales, or himself, front and center, he truly was a driving force in his music - and, as this CD shows, he knew how to write more than his share of good tunes, too…

Tito Puente - Night Beat / Mucho Puente, Plus (1957) {RCA-Bear Family BCD 15686 rel 1993}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 445 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 175 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 23 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1957, 1964, 1993 RCA Victor / Bear Family Records | BCD 15686
Jazz / International Jazz / Latin Jazz/ Cuban Traditions / Mambo / Afro-Cuban Jazz

In 1993, Bear Family released Night Beat/Mucho Puente, Plus, which contained two complete albums – Night Beat (1957) and Mucho Puente (1964), both originally released on RCA – by Latin jazz giant Tito Puente on one compact disc.

Tito Gobbi – arias from operas “Il Barbiere di Siviglia”; “Lucia di Lammermoor”; “Rigoletto”: “La Traviata”;
“Simone Boccanegra”; “Un ballo in maschera”; “Don Carlos”; “Pagliacci”; “Tosca”; “Otello” and “Falstaff”
Classical (mono/stereo)| 1 CD | EAC Rip | 291 MB | FLAC+LOG+Cue | Full scans | RS links
Publisher: EMI Classics

Tito Gobbi's renditions remain standards for many operas, from bubbling hilarious Figaro to devilish Iago. A great singing actor Gobbi made each role distinctly his own, his relatively light but incredibly vibrant and colorful baritone capable of sounding ardent or paternal. His Scarpia is quite possibly the best on record, he literally lives this demanding role and brings fateful sinister presence to the charater as no one else.
Gobbi's musical intelligence, breath control and evenly projected sound without a trace of wobble serve as example and inspiration for generations of baritones to come. - from Amazon.com

Tito Puente - Quatro: The Definitive Collection (2012) {5CD Box Set, Sony Music Latin 88725469882 rec 1956-1960}
XLD rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 1.02 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 401 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 502 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1956-60, 2012 Sony Music Latin | 8872 546988 2
Jazz / Latin / Cuban Traditions / Mambo / Afro-Cuban Jazz

Quatro: The Definitive Collection assembles four truly classic Tito Puente albums recorded between 1955 and 1960 for RCA, and adds a disc of outtakes, alternate takes, and rarities in a lavishly designed limited-edition box set. The box is 6" x 6" with each album housed individually in a thick cardboard sleeve with back and front facsimile cover art. These four albums were cut in chronological order: Cuban Carnival (1956), Night Beat (1957), Dance Mania (1958), and Revolving Bandstand (1960), the last recorded in collaboration with the Buddy Morrow Orchestra.

Tito Puente - Top Percussion / Dance Mania (1957) {RCA-Bear Family BCD 15687 rel 1993}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 496 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 182 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 15 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1957, 1993 RCA Victor / Bear Family Records | BCD 15687
Jazz / International Jazz / Latin Jazz/ Cuban Traditions / Mambo / Afro-Cuban Jazz

The mambo has become fashionable again lately, but for Tito Puente it has never gone out of fashion. In 1957 he cut two stellar albums for RCA, but just how good they were didn't become obvious until the advent of the CD. The full, rich sound on these LPs is nothing short of astonishing. This is mambo at its most ecstatic: blasting brass, sensual saxes, and that irresistible Afro-Cuban rhythm section led by Tito, Ray Baretto and Mongo Santamaria. This set contains 23 titles, including 3-D Mambo, Mambo Gozon, Conga Alegre, Hot Timbales…. etc.. Ay! Ay! Ay!

During the early nineteenth century the new 1804 Viennese version of La Clemenza di Tito, was Mozart's most popular opera in Europe. However, in keeping with the practice during that period, it was performed in versions adapted to the times and the taste of the opera public and this is precisely the starting point for our recording's conductor Alessandro De Marchi. He would like to present Tito in the form in which it was staged and acclaimed in great houses from the Vienna Court Opera to the Milan Scala and from Dresden and Hamburg to Paris during the early years of the nineteenth century. Our recording is based on the acclaimed production at the Innsbruck Festival Weeks 2013 with the Academia Montis Regalis performing on historical instruments.

Although reeds, brass, and even guitars are tossed in here and there to help create what the liner notes describe as "an exotic picture of tropical wildlife," the main focus is on percussion and some of the best tracks are the ones where the other orchestra members probably stepped out for a cup of Joe. One hesitates at the thought of pumping further caffeine into the timbale-pummelling Puente or his cohorts on congas, guiros, bongos, and assorted other percussion. Listeners who think a computer is necessary to play as fast as the beats would get in 90's jungle music had better check this man's hands out. Highlight track is, hands down, the unforgettable "Witchdoctor's Nightmare," a great way to start off the sounds at any party.

Tito Puente has long championed Latin-jazz, a combination of Latin percussion and rhythms with bebop-oriented jazz. This release from the Concord Picante label serves as a perfect introduction to his music. For this date Puente (who performs on timbales and marimba) uses six horns, piano, bass, synthesizer and three other percussionists to play everything from "Donna Lee" and "Stompin' at the Savoy" to his own exotic originals.

In 1718 Vivaldi entered the employment of Prince Philip of Hesse-Darmstadt who had been appointed governor of Mantua, then part of the Austrian Empire. His responsibilities seem to have been varied but probably the most important of them was to provide operas for his employer’s court. One of these was Tito Manlio, which was produced for the Mantuan Carnival season in 1719; and, if we are to believe a note by Vivaldi himself at the head of the score, written in the space of five days.