by John Bush
They'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.