Old and Improved

A question for fans of Latin music: Why has veteran timbalero Tito Puente released two live albums in a row?

Cynics might argue that at 76, Puente is trying to capitalize on his past. After all, there can’t be that much left to say after recording more than 110 albums, right?

Wrong.

A tireless experimentalist, Puente is recording new material with legendary keyboardist Eddie Palmieri, for which he composed new material.

But the live albums, as Puente said recently over dinner, give him an opportunity to revisit and even improve classic tunes such as “El Cayuco” and ‘Mambo Gozon.”

“Back then, it was a norm in the record industry that the songs couldn’t last more than three minutes each,” Puente said, referring to the ‘50s and ‘60s. “This didn’t allow for the orchestra and the singers to expand their talent by improvising. Now, 40 years later, I had the opportunity to change the arrangements and lengthen the performances.”

The results are simply exhilarating. The first of the two collections, “Dancemania ‘99,” was nominated for a Grammy last year. The second and most recent one, “Mambo Birdland,” was also nominated for a Grammy. Puente is likely to present material from both releases Friday night, when he performs at the Sun Theatre in Anaheim.

The musician was quick to admit that recording a concert performance presents its share of challenges.

“Making a live recording is much more difficult than doing a studio one,” he said. “There’s no room for mistakes.” And then, with the characteristic humor he displays on stage: “Before we started playing, I told the guys in the band that nobody could bring any beers. And it was me who ended up drinking one.”

Puente is especially enthusiastic about his current band, an explosive combo that stresses the seductive interplay between fiery percussion and a majestic brass section.

“What I really like about my band right now is that we sound as if there were more players in it than there really are, something that’s achieved through the arrangements of the material,” he said.

The percussionist’s current sound is a return of sorts to the ‘50s, a glorious decade for Latin music. At the time, Puente shared the stage of the Palladium club in New York with luminaries like Machito and Tito Rodriguez.

“There was a lot of good music in those days,” he said. “The orchestras paid a lot of attention to the compositions and the arrangements, much more so than now. These days, everybody has a band, but they all sound the same. It’s become a routine.”

Part of Puente’s lasting appeal might be the fact that he never became predictable. He always alternated between salsa and Latin jazz, recording with a remarkable number of notable vocalists from Celia Cruz and La Lupe to current diva India. Besides popularizing the timbales as an integral instrument in Latin music, Puente quickly became an international artist, performing his music all over the world.

“Getting to the top is easy. The tough part is staying there,” he said. “I’ve been very fortunate, because my career has been almost like an open road. But I don’t play for Latinos only. When journalists ask me: ‘Mr. Puente, what do you think about the crossover phenomenon?’, I tell them: ‘Crossover? I’m on my way back!’ I’ve been playing this music for non-Latin audiences all my life.”

BE THERE

Tito Puente will perform Friday at the Sun Theatre, 2200 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim. 8 p.m. With Poncho Sanchez. $38.50 (714) 712-2700.

A Selected Discography

For the neophyte, sifting through the King’s 100-plus releases in search of the most noteworthy ones is no easy task. Although no Tito Puente album can be called with certainty the very best, the following five discs come pretty close. All of them should be included in any comprehensive collection of Latin music.

* Dancemania Vol. 1 (1957). The best starting point for a beginner, simply because it includes an enormous amount of hits: “El Cayuco,” “Hong Kong Mambo,” “Saca Tu Mujer” all sound as fresh today as when they were first released. Puente’s exquisite control of the tempo gives the songs a restraint that results in an elegant, sophisticated sound.

* Tambo (1960). Jazz fanatics argue that this is the best Puente record ever . . . and at times, it’s hard to disagree. Pushing the envelope of what commercial Latin music is supposed to sound like, the timbalero experiments with timbre and texture, creating sumptuous soundscapes that resonate with an almost religious vibration.

* Puente in Percussion (1955). A historical experiment, recorded over the course of one long evening. Puente gathered fellow percussionists Mongo Santamaria , Willie Bobo and Patato, and reportedly shared a bottle of rum with them before beginning to play. The result was a thrilling, feverish, completely unrehearsed percussion jam.

* The Mambo King 100th LP (1991). A buoyant celebration of Puente’s record breaking productivity, this expertly orchestrated salsa record brims with energy. The contributions by Celia Cruz, Tony Vega and longtime collaborator Santitos Colon are not to be missed. A moving tribute from beginning to end.

* 50 Years of Swing (1997). Lovingly put together, this three-CD box set is an ideal introduction to the timbalero’s artistry. Puente the rumba priest, the mambo king, the experimental jazzman, the joyous salsero--his many facets are all judiciously represented.