Tito Puente Jr.'s Toy Drive for Miami Children's Hospital at the Van Dyke This Saturday

It is not unusual for the children of musicians to follow in their parents' footsteps. But it's also not unusual for them to try to forge their own artistic path, oftentimes shying away from the legacy left for them.

Not the case with Tito Puente Jr., who shares the same musical dexterity that his late father brought to Latin jazz and mambo for over fifty years. But Jr. doesn't fully emulates his pops; his chops are righteous in their own right, even if his reverence for Sr.'s canon is more than evident in his live sets.

Now in his late 30s, Tito Jr. has received acclaim for the album In My Father's Shoes as well as for his newer effort, Got Mambo? While he might be seen as a bridge between his father's era and the contemporary architects of jazz-tinged Latin and mambo sounds, the younger Puente's appeal seems much broader as his performances draw fans from the old school as well as the newly converted.

This Saturday's gig at the Van Dyke, though small and intimate, will showcase the passionate and energetic aspects of his work while also supporting a great cause. In partnership with KCC Productions, the Miami Beach Arts Trust and miamiartzine.com, the $20 admission price (plus a new, unwrapped toy or gift card) will benefit the Miami Children's Hospital Foundation. It's impossible to think of a better or more deserving cause. After all, the children are our future. Just look at Tito Jr.!

Tito Puente Jr. at 9 and 11 p.m. on Saturday, December 18th at the Van Dyke Café, 846 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach. Tickets cost $20 plus a new, unwrapped toy or gift card. For reservations call 305-332-2623 or visit www.thevandykecafe.com.

Download "Jr.'s Mambo"

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