Tito Puente, Jr. Gives Concert With New Brunswick School Students

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — It's time to mambo! On Oct. 27, Tito Puente, Jr. will be giving a free concert at New Brunswick High School, performing alongside students from the New Brunswick public school jazz band. It's part of the Hub City Jazz Fest, a four-day celebration of jazz music taking place Oct. 25-28 in downtown New Brunswick.

"The Hub City Jazz Festival is four great days of live music, but it's all in downtown New Brunswick," said Monica Weeks, the executive director of the Hub City Jazz Festival. "It was my belief that we should have programming that reflects the cultural diversity of New Brunswick. And the New Brunswick student jazz band is so great and few people know how good they are. So I asked Lee Neamand, who runs the music programming at New Brunswick public schools, if there was a performer we could try to get to come and play with the kids. Right away she said 'Tito Puente, Jr.' He was on her short list."

Weeks is friends with another musician, Jason "Malletman" Taylor, who knows Puente, Jr. and from there, the connection was made. (For a full schedule of all the jazz music events that weekend, go here: New Brunswick's Hub City Jazz Festival Is Oct. 25-28)

Puente, Jr. is the son of iconic Latin jazz drummer Tito Puente. He will be performing two songs on Saturday, Oct. 27 at 2 p.m. with the New Brunswick school jazz band. Prior to the concert, Puente and a few of his band members will do a workshop and rehearsal with the students, but that is not open to the public. The concert will be given at the auditorium at New Brunswick High School.

"We're actually expecting one thousand people there," Weeks said. "Just because he's such a big name and it's a free concert. The high school auditorium can seat 1,100."

The New Brunswick public school jazz band is an all-district jazz band, made up of students from across all the schools in the New Brunswick school district. The jazz band is composed of 22 kids ranging in ages from 10 to 18 years old.

"It's really a great program," said Weeks. She said the students are thrilled at the chance to play alongside such a world-class name.

Tito Puente, Sr. is a six-time Grammy winner and a Latin music legend. His most famous song is "Oye Como Va," and he is considered the grandfather of Latin jazz and mambo music. His son has carried on his father's music legend and is a bandleader of his own.

Related: New Brunswick's Hub City Jazz Festival Is Oct. 25-28

Photo of Tito Puente, Jr. provided by the Hub City Jazz Fest