Is Tito a "jazz" drummer? He grew up in New York and actually played drum-set before timbales. He is steeped in jazz tradition, although he plays "straight eighths" rather than jazz swing patterns. The one time I saw him in public he was electrifying. I walked from my apartment in Palo Alto two blocks down to the Keystone Palo Alto and saw that Tito Puente was performing. I bought a ticket and walked in. Only Elvin was more impressive in person.