Tito Puente, Jr. Orchestra at the Garde

Salsa king to Headline Annual Fundraiser

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 26, 2007
Media Contact:
Amy Moum, 860-444-4406;
amy@gardearts.org

(New London) Salsa king TITO PUENTE, JR. AND HIS ORCHESTRA will headline the Garde Arts Center’s 10th Annual Premiere Concert and Dinner fundraiser on Friday, May 18, 2007 at 8 pm. Puente’s big band concert in the Garde Theater will provide a dance area for audience members.

Apr 27, 2007 12:00 PM - A “Latin fusion” pre-concert gourmet dining experience in the Garde’s Oasis Room at 6:00 pm is available for a limited number of guests at $200 per person, which includes a ticket to the concert. Guest chef Sandor Bittman of A Thyme to Cook will present an elegant menu of Nuevo-Latino cuisine, including roasted Statler chicken breast with papaya-rosemary mojo; stacked mango, spinach, and chevre cheese salad with locally raised sweet scallops; and sugar cane flan with rum custard sauce by Daniel Chong-Jimenez of The Spa at Norwich Inn. The Dinner and Concert package includes a $125 tax-deductible gift to support the Garde’s ongoing educational and community programs.

Tito Puente, Jr., was born into a musical dynasty. His father was known throughout the world for his unique musical sound and showmanship. The younger Puente studied under his father's guidance, playing numerous clubs and concerts around the world. His jazz rhythms ignite and Afro-Cuban beats fire up audiences, crossing cultures and generations.

Wearing the moniker of "Latin Royalty" that accompanies the family name, the younger Puente takes his mission to heart saying, "Carrying the torch and the tradition of my father's music to a whole new generation of fans has been a lifelong dream of mine." Puente, Jr. has had two Spanish-language albums, several Billboard dance hits and a cover of his father's signature, "Oye Como Va." His second album contained the single "Caliente" with the arrangement by El Rey himself. With his third album, released in 2004, Puente, Jr. brought the music to a whole new generation with an album entitled En Los Pasos De Mi Padre, (In My Father's Shoes).

Sponsors for the Premiere Concert and Dinner include the Day Publishing Co., Citizens Bank, the Lawrence and Memorial Hospital, BluPrints Unlimited, Valenti Auto Mall, Kitchings Productions, and others.


CALENDAR LISTING
What:
TITO PUENTE, JR. ORCHESTRA
10TH Annual Premiere Concert and Dinner
Salsa icon headlines concert with dancing for annual Garde fundraiser
When:
Friday, May 18, 2007

Time:
Concert 8:00 pm
Dinner 6:00 pm

Where:
Garde Arts Center, 325 State Street, New London, CT 06320

Ticket Prices:
Concert: $48, $40, $32
Dinner and Concert: $200 (Seating is limited)

On-Line Sales: www.gardearts.org

Box Office Phone: 860-444-7373, ext. 1

Media Info
For photos and interviews, please contact Amy Moum, amy@gardearts.org.

Artist Weblink
www.titopuentejr.net

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The Garde Arts Center, now celebrating the Garde Theater’s 80th season, is Southeastern Connecticut’s non-profit center for the performing arts. The Garde owns and operates the historic Garde Theatre where it presents musicals, opera, orchestras, contemporary music, dance, and family events. The Garde produces the annual New London Film Festival, and provides after-school programs and matinee performances to more than 10,000 young people. Under the leadership of Steve Sigel, Executive Director, since 1988, the Garde has become a major catalyst for the cultural and economic revitalization of New London.

Daniel Chong-Jimenez is the Executive Chef at The Spa at Norwich Inn and its restaurant, Kensington's, and is coauthor of Prescription for Healthy Weight Loss and Optimum Health. He came to The Spa at Norwich Inn in July 2000 from other well-known spa properties like Miraval, Life in Balance and Red Mountain Resort and Spa. "My challenge is to transform Spa cuisine into elegant, appealing and satisfying food. I am focused on highly nourishing locally-grown ingredients: quality proteins, monounsaturated fats, nutritionally dense vegetables and fruits and whole grains. My goal is to create meals which look decadent, taste great and are good for you," said Chong-Jimenez.
www.chefdanielonline.com

A Thyme to Cook, Inc. is one of the largest full service catering companies in Southern New England. The Chefs at A Thyme to Cook have many years of professional experience fusing seasonal ingredients, culture and contemporary cuisine, with a special emphasis on quality, freshness and innovation. A Thyme to Cook caters amazing events throughout New England, including the opening of Sonalyst Movie Studio, the launching of the USS Seawolf, and working with Steven Spielberg in executing historically correct menus and set design for meal-related scenes in the movie Amistad, along with various black tie galas and heads of state dinners.

Sandor Bittman, Executive Chef: Shawn has over 20 years of professional experience fusing seasonal ingredients with cultural and contemporary cuisine. Shawn joined A Thyme to Cook in 1999 bringing with him a dedication to preparing the finest quality foods for each event.

Linda Sample, Owner: A Thyme to Cook was the first all inclusive gourmet food shop and cooking school in Southeastern Connecticut. Prior to opening the original specialty food shop in 1984, Linda’s original background is that of pulmonary clinical nurse specialist. Her extensive travel into kitchens from Europe to Africa, combined with her nurse practitioner expertise, render a care-taking philosophy of catering that permeates throughout the company.
www.athymetocook.com



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