Be Mine Tonight pairs sexpot singer
Abbe Lane with mambo maestro
Tito Puente and his orchestra for a lively, colorful Latin jazz-inspired release that follows the stylistic blueprint of her long tenure with bandleader husband
Xavier Cugat. Compared to the absurdly carnal approach of
Lane's subsequent albums in tandem with arranger
Sid Ramin, this is a relatively serious, straightforward affair, with an intriguing and broad selection of material that spans from "Nightingale" to "Whatever Lola Wants" to ""Babalu""--Puente's high-octane arrangements guarantee the energy never flags, but
Lane commands the spotlight from start to finish, galvanizing otherwise innocuous lyrics with wit, sophistication, and sheer lust.