Cal Tjader
From the 1950s until his death, Cal Tjader was practically the point man between the worlds of Latin jazz and mainstream bop; his light, rhythmic, joyous vibraphone manner could comfortably embrace both styles. His numerous recordings for Fantasy and Verve and long-standing presence in the San Francisco Bay Area eventually had a profound influence upon Carlos Santana, and thus Latin rock. He also played drums and bongos, the latter most notably on the George Shearing Quintet's "Rap Your Troubles in Drums," and would occasionally sit in on piano as well.
Tjader studied music and education at San Francisco State College before hooking up with fellow Bay Area resident Dave Brubeck as the drummer in the Brubeck Trio from 1949 to 1951. He then worked with Alvino Rey, led his own group, and in 1953, joined George Shearing's then hugely popular quintet as a vibraphonist and percussionist. It was in Shearing's band that Tjader's love affair with Latin music began, ignited by Shearing bassist Al McKibbon, nurtured by contact with Willie Bobo, Mongo Santamaria, and Armando Peraza, and galvanized by the '50s mambo craze. When he left Shearing the following year, Tjader promptly formed his own band that emphasized the Latin element yet also played mainstream jazz. Bobo and Santamaria eventually joined Tjader's band as sidemen, and Vince Guaraldi served for a while as pianist and contributor to the band's songbook ("Ginza," "Thinking of You, MJQ").
Tjader recorded a long series of mostly Latin jazz albums for Fantasy from the mid-'50s through the early '60s, switching in 1961 to Verve, where under Creed Taylor's aegis he expanded his stylistic palette and was teamed with artists like Lalo Schifrin, Anita O'Day, Kenny Burrell, and Donald Byrd. Along the way, Tjader managed to score a minor hit in 1965 with "Soul Sauce," a reworking of Dizzy Gillespie/Chano Pozo's "Guacha Guaro," which Tjader had previously cut for Fantasy. Tjader returned to Fantasy in the 1970s, then in 1979 moved over to the new Concord Picante label, where he remained until his death in 1982.
© Richard S. Ginell /TiVo
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Several Shades of Jade
Lateinamerika - Erschienen bei Poppydisc am 25.04.1963
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Sounds Out Burt Bacharach
Jazz Fusion & Jazzrock - Erschienen bei SKYE am 11.10.2005
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Latin+Jazz=Cal Tjader
Lateinamerika - Erschienen bei SKYE am 24.01.2006
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Top Mega Hits
Jazz - Erschienen bei the gold members am 22.04.2016
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Open Stage
Jazz - Erschienen bei open reeez regarde am 24.03.2016
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Latin for Lovers
Lateinamerika - Erschienen bei Poppydisc am 09.12.1959
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Tjader Plays Mambo
Lateinamerika - Erschienen bei Music Manager am 07.02.2022
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The Very Best Of
Jazz Fusion & Jazzrock - Erschienen bei Master Classics Records am 01.05.2011
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Cal Tjader Goes Latin
World Music - Erschienen bei TP4 Music am 06.01.2020
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Saturday Night / Sunday Night at the Blackhawk, San Francisco
Jazz - Erschienen bei Hallmark am 01.11.2014
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San Francisco Moods
Jazz - Erschienen bei CoolNote am 01.01.1958
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Union Square
Jazz - Erschienen bei Blooming Jazz Records am 09.03.2016
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Cal Tjader's Latin Concert...
Lateinamerika - Erschienen bei Poppydisc am 17.02.1959
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Jazz Collection (Original Recordings)
Jazz - Erschienen bei Jazz Dog Records am 13.03.2020
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Plays Contemporary Music of Mexico and Brazil (Original Album Plus Bonus Tracks 1962)
Pop - Erschienen bei Brazilian Classics am 01.01.2013
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Los Ritmos Calientes
Jazz - Erschienen bei Bringins Music am 19.01.2012
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West Side Story
Jazz Fusion & Jazzrock - Erschienen bei Jazz Room am 01.01.2011
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