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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Plays Contemporary Music of Mexico and Brazil (Original Album Plus Bonus Tracks 1962)
Pop - Released by Brazilian Classics on 1 Jan 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Los Ritmos Calientes
Jazz - Released by Bringins Music on 19 Jan 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
West Side Story
Jazz Fusion & Jazz Rock - Released by Jazz Room on 1 Jan 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jazz At The Blackhawk 1957 (Remastered)
Latin America - Released by RevOla on 14 Dec 2018
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Concert by the Sea, Vol. 1 (Live)
Latin America - Released by Lumi Entertainment on 1 Jan 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Mambo With Tjader! (Remastered)
Latin America - Released by RevOla on 19 Mar 2019
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tjader Plays Tjazz (Remastered)
Latin America - Released by RevOla on 1 Jan 1956
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
In A Latin Bag (Remastered)
Latin America - Released by RevOla on 19 Mar 2019
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cal Tjader Plays Mary Stallings Sings
Jazz - Released by CoolNote on 1 Nov 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Cal Tjader Plays The Contemporary Music of Mexico & Brazil
Jazz - Released by CoolNote on 1 Nov 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Concert By The Sea Vol 2
Jazz - Released by CoolNote on 1 Nov 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Complete Concert by the Sea (Live)
Jazz - Released by The Jazz Corner on 15 Jan 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Breeze from the East
World - Released by TP4 Music on 6 Jan 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Essential Mambo Jazz Masters (1954-1960)
Jazz - Released by Stardust Records on 1 Feb 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Thanks for the Memories
Jazz - Released by Dobre Classic Media on 6 Oct 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo