Cal Tjader – Sounds Out Burt Bacharach (Remastered) (1968/2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 32:11 minutes | 324 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Skye Records

Fantastic – and about as great as you’d imagine! The cool Latiny vibes of Cal Tjader meet the great compositions of Burt Bacharach, and the result is a shimmering set of tracks that forever defines the sound of groovy 60s! While the idea of vibraphonist Cal Tjader playing a set of Burt Bacharach tunes has very little potential in the first place, a disappointingly low level of achievement is reached on this rather sad set. Clearly recorded due to the influence of the commercial success of Wes Montgomery’s A&M recordings, this date, originally made for Skye, is quite a dud. Tjader plays well in spots but the material, and particularly the arrangements of Gary McFarland, Mike Abene and Alan Foust are so insipid as to make the vibist sound silly. Not only is Latin jazz absent from the set, but so is the spirit of jazz altogether. Even at the time, this weak pop music which includes inferior versions of such numbers as “What the World Needs Now Is Love,” “I Say a Little Prayer” and “Walk On By” must have sounded instantly dated.

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Cal Tjader – Ritmo Caliente! (Remastered) (2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 01:12:51 minutes | 698 MB | Genre: Afro-Cuban Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © RevOla

Cal Tjader was undoubtedly the most famous non-Latino leader of Latin jazz bands, an extraordinary distinction. From the 1950s until his death, he 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 puckishly titled “Rap Your Troubles in Drums,” and would occasionally sit in on piano as well.

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Cal Tjader – Monterey Concerts (1959/2021)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:18:17 minutes | 1,43 GB | Genre: Latin Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © RevOla

It’s Cal Tjader. Really hard to go wrong. And as a long time season ticket holder I for one am a fan of live at monterey recordings even if a lot of them are just festival jams. But this ensemble is solid. Seriously, Willie Bobo and Mongo plus Al McKibbon.

Biggest surprises here were Afro Blue on an album in 1959, and seeing that Doxy and Afro Blue, both of which were were in his book up to his death, were in his book even back in 1959 .

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Cal Tjader – Latino! (Remastered) (2009/2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 01:13:51 minutes | 792 MB | Genre: Latin Jazz, Afro-Cuban Jazz, Mambo
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © RevOla

Tjader played the vibraphone primarily. He was accomplished on the drums, bongos, congas, timpani, and the piano. He worked with many musicians from several cultures. He is often linked to the development of Latin rock and acid jazz. Although fusing jazz with Latin music is often categorized as “Latin jazz” (or, earlier, “Afro-Cuban jazz”), Tjader’s works swung freely between both styles. His Grammy award in 1980 for his album La Onda Va Bien capped off a career that spanned over forty years.

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Cal Tjader – Latin Kick (Remastered) (1958/2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 41:04 minutes | 405 MB | Genre: Latin Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © RevOla

Cal Tjader’s era-defining mixture of Afro-Cuban rhythms and mainstream jazz solos undergoes a bit of a horizontal expansion in these 1956 sessions. The tracks are often longer than on previous albums, finally taking advantage of the logistics of the LP, and as a result, both the Latin and jazz elements benefit. Tenor saxophonist Brew Moore gets extended chances to blow in an easy-grooving Getz-like manner on several tracks, and on “I Love Paris,” Luis Miranda (congas) and Bayardo Velarde (timbales) engage in some spirited percussion battles over the vamping of the brothers Duran (Manuel on piano and Carlos on bass). Everything cooks in a bright yet disciplined manner, and Tjader’s elliptical, swinging vibes preside genially over the ensemble.

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Cal Tjader – Agua Dulce (1971/2021)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 34:05 minutes | 1,26 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Craft Recordings

Digitally remastered edition of this 1971 album from the Jazz great. Vibes player Cal Tjader was one of the leading figures in Latin Jazz. Based in California, he recorded for Fantasy throughout the ’50s before moving on to Verve, where he achieved international success with his album Soul Sauce, with it’s dance floor-friendly title track. He then set up his own label, Skye, before re-signing to Fantasy in 1971.

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