Cal Tjader: Catch The Groove: Live at the Penthouse 1963-1967

It would be unusual to hear vibraphonist Cal Tjader mentioned alongside the all-time greats on his instrument. He is not remembered for being a fearless improviser like Bobby Hutcherson, or as deeply soulful as Milt Jackson, or as hard-swinging a presence as Lionel Hampton. Moreover, one will search in vain in his biography for the hard-fought personal struggles that have typically been the bread and butter of jazz legend: no tortured tales of substance abuse, or bouts with poverty or unappreciative audiences. By all accounts, he led a happy and satisfied life on the West Coast, far removed from the bustle (and prominence) of New York; he never toured Europe. But he did make a pivotal contribution to jazz through his work in Latin music—an idiom that he helped to establish firmly within the jazz world. And that contribution is well-documented in Catch the Groove, a three-LP (or two-CD) collection of live recordings Tjader made at the Penthouse in Seattle during the mid-60s.

Listening to these performances, which include a range of dates and sidemen, one is struck by just how effortless Tjader's improvisations could sound—perhaps another reason he has not won as much acclaim as some of his contemporaries. And although there is an abundance of Latin jazz on this release, as one would expect, some of the biggest surprises are found in the non-Latin material: hearing Tjader dig into "Take the 'A' Train" at the outset of the February 1963 concert is a delight, with enough harmonic invention and dynamic swing to belie the misconception that he was a one-dimensional Latin popularizer. Elsewhere it is Tjader's lyrical facility with a ballad that impresses, as on "Here's that Rainy Day," where his note—perfect solo's luminescence has a deceptively simple purity.

But although there are more than enough jazz standards here to demonstrate Tjader's breadth, the Latin pieces are more reflective of his core impulses—and indeed, are why the title of the release is so appropriate. Helped by percussionists Bill Fitch and Armando Peraza, the groups assembled here are most at home when they are finding a Latin groove—and the work of pianists Clare Fischer, Lonnie Hewitt and Al Zulaica are also essential in that regard. Hewitt's bluesy licks are fundamental to the sinuous momentum of "Pantano," and his punchy block chords help propel the feisty "Maramoor Mambo" at the close of the 1965 set. Zulaica's own churning rhythms enliven "Mambo Inn" on the 1966 recording. Even a Latinized take on the Association's 1966 pop hit "Along Comes Mary" fares well in Tjader's hands. These musicians have impeccable instincts for a range of Latin styles, and they do justice to all of them.

In general, the recording quality is very good, with a nice balance between the instruments and not too much tape hiss. One can question producer Zev Feldman's decision to compress the material from these six concerts onto six LP sides, however. This led to fading out a couple of the tracks, namely "Insight" on the first set (after a mere two and a half minutes) and "Half and Half" on the second, with the latter unfortunately in full flight during the fade-out. But the folks at Jazz Detective can perhaps be forgiven these relatively minor transgressions, especially given the label's typically fine packaging and informative liner notes, including some illuminating reflections from modern-day vibe legends Gary Burton and Joe Locke on Tjader's undersung legacy. Kudos to Feldman and company for bringing this music to a wider audience.

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