Jazz Articles about Cal Tjader

Cal Tjader: Cuban Fantasy

by Russell Moon
November 21, 2003

The brand new Cuban Fantasy is an album of previously unreleased material Cal Tjader recorded in concert in San Francisco over two nights in June, 1977. Tjader's band had the same instrumental makeup as his 1969 Plugs In band – vibes, electric piano, electric bass, trap drums, conga drums – with the addition of an electric guitar.

In the sixties, a few rock bands with radio hits such as the Kingsmen and the Swingin' Medallions had a reputation for specializing ...

Cal Tjader: Latin Concert

by Javier AQ Ortiz
September 25, 2003

Quick and to the Point : Classic.

In hindsight, it is rather easy to understand why this 1958 Cal Tjader group was his best ever. The groove among them is a model of economy, good taste, and simple-yet-profound depth. It sure shows in “The Continental,” with its expertly and tastily executed dynamics converging on Vince Guaraldi’s cohesiveness, tightness and rich rhythmic melodic performance.

“Viva Cepeda” became a memorable hit for Tjader and it is recorded here, as is the entire ...

Cal Tjader: Concerts In the Sun

by David Rickert
February 10, 2003

Concerts in the Sun languished in the vaults for 42 years, but it's now finally available on CD. The recording finds Cal Tjader in a state of transition between the West Coast cool jazz he helmed with Dave Brubeck and a full-blown commitment to integrating Afro-Cuban rhythms into jazz. Culled from two concerts, one in Honolulu and the other in San Francisco, the first half features well-mannered standards and a distinct lack of perspiration; unfortunately, the five song routine seems ...

Cal Tjader: Plays Harold Arlen and West Side Story

by David Rickert
September 13, 2002

Like the recently reissued Our Blues, this double CD presents Cal Tjader before he seriously delved into the Latin tunes that made his name in jazz circles. Unlike the previous album, which presented the vibraphonist as a serious improviser, Tjader is content to let the songs take the center stage; about three-fourths of this CD features a string section in the background. The strategy works well. Tjader cuts loose on a few Arlen standards before settling into melodic passages on ...

Cal Tjader: Our Blues

by David Rickert
August 15, 2002

Before Cal Tjader made his mark on the Latin-jazz front, he was a fine straight-ahead player and probably the best vibraphonist on the West Coast. This two-fer CD is made up of two early albums recorded for Fantasy that show how well Tjader worked in conventional settings. Despite his West Coast pedigree, the live half of the CD shows that vibraphonist is a tougher customer than one might expect; songs like S.S. Groove and “Moment in Madrid swing hard and ...

Cal Tjader: Extremes

by Derek Taylor
November 1, 2001

Serving tenure at Fantasy that stretched the span of nearly three decades Cal Tjader was a staple artist for the label. A thread that traces through almost his entire output as a leader is an abiding affection for Latin rhythms and song structures, but the drummer turned vibraphonist was also amenable to a wide range of influences and directions. The duration of his stay was marked by many of the same stylistic shifts undertaken by other jazz artists over interim. ...

Cal Tjader: Black Hawk Nights

by Derek Taylor
June 1, 2000

Few musicians have matched Cal Tjader’s success at blending cross-cultural elements in a jazz setting. The venerable vibraphonist has been deceased for several decades, but his music, particularly when it comes to his Latin Jazz experiments remains incredibly popular. The reasons behind the longevity are manifold and this disc which compiles another dozen selections from Tjader’s lengthy late 50’s tenure at the San Franciso’s Black Hawk club touches upon many of them. Tjader was clearly enamored of Latin music, but ...