Rating:
Genre:
Jazz
Release Date: 08/05/2008
Cal Tjader became one of the foremost performers in the world of Latin jazz, even though he was a Swedish-American by birth. After serving with honor in the military during World War II, he was a member of
Dave Brubeck's experimental octet and drummer in the pianist's trio before going out on his own as a leader. This compilation of
Monterey Jazz Festival performances includes the vibraphonist's complete set from 1958 (the inaugural year) with pianist
Vince Guaraldi, bassist
Al McKibbon, and percussionist
Willie Bobo. Guest clarinetist
Buddy DeFranco joins the quartet for a bluesy, extended workout of
"Summertime" and lively long rendition of
"Now's the Time." Conga great
Mongo Santamaria appears on the rest of the 1958 set, including
Ray Bryant's infectious
"Cubano Chant" and
Tjader's intricate, rhythmic, Afro-Cuban descarga
"Tumbao." Moving ahead to 1972,
Tjader is joined by bassist
John Heard, drummer
Dick Berk, conga player
Michael Smith, and teenaged electric pianist
Michael Wolff (a recent addition to the group). The highlight of the long jam on this Afro-Cuban favorite are the solos by
Tjader and the two guest trumpeters, composer
Dizzy Gillespie and
Clark Terry, with
McKibbon and conga player
Armando Peraza as additional guests. Unfortunately,
Wolff's keyboard solo sounds very muddy due to over-modulation. For the 1974 set, soprano saxophonist
Jerome Richardson, electric pianist
Frank Strazzeri, bassist
Harvey Newmark, and
Berk are on hand, though
Santamaria returns to guest on congas in an exciting workout of his huge hit
"Afro Blue." The Latin sound is omitted from the 1977 quartet interpretation of the bop ballad
"If You Could See Me Now," a lyrical quartet setting featuring pianist
John Lewis, bassist
Richard Davis, and drummer
Roy Burns providing subdued background for
Tjader's tasty solo. The one number from 1980 is a soft bossa nova arrangement of the standard
"Speak Low," showcasing
Roger Glenn and electric pianist
Mark Levine in a gently swaying setting. This anthology drawn from
Cal Tjader's memorable sets at
Monterey should be considered essential for fans of Latin Jazz.
~Ken Dryden, All Music Guide
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