CAL TJADER Vinyl & CDs

Review: Cal Tjader's 1975 session sees the legendary vibraphonist deep in conversation with Brazilian jazz, pulling rhythmic cues from Rio and translating them through a sun-dazed Californian lens. With Airto Moreira producing, George Duke arranging, and Hermeto Pascoal, Raul De Souza and David Amaro lending their colour, it's a record built on expert interplay and breezy complexity. 'Amazonas' opens with percussive shimmer and modal drift, while 'Xibaba' and 'Mindoro' balance groove with melodic looseness. On the flip, 'Tamanco No Samba' leans into funkier syncopation, contrasting the hazy melancholy of 'Corine' and the closing slink of 'Cahuenga'. There's clarity in how each part moves-airy but assured-and the new AAA cut from the original tapes gives it warmth without excess polish. It's a joy to hear fusion this fluid, with just enough weirdness from Hermeto to keep it from coasting.

Review: The Original Jazz Classics series makes a triumphant return with the reissue of Cal Tjader's influential 1956 album, Latin Kick. Renowned for blending Afro-Cuban rhythms with mainstream jazz elements, this album highlights Tjader's talented abilities on the vibraphone. The ensemble features brilliant performances from Brew Moore on saxophone, Luis Miranda on congas, Bayardo Velarde on timbales, Manuel Duran on piano and Carlos Duran on bass. Though the album title suggests a Latin focus, the tracks venture beyond traditional Latin music, incorporating elements of the emerging exotica genre. Latin Kick offers a global musical journey, including songs about Paris and Vermont. Despite the absence of traditional Latin brass and fervent rhythms, the album captivates with its downtempo ambiance, dreamy landscapes, and smooth tenor sax infusions. Tjader's signature vibraphone often takes a backseat, allowing the ensemble to create a cohesive, melodious, and enchanting atmosphere. The reissue of Latin Kick reaffirms the series' commitment to preserving jazz history, offering a pristine listening experience that celebrates the timeless artistry of Cal Tjader and his exceptional band.

Review: Catch The Groove: Live At The Penthouse 1963-67 does what it says on the tin; with all of the performances heard on this set having previously unreleased, Latin jazz vibraphone legend Cal Tjader is heard with a variety of quintets at the seminal Pacific Northwest venue; he's heard backed by pianists Clare Fischer, Lonnie Hewitt and Al Zulaica, bassists Fred Schreiber, Terry Hilliard, Monk Montgomery and Stan Gilbert, drummers Johnny Rae and Carl Burnett, and percussionists Bill Fitch and Armando Peraza. Part of a new series homing in on live jazz greats by record producer and "Jazz Detective" Zev Feldman, Tjader more than fits into this retrospective effort, with Feldman himself noting the bittersweet diminution of Tjader's popularity in the present era, despite commanding reams of attention from a massive audience while he was alive. All's well that ends well, then: this one comes as both a deluxe LP and CD edition for new-heads and completists alike.

Review: During the 1960s, jazz marimba maestro Cal Tjader performed at Seattle's Penthouse Jazz Club countless times, with many of these performances - made with various quintets and a dizzying array of sidemen, sidewomen and guest performances - being recorded for posterity. This superb double-disc set showcases these atmospheric, often lively recordings for the first time. Tjader is naturally the star throughout, dizzying the audience with mazy and mind-blowing Marimba solos, but at various points he steps back and lets his musical collaborators share the spotlight. For the most part, the tracks are energetic and up-tempo, giving the whole thing a giddy, celebratory feel that's always alluring.