Cal Tjader

(taken from Allmusic Guide - http://www.allmusic.com)

Cal Tjader 
AKA  real name: Callen Radcliffe Tjader, Jr. 
Born  Jul 16, 1925 in St. Louis, MO 
Died  May 5, 1982 in Manila, Philippines 
Years Active   
Genres  Jazz  
Styles  Afro-Cuban Jazz, United States of America, Latin Continuum, West Coast Jazz, Latin Jazz, Cool 
Instruments  Vibraphone, Leader 
Tones  Laid-Back/Mellow, Sophisticated, Elegant 
Labels  Fantasy (37), Verve (17), Fantasy/OJC (10), Polygram (5), Original Jazz Classics (5), Concord Picante (4), Savoy (3) 
See Also  Cal Tjader Quartet  All Movie Guide Entry 
  
        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.  Tjader  studied  music  and  education at San Francisco State College before
  hooking  up  with  fellow  Bay Area resident Dave Brubeck as the drummer in the Brubeck
  Trio from 1949 to 1951. He then worked with Alvino Rey, led his own group, and in 1953,
  joined   George   Shearing's   then-hugely-popular   quintet   as  a  vibraphonist  and
  percussionist.  It  was  in  Shearing's band that Tjader's love affair with Latin music
  began, ignited by Shearing's bassist Al McKibbon, nurtured by contact with Willie Bobo,
  Mongo  Santamaria  and  Armando Peraza, and galvanized by the `50s mambo craze. When he
  left  Shearing  the following year, Tjader promptly formed his own band that emphasized
  the  Latin  element  yet  also  played  mainstream jazz. Bobo and Santamaria eventually
  joined  Tjader's  band  as  sidemen and Vince Guaraldi served for awhile as pianist and
  contributor  to  the bandbook ("Ginza," "Thinking Of You, MJQ"). Tjader recorded a long
  series  of  mostly  Latin  jazz  albums  for  Fantasy  from  the  mid-`50s  through the
  early-`60s,  switching  to  Verve in 1961 where under Creed Taylor's aegis, he expanded
  his  stylistic  palette  and  was  teamed with artists like Lalo Schifrin, Anita O'Day,
  Kenny  Burrell  and  Donald Byrd. Along the way, Tjader managed to score a minor hit in
  1965  with  "Soul  Sauce,"  a  reworking of Dizzy Gillespie/Chano Pozo's "Guacha Guaro"
  which  Tjader  had previously cut for Fantasy. Tjader returned to Fantasy in the 1970s,
  then  moved  over  to the new Concord Picante label in 1979 where he remained until his
  death. — Richard S. Ginell

        

 
Similar Artists: Machito  Tito Puente  Eddie Palmieri  Mongo Santamaria  Clare Fischer  Poncho Sanchez  
Dave Pike  Gary Foster  Pete LaRoca  Charlie Palmieri 

Roots and Influences: Milt Jackson  George Shearing  Francisco Aguabella 

Followers: Bobby Sanabria  Pancho Sanchez 

Performed Songs By: Dizzy Gillespie  Chano Pozo  Mongo Santamaria  Lonnie Hewitt  Johnny Mandel  Tito Puente  
Burt Bacharach  Clare Fischer  Gil Fuller  Lalo Schifrin  Armando Peraza  Richard Rodgers  Hal David  Duke Ellington  
Lorenz Hart  Johnny Mercer  Mario Ruíz Armengol  Kurt Weill  Sonny Rollins 

Worked With: Creed Taylor  Hank Jones  Bobby Rodriguez  Carl Jefferson  Scott Hamilton  Eddie Duran  Gary McFarland 
 

    Albums:   
 
 1951 Good Vibes Concord Jazz 
 1951 Vibrations Savoy 
 1953 Cal Tjader, Vol. 1 Savoy 
 1953 Cal Tjader: Vibist Savoy 
 1953 The Cal Tjader Trio Fantasy 
 1954 Los Ritmos Calientes Fantasy 
 1954 Tjader Plays Mambo Fantasy/OJC 
 1954 Mambo with Tjader Fantasy/OJC 
 1954 Tjader Plays Tjazz Fantasy/OJC 
 1954 Plays Afro-Cuban Fantasy 
 1956 Cal Tjader Quartet Fantasy/OJC 
 1956 The Cal Tjader Quartet [I] Fantasy 
 1956 Latin Kick Fantasy/OJC 
 1956 The Cal Tjader Quintet Fantasy 
 1957 Jazz at the Blackhawk Fantasy/OJC 
 1957 Mas Ritmo Caliente Fantasy 
 1958 The Cal Tjader-Stan Getz Sextet Fantasy 
 1958 Cal Tjader's Latin Concert [live] Fantasy/OJC 
 1958 Latin for Lovers with Strings Fantasy 
 1958 San Francisco Moods Fantasy 
 1959 Concert by the Sea, Vol. 2 [live] Fantasy 
 1959 Concert by the Sea, Vols. 1 & 2 [live] Fantasy 
 1959 Concert by the Sea, Vol. 1 [live] Fantasy 
 1959 Monterey Concerts [live] Prestige 
 1959 Live and Direct Fantasy 
 1959 Cal Tjader Goes Latin Fantasy 
 1959 Night at the Black Hawk Fantasy/OJC 
 1960 West Side Story (Jazz Version) Fantasy 
 1960 Demasado Caliente Fantasy 
 
Compilations:
 
 1956 Black Orchid Fantasy/OJC   
 1961 Jazz 'Round Midnight Polygram   
 1961 Talkin' Verve: Roots of Acid Jazz Polygram   
 1963 Compact Jazz: Cal Tjader Verve   
 1963 Several Shades of Jade/Breeze from the East Polygram   
 1965 Cal Tjader's Greatest Hits [1965] Fantasy   
 1968 The Best of Cal Tjader Verve   
 1978 Huracan Laserlight   
 1979 The Concord Jazz Heritage Series Concord Jazz   
 1992 Cal Tjader's Greatest Hits, Vols. 1-2 Fantasy   
 1995 Cal Tjader's Greatest Hits [1995] Fantasy   
 1995 Sentimental Moods Fantasy   

Appears On: 
 
Dave Brubeck Octet  Dave Brubeck Octet (1946)   
Dave Brubeck  Time Signatures: A Career... (1946) Drums, Vibraphone  
Dave Brubeck Trio  24 Classic Original Recordings (1949) Bongos, Calliope, Drums, Vibraphone  
Dave Brubeck Trio  Dave Brubeck Trio with Gerry... (1949) Percussion, Drums, Vibraphone  
Dave Brubeck  Distinctive Rhythm Instrumentals (1956) Percussion, Drums, Vibraphone  
Dave Brubeck  Incontournables (2000) Drums, Vibraphone  
Rosemary Clooney  With Love (1980) Vocals (bckgr)  
Rosemary Clooney  Sings the Music of Cole Porter (1982) Vibraphone  
Rosemary Clooney  70: Seventieth Birthday... (1998) Vibraphone  
Rosemary Clooney  Songbook Collection (2000) Vibraphone  
DJ Uncle Al  Liberty City (1996) Vibraphone  
 
Songs Appear On:
 
Martin Denny  Exotic Sounds of Martin Denny  
DJ Uncle Al  Liberty City  
Pete Escovedo  Flying South  
Clare Fischer Big Band  Tjaderarama / Waltz  
Stan Getz Sextet  Stan Getz with Cal Tjader  
Jerry Gonzalez  Crossroads  
Eddie Palmieri/Cal Tjader  Palmieri & Tjader  
Dave Samuels  Tjader-ized: A Cal Tjader Tribute  
Poncho Sanchez  Concord Jazz Heritage Series  
Shades of Jade  Summer Rapture  
Bobby Shew  Salsa Caliente