CAL TJADER — Black Orchid (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This CD has all of the music originally on the two LPs Cal Tjader Goes Latin and The Cal Tjader Quintet. Since each album had two sessions apiece, the CD does a fine job of giving one a sampling of the influential vibraphonist's popular Latin jazz groups of the era. Among the key sideman are flutist Paul Horn; Jose "Chombo" Silva on tenor; pianists Lonnie Hewitt, Vince Guaraldi, and Manuel Duran; and Mongo Santamaria and Willie Bobo on percussion. The music (a mixture of Latinized standards and newer originals) is quite appealing, showing why this infectious blending of bop with Latin rhythms has always been one of the most accessible styles of jazz. Scott Yanow
Tracklist  :
1    Mi China 2:15
Mongo Santamaría
2    Close Your Eyes 3:11
Bernice Petkere
3    Mambo at the "M" 4:39
Luis Kant
4    Contigo 2:40
Pedro Flores
5    Bonita 2:28
Lonnie Hewitt
6    The Lady Is a Tramp 4:32
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
7    Black Orchid 3:23
Cal Tjader
8    Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe :44
Harold Arlen / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg
9    I've Waited So Long 2:07
Jerry Lordan
10    Out of Nowhere 3:26
Johnny Green / Edward Heyman
11    Cuajira at the Blackhawk 5:20
Mongo Santamaría
12    I Want to Be Happy 3:15
Irving Caesar / Vincent Youmans
13    The Nearness of You 3:54
Hoagy Carmichael / Ned Washington
14    Pete Kelly's Blues 3:48
Sammy Cahn / Ray Heindorf
15    A Minor Goof 3:53
Brew Moore
16    Undecided 3:23
Sydney Robin / Charlie Shavers
17    Philadelphia Mambo 3:20
Tito Puente
18    Flamingo 4:12
Edmund Anderson / Ted Grouya
19    Stompin' at the Savoy 4:00
Benny Goodman / Andy Razaf / Edgar Sampson / Chick Webb
20    Laura 3:21
Johnny Mercer / David Raksin
21    Lullaby of Birdland 4:00
George Shearing / George David Weiss
Credits :
José "Chombo" Silva (Saxophone)
Paul Horn (Flute)
Vince Guaraldi, Lonnie Hewitt, Manuel Duran (Piano)
Eugene Wright, Carlos Duran,  Al McKibbon (Bass)
Willie Bobo (Drums, Timbales)
Luis Kant, Mongo Santamaria, Luis Miranda (Conga Drums)
Bayardo Velarde (Timbales)

CAL TJADER'S MODERN MAMBO QUINTET - Mambo with Tjader (1955-1992) RM / APE (image+.cue), lossless

Mambo with Tjader was one of vibraphonist and composer Cal Tjader's first major recordings. Fascinated with the rhythms and atmospheres of Latin music, Tjader was one of the first musicians to successfully fuse South American musical styles with straight-ahead jazz. In retrospect, the lush, laid-back, vibes-heavy groove of Tjader's inventions anticipates the "lounge" music of the '50s and '60s -- offering the sort of soft, swinging soundtrack appropriate for the consumption of dry martinis on leatherette love seats.
But Mambo with Tjader is valuable for more than mere kitsch factor. Over the course of the album's 12 tracks, a rich tapestry of tropical percussion works through three rhythmic models -- the mambo, the cha-cha, and the bolero. Overlaid with jazz structures and Tjader's easygoing vibes playing, this set is a tasty cross-section of early Tropicalia. While the disc lacks the hot salsa that would characterize El Sonido Nuevo or the large-scale orchestrations of the composer's collaborations with Lalo Schifrin, Mambo with Tjader is a vintage exploration of the fusion of jazz and Latin music. by Rovi Staff  
Tracklist :
1     Mamblues 2:28
Clark Terry / Cal Tjader
2     Midnight Sun 3:57
Sonny Burke / Lionel Hampton / Johnny Mercer
3     Sonny Boy 2:37
Lew Brown / Buddy DeSylva / Ray Henderson / Al Jolson
4     Cherry 3:24
Ray Gilbert / Don Redman
5     I'll Remember April 3:21
Gene DePaul / Pat Johnston / Patricia Johnston / Don Raye
6     This Can't Be Love 3:05
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
7     Tenderly 3:49
Walter Gross / Jack Lawrence
8     Dearly Beloved 3:58
Jerome Kern / Johnny Mercer
9     Chloe 2:32
Neil Moret (Chas. N. Daniels) / Gus Kahn
10     Lucero 3:17
Cal Tjader
11     Bye Bye Blues 2:59
David Bennett / Chauncey Gray / Frederick Hamm / Bert Lown
12     Autumn Leaves 2:49
Joseph Kosma / Johnny Mercer / Jacques Prévert
Credits :
Bass – Carlos Duran
Congas – Edgar Rosales
Piano – Manuel Duran
Remastered By – Phil De Lancie
Timbales, Bongos – Bayardo Velarde
Vibraphone – Cal Tjader 

CAL TJADER - Tjader Plays Tjazz (1954-1998) RM / MONO / APE (image+.cue), lossless

In a change of pace, for this recording vibraphonist Cal Tjader recorded cool-toned bop without a Latin rhythm section. Half of the ten songs (mostly jazz standards) feature Tjader switching to drums (his original instrument) in a quartet also including the obscure trombonist Bob Collins, guitarist Eddie Duran and bassist Al McKibbon. Tjader is back on vibes for the quintet selections with tenor saxophonist Brew Moore, pianist Sonny Clark, bassist Eugene Wright and drummer Bobby White. He sounds right at home in both formats and the swinging quintet numbers in particular are a good reason to search for this valuable album. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1      Moten Swing 4:02
Bennie Moten / Buster Moten
2     I've Never Been in Love Before 2:33
Frank Loesser
3     There Will Never Be Another You 5:04
Mack Gordon / Harry Warren
4     How About You? 3:04
Ralph Freed / James Van Heusen / Burton Lane
5     Jeepers Creepers 3:17
Johnny Mercer / Harry Warren
6     A Minor Goof 3:56
Brew Moore
7     My One and Only Love 2:47
Robert Mellin / Guy Wood
8     Imagination 3:18
Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen
9     I'll Know 2:59
Frank Loesser
10     Brew's Blues 3:29
Brew Moore
Credits :
Bass – Al McKibbon (faixas: 2, 4, 7, 9), Eugene Wright (faixas: 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10)
Drums – Bobby White (faixas: 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10), Cal Tjader (faixas: 2, 4, 7, 9)
Guitar – Eddie Duran (faixas: 2, 4, 7, 9)
Liner Notes – Ralph J. Gleason
Piano – Sonny Clark (faixas: 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10)
Tenor Saxophone – Brew Moore (faixas: 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10)
Trombone – Bob Collins (faixas: 2, 4, 7, 9)
Vibraphone – Cal Tjader (faixas: 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10) 

CAL TJADER - Cal Tjader Quartet (1956-1997) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Vibraphonist Cal Tjader took a brief vacation from playing Afro-Cuban jazz to record this fine straight-ahead bop set. The 1956 LP matches Tjader with the underrated but always swinging pianist Gerald Wiggins, bassist Eugene Wright (shortly before he joined the Dave Brubeck Quartet), and drummer Bill Douglass. They perform four basic originals (two apiece by Wiggins and Wright) and five standards, including a swinging "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "Our Love Is Here to Stay." On this date, more than almost any other one, Tjader displays his debt to Milt Jackson's style. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Battle Hymn of the Republic 3:28
Julia Ward Howe / William Steffe
2     It Never Entered My Mind 3:38
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
3     A Light Groove 5:11
Gerald Wiggins
4     The Night We Called It a Day 3:06
Tom Adair / Matt Dennis
5     Fancy Bea 4:16
Eugene Wright
6     A Fifth for Frank 4:50
Gerald Wiggins
7     For All We Know 4:43
J. Fred Coots / Sam M. Lewis
8     Miss Wiggins 5:57
Eugene Wright
9     Love Is Here to Stay 5:26
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
Credits :
Bass – Eugene J. Wright
Drums – Bill Douglass
Piano – Gerald Wiggins
Vibraphone – Cal Tjader

CAL TJADER - Tjader Plays Mambo (1956-1994) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Having finished his tenure with George Shearing in 1954, a thoroughly Latin-inoculated Cal Tjader took off on his own, recording several short slices of infectious Latin jazz, from which a dozen were selected for this album. Many of the selections are standards retrofitted with percolating Latin rhythms, cut and shaped to fit the old three-minute limit of 45 or 78 rpm singles. Tjader's crystalline vibes are teamed with a San Francisco Latin percussion section that lays down the grooves crisply and succinctly, with an occasional emulation of the more laid-back Shearing Latin sound ("East of the Sun"). Elsewhere, Cal experiments with a hot four-man trumpet section on four of the tracks, the best of which is a rhumba version of "Fascinating Rhythm." The earliest Tjader-led recording of "Guarachi Guaro" (later known as "Soul Sauce") is also included here. These seminal tracks helped launch the Cal Tjader Latin jazz style, and they still sound fresher than many other such historical landmarks. by Richard S. Ginell
Tracklist :
1     Yesterdays 3:24
Otto Harbach / Jerome Kern
2     Out of Nowhere 3:04
Johnny Green / Edward Heyman
3     Fascinating Rhythm 2:47
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
4     Guarachi Guaro 3:01
Dizzy Gillespie / Chano Pozo
5     The Lady Is a Tramp 2:54
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
6     It Ain't Necessarily So 2:06
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
7     Have You Met Miss Jones? 3:05
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
8     For Heaven's Sake 2:57
Elise Bretton / Sherman Edwards / Don Meyer / Donald Meyer / Sherman Edwards & Donald Meyer
9     Mambo Macumba 2:22
Cal Tjader
10     East of the Sun (And West of the Moon) 3:05
Brooks Bowman
11     Bei Mir Bist du Schön 3:08
Sammy Cahn / Saul Chaplin / Jacob Jacobs / Sholom Secunda
12     I Concentrate on You 1:59
Cole Porter
Credits :
Bass – Carlos Duran
Congas – Edgar Rosales (faixas: 1,3,4,6,8,9,11,12), Luis Miranda (faixas: 2, 5, 7, 10)
Maracas – Edgar Rosales
Piano, Claves – Manuel Duran
Remastered By – Phil De Lancie
Timbales, Cowbell [Cencero], Congas – Bayardo Velardi
Trumpet – Al Porcino (faixas: 3, 6, 9, 12), Charlie Walp (faixas: 3, 6, 9, 12), Dick Collins (faixas: 3, 6, 9, 12), John Howell (faixas: 3, 6, 9, 12)
Vibraphone, Cowbell [Cencero] – Cal Tjader

CAL TJADER - Latin Kick (1956-1991) RM / APE (image+.cue), lossless

Cal Tjader's era-defining mixture of Afro-Cuban rhythms and mainstream jazz solos undergoes a bit of a horizontal expansion in these 1956 sessions. The tracks are often longer than on previous albums, finally taking advantage of the logistics of the LP, and as a result, both the Latin and jazz elements benefit. Tenor saxophonist Brew Moore gets extended chances to blow in an easy-grooving Getz-like manner on several tracks, and on "I Love Paris," Luis Miranda (congas) and Bayardo Velarde (timbales) engage in some spirited percussion battles over the vamping of the brothers Duran (Manuel on piano and Carlos on bass). Everything cooks in a bright yet disciplined manner, and Tjader's elliptical, swinging vibes preside genially over the ensemble. by Richard S. Ginell
Tracklist  :
1 Invitation 4:13
Written-By – Kaper
2 Lover Come Back To Me 3:41
Written-By – Hammerstein, Roberg
3 September Song 2:58
Written-By – Weil
4 Will You Still Be Mine 3:28
Written-By – Dennis, Adair
5 I Love Paris 5:52
Written-By – Porter
6 Tropicana 3:14
Written-By – Tjader
7 Moonlight In Vermont 2:58
Written-By – Blackburn, Sues
8 Bye Bye Blues 3:40
Written-By – Lown, Gray, Bennet, Hamm
9 Manuels Mambo 3:17
Written-By – Duran
10 All The Things You Are 4:10
Written-By – Kern, Hammerstein
11 Blues From Havana 3:13
Written-By – Tjader
Credits :
Bass – Carlos Duran
Congas – Luis Miranda
Piano – Manuel Duran
Tenor Saxophone – Brew Moore
Timbales – Bayardo Velarde
Vibraphone – Cal Tjader

CAL TJADER - Cal Tjader's Latin Concert (1956-1991) RM / APE (image+.cue), lossless

Latin Concert is a pretty good sampling of vibraphonist Cal Tjader's influential Latin jazz of the 1950s. With pianist Vince Guaraldi, bassist Al McKibbon, Willie Bobo on timbales and drums, and the congas of Mongo Santamaria, Tjader's impressive unit performs four of his catchy originals and two by Santamaria in addition to Latinized versions of "The Continental" and Ray Bryant's "Cubano Chant." This highly rhythmic music is hard to dislike. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Viva Cepeda 3:40
Cal Tjader
2     Mood for Milt 3:13
Cal Tjader
3     The Continental 3:40
Con Conrad / Herbert Magidson
4     Lucero 4:26
Cal Tjader
5     Tu Crees Que? 4:47
Mongo Santamaria
6     Mi Guaguanco 4:43
Mongo Santamaria
7     Cubano Chant 4:04
Ray Bryant
8     A Young Love 9:24
Cal Tjader
9     Theme 0:54
Cal Tjader
Credits :
Bass – Al McKibbon
Congas – Mongo Santamaria
Drums, Timbales – Willie Bobo
Piano – Vince Guaraldi
Remastered By – Phil De Lancie
Vibraphone – Cal Tjader 

CAL TJADER - Monterey Concerts (1959-1990) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This two-LP set is the definitive early Cal Tjader album and one of the high points of his career. For a Monterey concert that was considered a preview concert for the 1959 Monterey Jazz Festival, Tjader was teamed up with flutist and altoist Paul Horn, pianist Lonnie Hewitt, bassist Al McKibbon, Willie Bobo (on drums and timbales), and percussionist Mongo Santamaria. Their renditions of Latinized jazz tunes along with a few Latin originals practically define the idiom. Highlights include "Doxy," one of the earliest versions of Santamaria's "Afro Blue" (pre-dating John Coltrane's famous rendition by four years), "Love Me or Leave Me," and "A Night in Tunisia." Essential music for everyone's Latin jazz collection. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Doxy 8:48
Sonny Rollins
2     Afro Blue 6:33
Mongo Santamaria
3     Laura 5:19
Johnny Mercer / David Raksin
4     Walkin' With Wally 10:05
Lonnie Hewitt
5     We'll Be Together Again 5:11
Carl Fischer
6     'Round Midnight 6:06
Thelonious Monk / Cootie Williams
7     Love Me or Leave Me 5:56
Walter Donaldson
8     Tu Crees Que 5:27
Mongo Santamaria
9     S.S. Groove 5:18
John Mosher
10     A Night in Tunisia 6:53
Dizzy Gillespie / Frank Paparelli
11     Bess, You Is My Woman 4:10
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin / DuBose Heyward
12     Lover Come Back to Me 3:11
Oscar Hammerstein II / Sigmund Romberg
13     Tumbao 4:55
Cal Tjader
Credits :
Bass – Al McKibbon
Bongos, Percussion – Mongo Santamaria
Drums, Timbales – Willie Bobo
Flute – Paul Horn
Piano – Lonnie Hewitt
Vibraphone – Cal Tjader 

CAL TJADER - Cal Tjader Plays the Contemporary Music of Mexico and Brazil (1962-2008) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

This 1962 set by Cal Tjader, recorded at the beginning of the bossa nova craze in the United States (released in the same year and on the same label as the smash Jazz Samba by Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd), has one of the most boring titles imaginable, and it doesn't begin to describe the laid-back yet magical innovations in the grooves. Produced by Creed Taylor, the date was arranged and orchestrated by the great pianist Clare Fischer (who also wrote the liner notes). Tjader set out to offer a very modern portrait of the music pouring out of Mexico City by showcasing selected Mario Ruíz Armengol compositions, and out of Brazil by spotlighting numbers by singers such as Elisete Cardoso and João Gilberto. Tjader's vibes are placed in juxtaposition with Fischer's piano and percussion by Changuito, Milt Holland, and Johnny Rae, with a woodwind section that included both Don Shelton and Paul Horn, and even some wordless exotica vocals by Ardeen DeCamp. In addition, Brazilian guitar star Laurindo Almeida helps out on about half the set and contributed "Chôro e Batuque," while Fischer offers "Elisete," named for the singer. The feel here is gentle with infectious rhythms and beautifully wrought woodwinds (check "Se é Tarde, Me Perdoa"), gorgeous piano, and spacious vibes. The arrangements by Fischer certainly represent the era, but they endure into the 21st century because of the shining example of interplay between the percussion and melodies (note the breezy "Silenciosa"). Tjader had been playing samba on records for a number of years by this point, and worked with Getz in 1957, but this was the first place he allowed his own complex yet delightfully subtle melodic (rather than just rhythmic) sensibilities to shine on the vibes. The most remarkable thing about this set is how effortlessly the two traditions blend.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist :
1     Vai Querer 3:04
Hianto De Almeida / Laurindo Almeida / Edú Lobo / Fernando Lobo
2     Qué Tristeza 2:50
Mario Armengol / Mario Ruíz Armengol
3     Meditacao 3:33
Antônio Carlos Jobim / Newton Ferreira De Mendonça
4     Sone 3:09
Mario Armengol / Mario Ruíz Armengol
5     Se é Tarde, Me Perdoa 2:51
Ronaldo Bôscoli / Carlos Lyra
6     Não Diga Nada 2:48
Noacy Mercenes
7     Silenciosa 3:28
Mario Armengol / Mario Ruíz Armengol
8     Elizete 2:31
Clare Fischer
9     Imagen 2:41
Mario Armengol / Mario Ruíz Armengol
10     Tentaço do Incoveniente 2:33
Manoel da Conceição / Augusto Mesquita
11     Preciosa 2:41
Mario Armengol / Mario Ruíz Armengol
12     Choro e Batuque 5:02
Laurindo Almeida
Credits :
Arranged By, Piano, Liner Notes – Clare Fischer
Bass – Freddie Schreiber
Congas – Changuito (faixas: 2, 4, 7, 9, 11)
Drums – Johnny Rae (faixas: 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12)
Guitar – Laurindo Almeida (faixas: 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12)
Percussion – Milt Holland
Producer – Creed Taylor
Timbales – Johnny Rae (faixas: 2, 4, 7, 9, 11)
Voice – Ardeen de Camp (faixas: 2, 4, 7, 9, 11)
Woodwind – Bernie Fleischer (faixas: 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12), Don Shelton, Gene Cipriano (faixas: 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12), John Lowe, Paul Horn 

CAL TJADER - Latino com Cal Tjader (1962-1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Vibraphonist Cal Tjader is heard leading five different groups throughout this set, but the identities of the flutists, bassists, and pianists are less important than knowing that Tjader, Willie Bobo (on drums and timbales), and the great conga player Mongo Santamaria are on every selection. The music really cooks, with torrid percussion, inspired ensembles, and occasional solos from the sidemen (which sometimes include pianists Lonnie Hewitt or Vince Guaraldi, bassist Al McKibbon, and flutist Paul Horn). Highlights include Latinized versions of "Key Largo" and "September Song," "Night in Tunisia," "The Continental," and a definitive version of Santamaria's "Afro Blue." This is Latin jazz at its finest. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Manila [Live] 3:31
Mongo Santamaria
2     Key Largo 3:31
Benny Carter / Karl Suessdorf / Leah Worth
3     Tumbao [Live] 6:43
Cal Tjader
4     Bludan 3:05
Eddie Cano
5     Chispita 3:24
Eddie Cano
6     September Song [Live] 3:42
Maxwell Anderson / Kurt Weill
7     Cal's Pals 3:33
Eddie Cano
8     Para Ti [Live] 3:26
Mongo Santamaria
9     Mamblues [Live] 4:38
Cal Tjader
10     Afro Blue 6:32
Mongo Santamaria
11     Cuban Fantasy 6:30
Ray Bryant
12     Rezo 5:57
Mongo Santamaria
13     Mambo Terrifico 4:21
Jose Lozano
14     A Night in Tunisia 8:35
Dizzy Gillespie / Frank Paparelli
15     The Continental 4:45
Con Conrad / Herb Magidson
Credits :
Bass – Al McKibbon (faixas: 10, 14), Eddie Coleman (faixas: 11, 15), Victor Venegas (faixas: 13, 15)
Congas – Mongo Santamaria
Flute – Paul Horn (faixas: 10), Rolando Lozano (faixas: 13, 15)
Piano – Lonnie Hewitt (faixas: 10-13, 15), Vince Guaraldi (faixas: 14)
Saxophone – Jose "Chombo" Silva (faixas: 14)
Timbales – Willie Bobo
Vibraphone – Cal Tjader

CAL TJADER - Soul Sauce (1964-1994) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Soul Sauce is one of the highlights from Tjader's catalog with its appealing mixture of mambo, samba, bolero, and boogaloo styles. Tjader's core band -- long-time piano player Lonnie Hewitt, drummer Johnny Rae and percussionist's Willie Bobo and Armanda PerazaÑ -- starts things off with a cooled down version of Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo's latin jazz classic "Guachi Guaro (Soul Sauce)". With the help of guitarist Kenny Burrell, trumpeter Donald Byrd, and tenor saxophonist Jimmy Heath they offer up a lively version of Mongo Santamaria's "Afro Blue." Sticking to his music's "Mambo Without a Migraine" reputation, though, Tjader's musicians keep things fairly calm, especially on Latinized ballads such as Billy May's "Somewhere In the Night" and on midtempo swingers like "Tanya." On Soul Sauce Tjader had perfected a middle ground between the brisk, collegiate mambo of his early Fantasy records and the mood-heavy sound of Asian themed albums like Breeze From the East. In the process, he dodged the "Latin lounge" label with an album full of smart arrangements, subtly provocative vibe solos, and intricate percussion backing. by Stephen Cook  
Tracklist :
1 Soul Sauce 2:24
Dizzy Gillespie / Chano Pozo
Percussion – Willie Bobo
2 Afro-Blue 4:27
Mongo Santamaria
Bass – Bob Bushnell, Richard Davis
Drums – Grady Tate
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Guitar – Kenny Burrell
Tenor Saxophone – Jimmy Heath
Trumpet – Donald Byrd
3 Pantano 3:35
Lonnie Hewitt
4 Somewhere In The Night 3:14
 Mack Gordon / Billy May / Josef Myrow / Milt Raskin
5 Maramoor Mambo 4:00
Armando Peraza
6 Tanya 5:28
Lonnie Hewitt
7 Leyte 5:18
Lonnie Hewitt / Cal Tjader
8 Spring Is Here 4:00
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
9 Joao 4:50
Clare Fischer
10 Soul Sauce (Guachi Guaro) 2:30
Dizzy Gillespie / Chano Pozo
11 Monkey Beams 5:40
12 Ming    8:39    
13 Mamblues 3:49
Credits:
Cal Tjader - vibraphone
Lonnie Hewitt - piano
Richard Davis (tracks 2, 11 & 12), John Hilliard (tracks 1, 3-10 & 13) - bass
Grady Tate (tracks 2, 11 & 12), Johnny Rae (tracks 1, 3-10 & 13) - drums (tracks 1, 3-10 & 13)
Willie Bobo, Armando Peraza, Alberto Valdes - percussion
Donald Byrd - trumpet (tracks 2, 11 & 12)
Jimmy Heath - tenor saxophone (tracks 2, 11 & 12)
Kenny Burrell - guitar (tracks 2, 11 & 12)
Bob Bushnell - electric bass (track 2) 

EDDIE PALMIERI / CAL TJADER - Bamboleate (1967-2007) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The second album pairing Palmieri and Tjader, Bamboleate moves beyond El Sonido Nuevo into the respective territories of each artist. "Bamboleate" is the dark Latin cooker ones expects from Palmieri --that persona was all but absent from the more subdued El Sonido Nuevo. "Semejanza" is an equally affecting jazz lilt led by Tjader. Framed by a melody that could have come straight off the Vince Guaraldi Trio's Charlie Brown Christmas album, it has an equally indelible, locomotive rhythm. Tjader's samba, "Samba de Los Suenho," is a welcome departure from the relative rigidity of El Sonido Nuevo. Also vital are the vocal tracks (Palmieri's), but the blatant channel-switching in "Guajira Candela" is an abuse of stereo separation. "Pancho's Seis por Ocho" is typical of the deep, midtempo Afro rhythm of Bamboleate and El Sonido Nuevo. Trombonist Mark Weinstein contributes the closing "Ven y Recibelo (Come an' Get It)," a mod/soul cooker on par with the best of Verve all-stars Tjader, Ogerman, Winding, and Schifrin. Finally, the album was reissued in 1977 as Tico LPS-88806 and distributed by Fania. The reissue at least features illustrations of Tjader and Palmieri by Jose Vargas. by Tony Wilds  
Tracklist :
1     Bamboleate 3:25
Eddie Palmieri
2     We've Loved Before 2:30
Jay Livingston / Henry Mancini
3     Resemblance 5:39
Eddie Palmieri
4     Mi Montuno 5:23
Eddie Palmieri / José Papo Rodríguez
5     Samba Do Sueno 3:53
Cal Tjader
6     Guajira Candela 3:48
Eddie Palmieri
7     Pancho's Seis por Ocho 5:37
Eddie Palmieri
8     Come and Get It 3:02
Mark Weinstein
Credits :
Piano [Uncredited] – Eddie Palmieri
Vibraphone [Uncredited] – Cal Tjader

THE CAL TJADER QUINTET - Latin + Jazz = Cal Tjader (1968-2002) RM / SACD / APE (image+.cue), lossless

Vibraphonist Cal Tjader is in typically fine form on this live set from 1968. His quintet at the time featured Armand Perazza on congas and pianist Joe Kloess and his repertoire ranged from Afro-Cuban jazz to occasional straightahead tunes. Six of the eight selections on this date are originals by band members or Gary McFarland. Although Tjader had been playing this style of music for 15 years by this time, he still was quite creative and enthusiastic, and is heard throughout in excellent form. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Armando's Quajira 4:24
Armando Peraza
2     Armando's Bossa 5:36
Armando Peraza
3     Why Did I Choose You? 3:12
Michael Leonard / Herbert Martin
4     Milo's Other Samba 6:00
Gary McFarland
5     Song for Pat 5:01
Cal Tjader
6     The Touch 6:17
Joe Kloess
7     Colorado Waltz 6:07
Cal Tjader
8     Nica's Dream 4:51
Horace Silver
Credits :
Bass – Paul Warburton
Congas – Armando Perazza
Drums – Mike Buono
Piano – Joe Kloess
Producer – Gary McFarland
Remastered By, Mastered By [SACD Mastering] – Steve Hoffman
Vibraphone [Vibes] – Cal Tjader 

CAL TJADER - Primo (1973-1992) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This CD brings back one of Cal Tjader's best late-period recordings and finds the vibraphonist adapting his 1950s Latin jazz concept to the 1970s without losing any vitality. Tjader is joined by four horns, the legendary keyboardist Charlie Palmieri, electric bassist Bobby Rodriguez, and six percussionists; Tito Puente (who plays timbales on Mario Bauza's "Tanga") and Palmieri provided the heated arrangements. A previously unreleased alternate take of "Bang Bang" is added to the CD reissue. Highly recommended to collectors of Latin jazz. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Mama Aguela 4:10
Tito Rodriguez
2     Bang Bang 4:00
Joe Cuba / Jimmy Sabater
3     Gringo City 5:35
Charlie Palmieri / Cal Tjader
4     Vibe Mambo 3:15
Tito Puente
5     Mambo Show 5:10
Charlie Palmieri
6     Azucar Mama 4:15
Alvarez / Hernandez
7     La Murga Panameña 2:59
Willie Colón / Héctor Lavoe
8     Tanga 3:08
Mario Bauzá
9     El Watusi 1:46
Ray Barretto
10     Bang Bang 6:03 - Bonus Track -
Joe Cuba / Jimmy Sabater
Credits :
Arranged By – Tito Puente
Bass Trombone, Tuba – Jack Jeffers
Bongos – William Rodriguez
Congas – Luis Rodriguez
Electric Bass – Bobby Rodriguez
Engineer [Recording] – Rudy Van Gelder
Keyboards, Arranged By – Charlie Palmieri
Percussion, Vocals – Ismael Quintana, Victor Aviles, Victor Velasquez
Tenor Saxophone – Bobby Nelson
Timbales – Enrique Davila, Tito Puente (faixas: 8)
Trumpet – Jose Merino, Louis Laurita
Vibraphone – Cal Tjader 

CAL TJADER - Black Hawk Nights (2000) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In the late '50s, Cal Tjader and his bands played lengthy engagements at the Black Hawk jazz club in San Francisco. This CD combines almost everything from two albums he recorded there in the late '50s: the entirety of A Night at the Blackhawk, and all songs save one from Live and Direct. This is on the mellow side for Tjader, even by the vibraphonist's standards; if A Night at the Blackhawk is low-energy, Live and Direct is positively sleepy. A Night at the Blackhawk employs an all-star sextet including Willie Bobo on drums, Mongo Santamaria on congas, and Vince Guaraldi on piano. Despite the presence of Bobo and Santamaria though, it's only in the Latin-Afro-Cuban mood about half the time. That's heard on the mambo version of "Stompin' at the Savoy," "I Love Paris," and Dizzy Gillespie's "A Night in Tunisia," the last of which is of course a natural for the Latin-jazz treatment; otherwise it's pretty inside, straight-ahead stuff. Although Live and Direct was billed to the Cal Tjader Quintet, it in fact usually features just a quartet of Tjader, Lonnie Hewitt on piano, Victor Venegas on bass, and Willie Bobo on drums. The leader doesn't even play on "My Romance," a showcase for Hewitt. Latin-Afro-Cuban-jazz fusion is barely evident on the laidback Live and Direct session, except for the high-spirited finale. Actually, the Live and Direct set is rather too much on the polite, even sleepy side: the kind of thing you'd put on to fall asleep to in the wee hours. The pace does pick up for Live and Direct's only Tjader original, "Raccoon Straits," and "Mambo Terrifico," the number that has Santamaria and Lozano on board. by Richie Unterberger 
Tracklist :
1     Stompin' at the Savoy 5:23
Benny Goodman / Andy Razaf / Edgar Sampson / Chick Webb
2     I Hadn't Anyone Till You 8:08
Ray Noble
3     Bill B. 12:05
Cal Tjader
4     Blue and Sentimental 3:05
Count Basie / Mack David / Jerry Livingston
5     I Love Paris 4:34
Cole Porter
6     A Night in Tunisia 9:15
Dizzy Gillespie / Frank Paparelli
7     Autumn Leaves 8:40
Joseph Kosma / Johnny Mercer / Jacques Prévert
8     My Romance 5:11
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
9     Theme from the and the Beautiful 3:46
David Raksin
10     You Stepped Out of a Dream 5:30
Nacio Herb Brown / Gus Kahn
11     Raccoon Straits 6:19
Cal Tjader
12     Mambo Terrifico 4:23
Jose Lozano
Credits :
Bass – Al McKibbon (faixas: 1 to 6), Victor Venegas (faixas: 7 to 12)
Congas – Mongo Santamaria (faixas: 1 to 12)
Drums – Willie Bobo (faixas: 1 to 12)
Piano – Lonnie Hewitt (faixas: 7 to 12), Vince Guaraldi (faixas: 1 to 6)
Tenor Saxophone – Jose Silva (faixas: 1 to 6)
Timbales – Willie Bobo (faixas: 7 to 12)
Vibraphone – Cal Tjader
Note
Tracks 1 to 6 originally released as A Night At The Black Hawk (Fantasy 3283); tracks 7 to 12 on Live And Direct (Fantasy 3315)

CAL TJADER - A Fuego Vivo (1992) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

For one of his final albums, vibraphonist Cal Tjader leads a septet that includes keyboardist Mark Levine, future bandleader Poncho Sanchez on congas and guest altoist-flutist Gary Foster. The Latinized versions of "The Continental" and "Naima" are most memorable but all of the other selections also have their infectious moments. Typically high-quality Latin-jazz from Cal Tjader, one of the idiom's most important pacesetters. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Serenata 6:55
Leroy Anderson
2     Poncho Con Dos Amigos 7:44
Cal Tjader     
3     Mindanao 7:05
Cal Tjader
4     Tesoro 5:37
Gary Foster
5     Santa Domingo 3:27
Mark Levine
6     Naima 5:53
John Coltrane
7     The Continental 6:12
Con Conrad / Herbert Magidson
Credits :
Bass – Rob Fisher
Congas – Poncho Sanchez
Drums – Vince Lateano
Flute, Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Gary Foster
Piano, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Mark Levine
Timbales – Ramon Banda
Vibraphone – Cal Tjader

CAL TJADER - Cuban Fantasy (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Cuban Fantasy consists of previously unissued selections from two 1977 concerts by Cal Tjader at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, though this is anything but an example of clearing out tape vaults simply to issue new product. Joined by pianist Clare Fischer, conga player Poncho Sanchez, guitarist Bob Redfield, bassist Rob Fisher, and drummer Pete Riso, Tjader energizes the crowd with his interpretation of Ray Bryant's infectious "Cuban Fantasy," switching over from vibes to timbales to build it to an exciting climax. Fisher contributed the subtle "Guarabe," while the engaging arrangement of Mongo Santamaria's "Tu Crees Que?" would have had the audience on their feet dancing had this been recorded outdoors. This is one of Cal Tjader's best groups, and it is a shame that this music remained hidden for a quarter century. by Ken Dryden
Tracklist :
1     Cuban Fantasy 6:40
Ray Bryant
2     Guarabe 11:10
Clare Fischer
3     Tamanco No Samba (Samba Blim) 12:13
Orlann Divo / Elton Medeiros
4     Tu Crees Que? 5:54
Mongo Santamaria
5     Silenciosa 7:27
Mario Ruíz Armengol
6     Descarga Cachao 10:25
Cachao
7     Manuel Deeghit 13:16
Cal Tjader
8     Soul Sauce (Guachi Guaro) 7:31
Dizzy Gillespie / Chano Pozo
Credits :
Bass – Rob Fisher
Congas, Percussion – Poncho Sanchez
Drums – Pete Riso
Electric Guitar – Bob Redfield
Electric Piano – Clare Fischer
Vibraphone, Timbales, Percussion – Cal Tjader
Nota
Recorded by Jim Stern in performance at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco: June 17 (#1, 4, 5) and 18 (#2, 3, 6-8), 1977., during the same sessions as the tracks heard on Here (Galaxy 5121, reissued on Fantasy 24743). The music on this CD is previously unissued.

MONGO SANTAMARIA - Afro-Roots (1959-1989) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

A CD reissue of a mid-'70s repackaging of Mongo Santamaria's first two Fantasy albums, 1958's Yambu and 1959's Mongo, Afro-Roots is superb Latin jazz. Although these were Santamaria's first albums as a leader, the conga player had already worked with Pérez Prado, Tito Puente, and Cal Tjader, giving him absolutely impeccable Latin jazz credentials to go along with his obviously amazing chops. Considering that these albums were recorded for a general jazz audience and the tight, concise arrangements don't allow Santamaria room to stretch out as he did in concert (most of the songs are in the two- to three-minute range), Afro-Roots is still an impressively genuine album; although the '50s were the age of Martin Denny-style exotica kitsch, most of these tracks are extremely traditional Cuban music. Some, like "Bata" and "Timbales y Bongo," are simply hypnotic solos on the titular instruments, while others are traditional Afro-Cuban folk songs and chants. The delightful original "Afro Blue," which quickly became a Latin jazz standard, almost sounds out of place in this setting. Allmusic

Tracklist

1. Afro Blue.3:55

2. Che-Que-Re-Que-Che-Que 1:43

3 Rezo 2:10

4 Ayenye 2:38

5 Onyae 3:26

6 Bata 2:27

7 Meta Rumba 3:30

8 Chano Pozo 2:36

9 Los Conguitos 2:10

10 Monte Adentro 3:30

11. Imaribayo 2:00

12. Mazacote 10:33

13. Yeye 3:00

14. Congobel 2:54

15. Macunsere 2:59

16. Timbales Y Bongo 7:10

17. Yambu 4:00

18. Bricamo 4:19

19. Longoito 3:15

20. Conga Pa Gozar 4:04

21. Columbia 4:43

Credits

Bass – Al McKibbon

Congas – Francisco Aguabella, Modesto Duran

Percussion – Carlos Vidal, Mongo Santamaria

Piano – Vince Guaraldi (tracks: B5)

Tenor Saxophone – Jose "Chombo" Silva (tracks: B5)

Timbales – Willie Bobo

Vibraphone – Cal Tjader (tracks: B5)

Flute - Paul Horn