THE VINCE GUARALDI TRIO — A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing ... (1957-1994) RM | MONO | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is one of pianist Vince Guaraldi's better sets. Showcased in a San Francisco-based trio with guitarist Eddie Duran and bassist Dean Reilly, Guaraldi plays seven standards plus his own "Like a Mighty Rose" tastefully and with light swing, making this a program that is equally successful as both cool jazz and background music. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing 5:37
Written-By – Billy Strayhorn
2    Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise 3:28
Written-By – Hammerstein, Romberg
3    Yesterdays 4:00
Written-By – Kern, Harbach
4    Like A Mighty Rose 4:03
Written-By – Vince Guaraldi
5    Looking For A Boy 4:06
Written-By – Gershwin-Gershwin
6    Autumn Leaves 4:22
Written-By – Prevert, Mercer, Kosma
7    Lonely Girl 3:23
Written-By – Bobby Troup
8    Willow Weep For Me 5:14
Written-By – Ann Ronell
Credits :
Bass – Dean Reilly
Guitar – Eddie Duran
Piano – Vince Guaraldi

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 - 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 - 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 - 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)

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