DISC 1
- Serengeti
- Linda Chicana
- Aleluia
- Evil Ways
- Close Enough for Love
- Roger’s Samba
- Quietly There
- Besame Mucho
- Mambo Mindoro
- Don’t Look Back
- Bye Bye Blues
DISC 2
- Speak Low
- Will you Still be Mine?
- Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing
- Cuban Fantasy
- Guachi Guara (Soul Sauce)
- Naima
- Shoshana
- The Continental
- Santo Domingo
- Mindano
Cal Tjader – Vibraphone with collective personnel
Ramon Banda – Timbales & Percussion
Al Bent – Trombone
Bob Fisher – Bass
Garry Foster – Soprano
Roger Glenn – Flute & Percussion
Scott Hamilton – Tenor Saxophone
Mike Heathman – Trombone
Hank Jones – Piano
Vince Lateano – Drums & Percussion
Mark Levine – Piano & Fender Rhodes
Mundell Lowe – Guitar
Carmen McCrae – Vocals
Marshall Orwell – Piano
Poncho Sanchez – Conga & percussion
Dean Reilly – Bass
This two CD album was recorded
between 1979 and 1982, the time of Cal Tjader’s
untimely death from a heart attack. The
album is a composite made from many of the
albums he recorded for the Concord label.
Unfortunately my review copy did not have
a sleeve note so I have found it difficult
to unravel who plays on which track, no
matter however the music is absolutely stunning!
Cal started his musical
career in the big time as the drummer in
the Dave Brubeck Band, which is of course
a very good place to start! After his stint
with Brubeck finished he switched to Vibraphone,
played with the George Shearing Quintet
for a while before forming a Latin Jazz
band which within a very short space of
time was in the same league as his former
bosses and in great demand everywhere. In
his early bands he latched on to the best
Latin music talent around hiring the likes
of Mongo Santamaria, Tito Puente and Willie
Bobo they provided the authentic sounds
that made the band such a success.
Cal was never really a
threat to Milt Jackson when it came to vibes
playing, but as he demonstrates on these
two CD’s, he was still a very good player.
It was the band that was important to Cal
and he was not in the slightest bit concerned
that some sideman would steal the show,
it was the band that was important to him!
There are some tracks which
feature that excellent vocalist Carmen McRae,
a far from obvious combination, but one
that works very well, she sounds very happy
singing with Cal’s Band.
I wish I had seen a live
show by the band, the audiences on the live
recordings are so enthusiastic and the music
so full of energy and excitement, they must
have been very special nights.
There is some great flute
playing and a lot of fine musical performances
here to make this record a very good buy;
I recommend it without hesitation.
Don Mather
CD Reviews
Concord
CCD2-2228-2 
