Here and There with Cal Tjader by Mark Holston

 © Copyright ® Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.

On paper, Cal Tjader (1925-1982) seemed unlikely to achieve considerable success in Afro-Latin jazz. On disc, however, it was another story. The Swedish-American drummer-turned-vibist came a long way from St. Louis, his hometown, to bring a cool. West Coast sensibility to los ritmos calientes of Latin music. Tjader always hired the best players and discerningly mixed standards, Latin grooves, jazz tunes, and melodic contemporary pop. This was certainly the case on these 1976-77 performances, almost half of them recorded live. The dates also served as a reunion between Tjader and the superb pianist Clare Fischer who, like the leader, was (and is) an Anglo with a complete understanding of the push and pull of Latin styles.

Tracks 1-6 were originally issued as Guarabe [Fantasy 9533] and the remaining tracks, with the exception of Gary’s Tune not included due to reasons of space limitations on the disc, were released on Here [Galaxy 5121].

There are a lot of lessons to be learned and insights to be gleaned from the following sleeve notes by Mark Holston to Cal Tjader: Here and There not the least of which is how misleading cultural stereotypes can be when it comes to those musicians who perform Latin Jazz.

And Mark is “right-on-the-mark” when it comes to identifying the elements that made Cal Tjader one of the most successful, artistically and commercially, musicians to ever play Latin Jazz, not the least of which is to keep things simple and work with the best musicians available.

Another thing to listen for is how, as the author Ted Gioia has observed, Cal doesn’t overplay the vibes; he let’s them breathe. The instrument almost becomes a horn in his hands.

Happily and thanks to an early interest in the music in large part sparked by Cal Tjader, Mark Holston today writes about Latin Jazz for Jazziz, Americas, NY Latino, Hispanic, arid Latina Style magazines.

© Copyright ® Mark Holston/Concord Music Group, copyright protected; all rights reserved.

“It would  have been easy to brush off the request for an interview from a neophyte Jazz journalist, but that wasn't Cal's style. Instead, he probably sacrificed much-needed rest to meet me in the lobby of his Edmonton, Alberta hotel to spend an amiable half hour indulging me in my pursuit of information about two favorite subjects, Cal Tjader and Latin jazz.

After all, in 1981 jazz journalism in the U.S. was virtually dominated by Down Beat, a magazine that had in recent years stretched the definition of jazz to the breaking point by lavishing coverage on blues, rock, and even country music personalities — just about everybody, it seemed, but Cal Tjader. JazzTimes was a struggling newcomer to the scene and Jazziz had yet to be conceived. Publications like New York Latino and Latin Beat, today's champions of the Latin jazz movement, wouldn't emerge for over a decade. Cal, just like his music, was way ahead of his time.

So, it wasn't surprising a month or so later, after having submitted a proposal to Down Beat to consider a Tjader piece, to open a letter from the editor and find the terse reply: "Cal Tjader is not in our plans at this time."

One can imagine an editorial staffer sniffing, "Not cutting-edge enough." Another may have added, "After all, Latin jazz really isn't to be taken seriously, is it?" And, Tjader's career had been tainted by that most fatal of sins: he was far too popular. Yeah, Cal always appealed more to the fans than the critics.

But back to our brief interview, conducted right after he had been paired with conga player Mongo Santamaria and his band for a performance at Edmonton's annual International Jazz Festival. Seeing Cal and Mongo reunited more than two decades after their historic late 1950s association underscored what made the vibraphonist so unique: he was easily the most successful non-Latino musician to perform the style, but he never crossed the line and tried to "go Latin." Just as Mongo struggled with English, Cal spoke his few words of Spanish with a bad tourist accent. He moved a bit stiffly on stage, probably wishing his body would just surrender to the hypnotic Afro-Cuban beat and get it over with, but remaining until the end a hostage of his thoroughly Anglo, Midwestern upbringing.

To his credit, Cal never went native. The crew cut, horn-rimmed glasses, conservative attire, and low-key demeanor all seemed to reinforce the simple fact that, when it came to the music he loved, Cal Tjader was one serious cat.

His stories about discovering the Latin scene in the Fifties, and beginning the transition from sideman for such mainstream jazz stalwarts as Dave Brubeck and George Shearing to unparalleled success as a Latin jazz bandleader, were still related with a certain sense of awe. It's entirely likely that during any given performance over the years, Cal caught himself thinking, "Wow, is this really happening to me?"

And his knowledge of Latin music, although undoubtedly encyclopedic, could be boiled down to a few simple pointers. "Keep it basic," he said, when asked about the rhythmic aspect of his style. "The first thing I learned when I started to hang around the Latin guys is just how easy it is to mess things up, to lose the groove. Everything has to be in its proper place, in harmony with what all of the other rhythm players are doing." Sounds simple, but few leaders—including some major-league Latin musicians—have managed to consistently produce the smooth blend of jazz improvisation and authentic Afro-Cuban rhythms with which Cal became synonymous.

The second and equally important part of the Tjader formula can be found in his choice of musicians. From famous names to new kids on the block, Cal had a knack for finding and employing marvelously talented musicians who would readily set egos aside for the collective good, for achieving that patented Tjader sound.

The 11 tracks on Here and There present Cal in the company of two exemplary, long-serving associates, keyboardist Clare Fischer and conguero Poncho Sanchez.

Fischer, an influential early pioneer in both Latin jazz and Brazilian bossa nova movements, was one of Tjader's longest serving and most simpstico pianists. He remains active in both genres to this day, leading a popular Latin jazz ensemble and writing arrangements for none other than bossa guru Joao Gilberto.

Sanchez, whose seven-year tenure with Cal more than prepared him for a career as a leader, has been propelled in recent years to the very front ranks of Latin jazz stardom. A devoted Tjaderite, Poncho's current album, Soul Sauce, is a tribute to his mentor, the latest in a recent spate of recordings by such artists as vibraphonist Victor Mendoza and the Estrada Brothers that have effectively evoked the Tjader touchstone.

Representing all but one cut from two mid-Seventies albums, Guarabe and Here, the collection captures the Tjader sound at the peak of its small-group-format evolution. Sans the horn section and soloists that shaped his earliest forays into the Latin jazz, these sessions, with long-form arrangements, focused more attention on the improvisational talents of Cal and Fischer and less on the typical structure common in many more routine Latin jazz dates.

The album also reminds us of Cal's legendary good taste and love of songs with strong melodic interest. "Where Is Love," given a tender bolero treatment, is a case in point. "This Masquerade," the Leon Russell hit that made George Benson a pop superstar, was recorded just months after the guitarist hit platinum with it. Bob Redfield delivers some of Benson's Wes Montgomery-derived flair and offers another insight into Tjader's genius. His ear was quick to recognize worthy material when he heard it, whether it sprang from the pop music realm or the most obscure Latin American sources. Also, his use of a guitarist provided an element all but unused in Latin jazz but highly effective in this small-group setting. Always respectful of tradition, Cal never hesitated to break the mold if it resulted in more compelling performances.

Highlights abound on Here and There. "Reza," a rousing Afro-Brazilian theme from the Sixties, is invigorated in its translation to the Afro-Cuban idiom. "Black Orchid," a lovely Tjader original that taps a lush exotic mood, features Cal on marimba and radiates the flavor of Latin jazz a new generation of fans today considers to be the essence of hipness. "Tu Crees Clue," a Mongo Santamaria tune, ignites memories of Cal's heady early days as a Latin jazz trailblazer. "Liz-Anne," a charming jazz waltz inspired by Cal's daughter, reveals the full, elegant range of his vastly underrated abilities as a soloist. "Morning," the Clare Fischer standard, and the beguiling "Here" emerge as quintessential Tjaderesque takes.

If Cal were alive today — he passed away in 1982 — he would undoubtedly be overjoyed at the growth and current popularity of Latin jazz, the recognition of the style by the Grammy Awards, and the continued success of such former colleagues as Clare Fischer, Poncho Sanchez, and a host of others.

The innumerable contributions he made over the years, symbolized by the level of enthusiasm and artistry displayed on Here and There, all but guaranteed the style's longevity and contagious popular appeal. There's no doubt that Cal Tjader's timeless music will delight fans new and old for many years to come.”

- Mark Holston,  1996