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 a while as pianist and contributor to the band's songbook ("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 in 1961 to Verve, 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 in 1979 moved over to the new Concord Picante label, where he remained until his death. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide
