Cal Tjader - Amazonas (1995)

Cal Tjader - Amazonas (1995)
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Genre ~ Latin Jazz, Afro-Cuban | Label ~ Fantasy/OJC

Cal Tjader's Brazilian explorations continue and actually deepen with this release, as he joins forces with a host of progressive young Brazilian musicians, all overseen by producer Airto Moreira. By now, Tjader had figured out how to fit into the blend, doing so by losing himself in the complex mix of Afro-Brazilian rhythms, American funk and 1970s-era electronics, integrating his own identity for the sake of the ensemble. Indeed, Tjader actually appears on marimba on tracks like Joao Donato's "Amazonas" and his collaboration with Hermeto Pascoal, "Mindoro," his playing taking on a more brittle edge as a result. Tjader's Southern Hemisphere cohorts include such emerging luminaries as keyboardist Egberto Gismonti, percussionist Robertinho Silva, the sometimes wild flutist Hermeto Pascoal and on one track, the superb trombonist Raul de Souza. The intricate arrangements are in the hands of George Duke, and so are the funky, occasionally spaced-out keyboard sounds (albeit under the contractually dictated pseudonym "Dawilli Gonga"). CD buyers get a welcome bonus, an extended, impassioned outtake of "Cahuenga." ~Allmusic

Tracklist:
01. Amazonas (4:29)
02. Xibaba (5:55)
03. Mindoro (4:30)
04. Flying (4:11)
05. Corine (5:16)
06. Noa Noa (4:14)
07. Tamanco No Samba (5:33)
08. Cahuenga (4:46)
09. Cahuenga (long version) (9:29)

Personnel:
Cal Tjader - vibes, marimba
David Amaro - electric and acoustic guitars
Dawilli Gonga - electric keyboards
Egberto Gismnti - acoustic piano, syntehesizer
Luiz Alves - bass
Robertinho Silva - drums, percussions
Raul De Souza - trombone (on #6)
Hermeto Pascoal - flute (on #2, 3, 8, 9)
Aloiso Milanez - acoustic piano (on #7)

Produced by Airto (Moreira)
Executive Producer: Orrin Keepnews
Arrangements by George Duke
Recorded at Wally Heider's Recording Studio, Los Angeles; June 1975
Recording and Remix Engineer: Ken Caillat, assisted by Bill Broms
Additional Recording: Eddie Bill Harris, Don Cody (Fantasy Studios)
#9 remixed to digital by David Luke (Fantasy Studios)
Digital remastering, 1994 - Phil De Lancie (Fantasy Studios, Berkeley)
Art Direction & Cover Art: Phil Carroll
Booklet Photo: Bruce Talamon

Thanks to the original uploader.

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Cal Tjader – Soul Bird: Whiffenpoof (2002)

Cal Tjader – Soul Bird: Whiffenpoof (2002)
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Genre ~ Latin Jazz, Afro-Cuban | Label ~ Verve

In the ’60s, R&B was a much larger market than jazz. While John Coltrane or Art Blakey could fill a small club like The Village Vanguard, James Brown and the Temptations were selling out large auditoriums — gone were the days when jazz was very much a part of popular culture and Benny Goodman’s name was all over the pop charts. Soul’s popularity wasn’t lost on Verve, which is why some of Cal Tjader’s ’60s LPs had titles like Soul Sauce and El Sonido Nuevo: The New Soul Sound — Verve wanted the baby boomers who were buying Stax and Motown releases to notice Tjader as well. However, Soul Bird: Whiffenpoof isn’t the R&B-drenched project that some might expect it to be. Tjader’s vibes solos are soulful in that he plays with a lot of feeling, but he isn’t trying to be Marvin Gaye. Produced by Creed Taylor in 1965, Soul Bird: Whiffenpoof is primarily an album of laid-back cool jazz that has strong Latin leanings — Latin as in Afro-Cuban (“Tin Tin Deo”), Latin as in Brazilian (“Samba de Orfeu”). Taylor has always believed that post-swing jazz doesn’t have to be devoid of commercial appeal, and he sees to it that Tjader has a groove-oriented outlook whether he is embracing the standard “How High the Moon” or giving Frank Foster’s “Shiny Stockings” a bossa nova makeover. The funkiest thing on the album is Tjader’s version of Sonny Rollins’ “Doxy,” which he approaches as a boogaloo. But overall, these performances are more cool jazz than soul-jazz. Soul Bird: Whiffenpoof (which Verve reissued on CD in 2002) isn’t among Tjader’s essential albums, but it’s an enjoyable demonstration of the vibist’s ability to be a bit more commercial than usual and still maintain his bop-based integrity. ~Allmusic

Tracklist:
01. The Whiffenpoof Song (2:05)
02. Soul Bird (Tin Tin Deo) (2:41)
03. How High the Moon (4:09)
04. That’s All (2:04)
05. Soul Motion (3:10)
06. Reza (4:10)
07. The Prophet (3:01)
08. Sonny Boy (3:32)
09. Doxy (4:22)
10. Samba de Orfeu (2:02)
11. Shiny Silk Stockings (2:33)
12. Daddy Wong Legs (3:42)

Personnel:
Cal Tjader – vibes
Richard Davis, Terry Hilliard – bass
Paul Griffin, Lonnie Hewitt – piano
Sol Gubin, John Rae, Grady Tate – drums
Armando Pereza – percussion

Original recordings; recorded at A&R Recording, New York City, June 1 and 2, 1965;
and Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, July 21 and 22, 1965
Director of Engineering: Val Valentin
Cover Design: Winfield Bruder
Cover Photo: Courtesy of the American Museum of Natural History
Liner notes by E. Rodney Jones
Produced by Creed Taylor

Reissue; produced by Bryan Koniarz
Mastered by Kevin Reeves at Universal Mastering Studios - East
Production assisted by Austin Brentley and Mark Smith
Art directed by Hollis King
Designed by Isabelle Wong/Isthetic
Art production managed by Sherniece Smith
Executive Producer: Ken Druker

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