Cal Tjader: Extremes

CAL TJADER
EXTREMES

Fantasy
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Extremes is a collection that includes Cal Tjader's very first recording, made in 1951, for Fantasy and his last for the label (released on Fantasy subsidiary Galaxy Records), recorded in 1977. The first, The Cal Tjader Trio, was originally released on a 10-inch LP and is available on CD for the first time. The last album, Breathe Easy, is a quintet date and in many way harkens back to Tjader's classic quintet work on Monterey Concerts and the recently issued Concerts in the Sun.

The Cal Tjader Trio was comprised of the first eight tracks on this release. The first four feature feature Tjader, pianist Vince Guaraldi, a fellow San Francisco State College attendee and accompanist to the Peanuts gang, and bassist Jack Weeks. On tracks 5-8 Guaraldi is replaced by John Marabuto, who played with tenor saxophonist Brew Moore on quite a few dates. The mood is breezy and light throughout, but that doesn't mean there aren't some heavy musical moments. The interplay within the group is excellent, and you can easily forget that you are listening to a basically drummerless trio (Tjader provides bongos on the opener, "Chopsticks Mambo" and plays drums on "Three Little Words" and "Ivy"). Both pianists are excellent foils for Tjader's cool yet not cerebral vibraphone work. "Ivy" is a particularly lovely track, with Tjader hand drumming while Marabuto gives a beautiful reading of the melody before embarking on a lively solo. This is not the type of album that aims to bowl the listener over with the new and striking, instead insinuating itself into the listener's conciousness with a whispered intimacy.

The Breathe Easy tracks provide an expanded lineup that is welcome, as pianist Hank Jones does some really great electric piano work. Monty Budwig on bass and Shelly Manne on drums provide solid support, while trumpet player Allen Smith, another Bay Area musician, acquits himself well on "If You Could See Me Now" and "When Lights Are Low." Nonetheless, Tjader and Jones are the stars throughout, supporting, buttressing, and competing with one another in a set of performances that are as good as anything that was going in 1977.

Extremes doesn't pack the Latin punch of some of Tjader's work for Verve, but listeners who only know that side of his work are missing some exquisite jazz that manages to be thoughtful while at the same time swinging as well as anything you've heard. Both of these albums are gems, and collected together on one CD they provide a snapshot of the development of an incredibly influential, but often unsung, jazz musician.

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