Vibes man Cal Tjader

Shoshana - Vibraphonist Cal Tjader


Cal Tjader (1925 -1982) crafted a sleek and distinctive sound in the genre of Latin jazz. His cool jazz vibes atop Afro-Cuban rhythms made for a sonic signature that helped introduce the genre into a mainstream audience.

After high school in the San Francisco area and a stint in the Navy, Cal ended up at San Francisco State College, where he met up with Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond. Tjader graduated in 1950 with a minor in music. With Brubeck, Tjader hit the big time, and he liked it. The years between 1949 and 1951 were spent with Brubeck.

Then, after a short time as leader of his own group, Cal joined George Shearing's Quintet as featured vibraphonist and percussionist. While with Shearing Cal made frequent trips to New York and began listening to the Latin New York bands of Tito Puente and Machito. When Tjader left Shearing, he formed his own group again and began a prolific recording career for Fantasy records.

All of Me - Dinah Washington

1958 Newport Jazz Festival
Dinah Washington, vocals (and vibes!)
Terry Gibbs, vibes; Urbie Green, trombone; Max Roach, drums.

Sophisticated Lady

Music by Duke Ellington (1932); lyrics by Irving Mills & Mitchell Parish.
Chick Corea (piano) & Gary Burton (vibes)



Note: The attribution to Billy Strayhorn, as labeled in the video, is incorrect (Strayhorn did not meet Ellington until six years after this piece was written). Also, Irving Mills (lyrics) was the manager of the Duke Ellington Orchestra until 1939; whether or not he actually wrote the lyrics for which he is credited is widely disputed. The issue was one of royalties. Ellington frequently took credit for music he didn't write; he paid a flat fee for compositions, then credited himself, so that he could collect royalties. Sadly, Billy Strayhorn, who willingly lived his life in the shadow of Ellington, was often on the losing end of many such transactions. Strayhorn, an openly gay black man in the era of extreme homophobia and prejudice, was Ellington's "right hand, left hand, and all the eyes in the back of my head", as stated by Ellington himself. Strayhorn was, however, accurately credited with composing "Take the A Train," Ellington's theme music.