Soul Bird: Whiffenpoof - Cal Tjader

 

Soul Bird

Soul Bird: Whiffenpoof

Cal Tjader

Produced by Creed Taylor

Cover Photo: Courtesy of the American Museum of Natural History

Cover Design: Winfield Bruder

Director of Engineering: Cal Valentin

Recorded at A&R Recording, New York City - June 1 and 2, 1965 (Engineering by Phil Ramone)

Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey - July 21 and 22, 1965 (Engineering by Rudy Van Gelder)

Verve V-8626

1965

Vibes - Cal Tjader

Bass - Richard Davis & Terry Hilliard

Piano - Paul Griffin & Lonnie Hewitt

Drums - Sol Gubing, John Rae & Grady Tate

Percussion - Armando Peraza (on Reza only)

From the back cover: Does anyone remember the Cal Tjader was one of the primary reasons for the early success of the Dave Brubeck group (then a quintet)?

His imaginative addition to the gourd's charts was, for almost two years, one of the pillars upon which the small aggregation built a reputation for interesting treatments of tunes, both one and new, that made North California the capital of a "new sound" in jazz.

With the group Tjader played everything from drums to tuba, and gave the group sound of happy professionalism and all-contained musicality. On the Fantasy label they recorded a kind of disciplined (at that time, far out) jazz that appeared to the hipper segment of the American jazz-wize record buyer.

In 1951 Cal formed his own group, varying from seven to four pieces, depending on the economic climate that changed almost daily. Working in and around San Francisco, Tjader often farmed himself out to any group that could pay his price and sustain a consistent high level of musical interest. 

Tjader and the Latin American marvel, Tito Puente, would get together sometimes for long, moving sessions that became the talk of the Bay Area. Tjader infused the rhythmic excursions of Puente with a swinging, good humored, solidly-based jazz that started a ten-year trend in both kinds of music.

But Tjader remained an independent in his jazz-attitude. Over the years at every new gig, on each succession of records, the transition of the many-side jazzman could be heard.

A thorough musical who lays any instrument well. Tjader created groups that reflected his current feeling about America's only contribution to eh the world of art. At various times his groups have included tymbalies, bongos, maracas, and any number of strange and exotic instruments. Not for mere effect are these many attempts at different sounds, but on the contrary, they were meaningful attempts at digging into the depths of the rhythmic-harmonic possibilities of jazz.

Now Tjader has reached still another plateau in his musical life, SOUL. What are the consequences of this new emergence?

You have to hear it to believe it. You have to hear the re-assessment of the spirit of jazz as evidenced in Tjader's treatment of SOUL. You have to hear the humor that reflects a compassionate understand of everything that preceded what we call SOUL. You have to hear the head-shaking, groovily funky improvisations that are the roots of SOUL.

Maybe, you've already heard it on Cal's recent big hit single record – Soul Sauce. That was the title of an album, too (Verve V/V6-8614), and one that was also very pillar all over. Cal state something when he moved into his exploration of SOUL. This set continues that musical experience.

Drop the needle lightly on Tjader's newest artful effort, and listen to the most profound realization of what jazz can be, and how deep SOUL can go. – Notes by E. Rodney Jones - WVON, Chicago, Ill.

The Whiffenpoof Song

Soul Bird (Tin Tin Dao)

How High The Moon

That's All 

Soul Motion

Beza

The Prophet

Sonny Boy

Doxy

Samba De Orfeu

Shiny Silk Stockings

Daddy Wong Legs