Cal Tjader 2nd Edition: Down the Home Stretch

In early July 2018, following what I thought was the completion of the Cal Tjader 2nd Edition first draft, I came across a Down Beat "Blindfold Test" that Tjader did in 1965. Steven Cerra, a jazz drummer who had briefly filled in on drums for Cal in 1962, had written about the test on his blog Jazz Profiles. This stimulated my interest in both the vibist's '65 encounter with Leonard Feather and his first such test with the late jazz critic in 1961. Gradually I became hooked on researching back issues of Down Beat at San Francisco's Main Library. Initially, the years I deemed most important were covered, but the draw to go back wouldn't let go. All told it took six months––trips were infrequent in August and September due to a pressing family matter––to glean what was needed from mid-1951 to 1982.

How wonderful it was to learn more about the real history of jazz instead of Ken Burns' Jazz, a documentary on the subject that debuted on PBS in January 2001. In a response to a letter I sent, Burns wrote that it was jazz critic and author Gary Giddins who had the most input during the making of the film. Moreover, he let it be known that trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, whom I thought was the main consultant, and Giddins "are polar opposites" when it comes to their perspective on jazz history. Yet the fact that Caucasian jazz musicians––a handful of token exceptions notwithstanding––are denigrated and their contributions, particularly on the West Coast, ignored or minimized, is not the fault of Giddins. That much is apparent from Giddins' commentary on camera. Marsalis was evidently the one who set the tone and direction of the film.

Following Tjader's career in Down Beat was not wholly unfamiliar to me, as I referenced the magazine while compiling research for the Tjader first edition. However, certain truths emerged after  covering such a long period issue by issue. Positively speaking, there were some staff writers that appreciated the depths of Tjader's gifts. On the other hand, more were harder on him than I anticipated, dishing out faint praise to mean-spirited pans. Constructive criticism is warranted at times even for top artists, but certain critics were tactless and nasty.

The material from the Down Beat archives will help readers fully understand the way Tjader was perceived throughout his career. On a personal level, expanding my knowledge of jazz in general was well worth the extensive amount of time spent inside the library. At the same time, I added research from an online newspaper archive to go with the San Francisco Chronicle items already included in the second edition.

All told, the amount of new information discovered exceeded my expectations. The last two chapters (4 and 5) are what remains to be revised; the finish line is near.