Expanded Edition: Adding to the Cal Tjader Saga

I will always be proud of how the first edition of my Cal Tjader biography turned out. However, when reading Derrick Bang's Vince Guaraldi at the Piano during the first half of 2014, I instantly realized that the Tjader book could be improved upon and decided that a revised and expanded edition would rectify the issue. David Alff, my editor at McFarland, was open to the idea as long as I met two important stipulations: One, a healthy amount of new material must be provided and two, publication would be a few years away. Following a year of work on a collection of mystery short stories, I brainstormed about what could be included and the excitement increased.


For a variety of reasons, there were people I hadn't interviewed the first time around, Second, more questions came to mind for the former Tjader colleagues I mention in the next paragraph. Third, even though a tremendous amount of research had been completed by December 2012, I, along with an assist from Derrick Bang, discovered a few print sources that yielded additional information.


All in all, the expanded edition will contain fresh anecdotes from bassist Eddie Coleman and Bob Redfield, excerpts of my lengthy interview with Tjader's lifelong friend Philip Smith, as well as revelations from former sidemen Carl Burnett and Stan Gilbert and one-time Concord Records producer Frank Dorritie. Moreover, my new research revealed more Tjader interviews, including, to my knowledge, the earliest one in his career; more of San Francisco Chronicle music critic Ralph J. Gleason's early coverage of Tjader and ultimate disinterest in the progression of his career, additional gigs––many with background information and or other specific details––and bonus photos.

Bringing the First Cal Tjader Biography to the Public

When the above biography was published on August 23, 2013, I knew that it would not be available in general interest bookstores. McFarland's primary business model is to invest in good production values, price their books high and sell to universities and libraries. Generating publicity for the online market largely falls on their authors.

I started word-of-mouth with Cal Tjader's family, friends and former associates before making an appearance at San Francisco's Bird & Beckett Books on October 25, 2013. The owner, Eric Whittington, is a jazz buff with a small wooden stage inside his store. He regularly presents writers and poets reading from their work and musical performances, especially those featuring jazz. I was given a five-minute spot during an intermission to promote my book. Initially nervous, I relaxed once I looked out over the small audience of 25 or so; I realized that making eye contact made all the difference, whether the person seemed interested in the subject matter or not.

During the following two months, I made excerpts of my book available online. JazzWest published an excerpt from chapter two on November 28, 2013. Unfortunately, Wayne Saroyan, the website's originator, no longer has an archive section. However, the second excerpt, from chapter 3, was published by Michael Ricci at allaboutjazz.com on December 16, 2013 and is archived: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=46100

Next, in 2005, Derrick Bang, author of Vince Guaraldi at the Piano (McFarland 2012), as well as books about the Peanuts comic strip, and I became acquainted via his Peanuts website while I was researching the Tjader bio. At first, I just fed him information about Guaraldi's years with Tjader, but by January 2010, our correspondence expanded when Derrick decided to write a biography about the pianist. Over the subsequent two years, we shared research and upon publication of his book, we discussed how to best get the word out.

For his part, Derrick informed Don Shor at KDRT, a radio station in Davis, CA, about my biography. Schor, host of Jazz After Dark, planned to do a special tribute to Tjader in honor of the publication. Instead of an interview, the deejay asked me if I could recommend any music. I gave him twelve tunes that spanned the course of the vibraphonist's career. He was able to acquire eleven of those and then picked three of his own for the one hour show. Although the station's website removes podcasts of its shows after two weeks, Shor graciously gave me a link to the show from his server:

http://davisgardenshow.com/Jazz_After_Dark/2014_playlists/JazzAfterDarkApril082014CalTjader.mp3 The show takes about twenty seconds or so to load. Also, a playlist is available on this link:

https://kdrt.org/program-playlist/jazz-after-dark-playlist-04082014

Second, Derrick referred me to Richard A. "Doc" Stull, a jazz historian based in Humboldt County, CA. In his spare time, Stull reviews two or three jazz books each year and posts them online with in-depth author interviews at New Books in Jazz. Well prepared and affable, he interviewed me on May  22, 2014, and the resulting podcast was made available on December 18 of the same year. The review and one hour interview are accessible on this link: http://newbooksnetwork.com/s-duncan-reid-cal-tjader-the-life-and-recordings-of-the-man-who-revolutionized-latin-jazz-mcfarland-2013-2/

Third, Derrick brought a half-dozen or so radio stations to my attention. In the end, Insight with Beth Ruyak, a current affairs program on Capitol Public Radio's station in Sacramento, CA, booked me for an interview to celebrate Tjader's ninetieth birthday. Ruyak, who asked me to pick several tunes, taped the eighteen-minute interview a few days ahead of the air date––July 16, 2015. Like Stull, she had done her homework. The show went very well and can be accessed on this link:

www.capradio.org/52613

 More coverage: James Harrod, a jazz historian whom I mentioned in my first post, pointed Steven Cerra, a veteran jazz musician with a blog, in my direction. Mr. Cerra had read my book, posted––on July 5, 2014––many excerpts of it, and added some of his own positive commentary. (http://www.jazzprofiles.blogspot.com/2014/07/cal-tjader-certain-smooth-elegance-la.html). Also in July 2014, Mojo: The Music Magazine, an internationally distributed publication based in London, England, gave my labor of love a glowing review. Like the Cerra blog, this was a pleasant surprise, as Charles Waring, the critic, had not been prompted by me. Instead, he must have acquired a copy from McFarland's London office.

Finally, there was an important event that occurred before the book came out. Allen Thayer, a freelance writer who occasionally is published in Wax Poetics, a nationally distributed magazine based in Brooklyn, NY, said that his editor wanted me to write a long piece that focused on Tjader's achievements as a Latin jazz bandleader and vibraphonist. I was happy to do it, since Cal is best remembered for his pioneering work in the field. One thing to keep in mind when clicking on the following link (http://www.waxpoetics.com/features/articles/vibraphonist-cal-tjader-one-first-american-jazz-musicians-embrace-latin-music), however; I did not write the preface to the article, published in November 2011. Here is the conclusion of the preface: "Throughout his career, Cal Tjader would coat that salsa on everything he played." This statement is absurd. As documented in my biography, Tjader embraced Cuban and Puerto Rican dance music, for which the catch-all term "salsa" applies. He was not only a master at blending the aforementioned musical forms with jazz but also incorporated popular Brazilian styles and European classical. But his first and greatest love was straight-ahead jazz, which is an amalgam of influences itself, and part of his substantial recorded output reflects that. Cal Tjader/Stan Getz Sextet, San Francisco Moods and Breathe Easy are just a few of examples of this.

"Big Eyes" Gives Nod to Cal Tjader

Big Eyes, directed by Tim Burton and released on Christmas Day in 2014, is the tragic but ultimately triumphant story of Margaret Keane, whose cloying paintings of children with abnormally large eyes initially gained popularity in 1958 when she met a successful real estate salesman named Walter Keane. She had recently left her first husband in an unnamed part of northern California and settled in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood with one daughter. Following a brief courtship, the couple married. Concurrently, Keane enjoyed visiting Enrico Banducci's hungry i nightclub and was able to talk the outgoing owner into displaying Margaret's work.

On the plus side, the hungry i is featured prominently in the early going and Cal Tjader's band does appear on stage a few times. In addition, during the film's first musical sequence, Banducci exhorts the club audience to express their appreciation for Tjader. However, none of the band members are shown clearly in that scene or in subsequent shots; one could think of them as jazzy apparitions. Timothy Van Cleave wears Tjader's trademark horn-rimmed glasses; the other men go uncredited.

The following are minor caveats. To my knowledge, Tjader never played at the hungry i, his local mainstay during this period being the Blackhawk, located at the corner of Turk and Hyde in the Tenderloin district. That being said, Tjader was a strong presence in North Beach at El Matador, sited at 492 Broadway, from December 1964 to 1976. As a result, one can overlook the harmless artistic license here and elsewhere. For a second example, the marquee announces "The Cal Tjader Quartet" and "The Vince Guaraldi Trio." In reality, Tjader fronted a quintet, though the group did shrink to a quartet when playing straight-ahead tunes. In fact, the late Oakland Tribune jazz critic Russ Wilson coined the term "quantet" to describe the vibraphonist's unique format. Third, Vince Guaraldi's trio did play at the hungry i, but the diminutive pianist––excluded from the movie––was a regular with Tjader's band in 1958.

The soundtrack to Big Eyes contains three selections from Tjader's repertoire: "Bludan" (Eddie Cano), "Tropicville" (Cal Tjader) and "A Minor Goof" (Brew Moore). "Bludan" and "Tropicville" are cover versions by the musicians in the cast––Cal probably would have enjoyed their work––and "Goof" is from Tjader's 1956 LP Cal Tjader Quintet. The first two originally appeared on the LPs Demasiado Caliente (1960) and Latin Kick (1956), respectively.

For those new to Tjader who would like to delve further than the soundtrack, Cal Tjader Quintet is paired with Tjader Goes Latin (1959) on the CD Black Orchid, Demasiado Caliente is paired with Latino! (1960) on Latino! and Latin Kick stands alone. On a straight-ahead note, "A Minor Goof" was first taped by Tjader in 1955 for the LP/CD Tjader Plays Tjazz; Brew Moore is featured on tenor sax.

In sum, the tragedy of Margaret Keane was that she let Walter take credit for her paintings. Although his gift for marketing made the couple a fortune during the early 1960s, the deceit took its toll on the marriage. His seductive charm gave way to verbal abuse and menacing behavior, particularly after a huge Keane painting was given a scathing review by the New York Times in 1964. Shortly thereafter, Margaret took her child and moved to Honolulu. Once the divorce was legal, she finally mustered up the strength to take Walter to court and prove that she was the real artist. That was her triumph.

For the record, Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz, who play Margaret and Walter Keane, were both justly nominated for Golden Globe awards. Adams won as Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy. This is odd, because Big Eyes does not fit in either category. Maybe the voters couldn't bear to trim another actress from the Drama category and yet did not want to overlook Adams.

Tjader's Main Guitar Man: Bob Redfield

Early in January, his wife of 22 years, Shirley, phoned me and said Bobby had died of liver cancer on December 20, 2014 at the age of 77. Redfield preferred that his friends call him Bobby but didn't mind when I shortened it. Shirley and I talked for about fifteen-twenty minutes; she was in a mood to reminisce. I told her that in the course of researching my Tjader biography, Bob and I became fairly well acquainted. Since Bob lived in southern California (Laguna Hills) and neither of us traveled to meet in person, our periodic conversations were on the phone, beginning in September 2006.

Shirley confided that her marriage was a happy one. Bob was close to his grown children and had an equally remarkable rapport with his grandchildren. As she continued to carry out the mundane tasks of daily life, little things around the house reminded her of Bob, such as his address book, toothbrush and where he liked to sit. He enjoyed golf and spending time at the beach, especially following his retirement. In both his musical and personal life, his integrity was ever present. Tenderness and humor was balanced with toughness; he did not tolerate obnoxious behavior.

In March 2009, Redfield let me know that he had been through chemotherapy for colon cancer and that the disease was in remission. He described what a toll the treatment took on his body but maintained a positive attitude about his future. Unfortunately, several years later, the cancer reemerged in his liver. Still and all, his outlook, unlike many in his position, was hopeful.

Redfield's initial association with Cal Tjader began when he sat in with the vibist's quintet for three days (October 31-November 2, 1972) at the Dry Dock, a club in Newport Beach, CA. The guitarist was quickly upgraded to featured guest status during Tjader's subsequent southern California tours. For the better part of 1973, he joined the combo, most often at former bassist Howard Rumsey's Concerts by the Sea in Redondo Beach, CA. But it was not until mid-1976 that Redfield became a steady member of the fold. Over the next year and a half, he was on stage for most of Tjader's gigs, including the Concord and Monterey Jazz Festivals and a brief tour of Japan.

The fact that the guitar had rarely been used in Latin jazz bands up through the 1970s did not faze Cal Tjader; he had a history of breaking new ground. Bob Redfield (Robert Peter Leyva was his birth name) was proud of being the only guitarist to be showcased regularly in a Tjader band. Having learned from West Coast jazz greats such as Frank Rosolino and played for the Righteous Brothers early in his career, Redfield's sound was a mixture of rock and jazz-blues. In this quote from my biography, the guitarist described the influence Tjader, his roommate on the road, had on his life: "I feel very honored to have played with Cal. It's the highlight of my life. Cal was a mentor to me.... I didn't know anything about [Cuban] music when I started playing with Cal; I could play bossa novas, but I really didn't understand mambos.... Cal and Poncho [Sanchez] taught me how.... Cal and I became real good friends. Even after I left the band, we continued to [stay in touch]."

Addendum: A day or two after Shirley contacted me, I received a phone call from Antonie Boessenkool, a reporter for the Orange County Register. She was writing an obituary on Redfield and had been referred to me by Shirley. The interview lasted roughly fifteen minutes and the resulting final goodbye can be accessed on this link: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/jazz-647567-redfield-guitar.html

The tribute turned out well, but, in one instance, she misquoted me:

"[Redfield] was the only regular guitar player in any of Cal's Latin jazz bands. He was very proud of that," Reid said. "He really brought the guitar into that sound, and it wasn't really something you would hear in most Latin jazz bands. He was unique, different. He innovated in a lot of ways." 

The first two sentences are accurate, of course. However, the "He" I referenced at the start of the third sentence was Cal Tjader. I had made that clear to her. Later, my request for a correction went unanswered.

I will end with an editorial on the Boessenkool article's quotes from Poncho Sanchez, Tjader's conguero or conga player during Redfield's tenure in the band. First, when I spoke to Sanchez about Redfield, he was decidedly underwhelmed by his former bandmate's guitar playing. In fact, he even went so far as to say, erroneously, that Redfield had not been a true member of the group, that Tjader had only let him sit in. Second, the idea that Redfield loved Cuban jazz because it was "in his blood" is ridiculous. Leyva being a Spanish surname does not necessarily signify a connection to said music. For example, Sanchez is an American who first heard Cuban jazz on the records that his brother collected. The music––Mexican folklorico from two separate regions––that his parents played at home was very different. Ultimately, whatever culture Redfield was exposed to by his father, it had nothing to do with the Cuban musical experience. As the late guitarist noted in a quote I highlighted earlier in this post, he initially learned the concepts of Cuban jazz while in Tjader's ensemble.

  
Bob Redfield can be heard on the following Cal Tjader records:

Puttin' it Together (CD is not available as of this writing)

Guarabe (CD: Here and There)

Here (CD: Same as above)

Tokyo Debut (Art Pepper's LP and subsequent CD features the Cal Tjader Sextet)

Cuban Fantasy (Posthumously issued CD)

A Cal Tjader Favorite: Paul Horn

Paul Horn died on June 29, 2014 at the age of 84, but I didn't become aware of the sad news until Australian didgeridoo player Stephen Kent––identifying a track by his former colleague–– mentioned it on the radio in January of 2015. Horn is well known as a pioneer of spiritual or "New Age" music, beginning with recordings made during his first trip to India in 1967 and especially Inside the Taj Mahal––his beautiful flute sounds were taped on location on April 25, 1968. He went forward to have a highly successful career making albums of this nature, including Inside the Great Pyramid (1976), Inside Canyon de Chelly (1997), Inside Monument Valley (1999)––the latter two with American Indian (Navajo & Ute) flutist R. Carlos Nakai––and many others.

Lesser known, especially to the ears of Horn's younger listeners, was his superlative career as an innovative jazz musician, both as a sought after sideman and leader. Something Blue and Profile of a Jazz Musician are among his acclaimed LPs. I first came into contact with Paul while researching my Cal Tjader biography. I interviewed him by phone––he spent winter/spring in Tuscon, Arizona and summer/fall on Cortes Island, off the coast of British Columbia––on January 27, 2005. He was irritable during the start of our late conversation––possibly the result of a rough day––but then relaxed and spoke about his early years in jazz and more than six-year (Summer of 1958-1964) association with Tjader. Although memories of specific events were few, Horn offered some keen insights about the jazz scene, as highlighted in this passage:  

"In general, [Tjader} was just really a likable guy. I never saw him get upset or loose his temper. He was even keeled. Everything just went smooth, man. The way it should be. The way it was basically with my bands too. If you are going to have a small group, four or five pieces, Dave Brubeck is a perfect example of this, it’s a family. It’s built on mutual respect, a love for the music and just having a good time when you are together. Otherwise, you can’t play the music. The music evolves out of the relationship of the guys in the band. It’s not just that they’re all good musicians and they are all playing their instruments great. ...It’s that feeling of camaraderie, if you will, and playing together a lot and hanging out. When you are on the road, after the gig, usually everyone doesn’t just go their own way. You might get something to eat. ...Then he magic starts happening in the band. It’s like the extra sensory things when you’re improvising or just have no idea of what you are going to do next. You’re just there in the moment. You can get five great musicians individually and put them together for the first time and that “X” factor is not going to be there. That only comes from working together and hanging out, a family type of arrangement."

In October of 2005, Horn performed in concert with Stephen Kent at San Francisco's Grace Cathedral. The concert exposed attendees to exotic sounds––a variety of flutes, some from other parts of the world, and several didgeridoos–– that were right in tune with this majestic venue. Afterwards, Horn and I had a friendly conversation concerning his music. He mentioned that he had continued to play (and occasionally record) jazz over the years. In fact, he had recently played in southern California with vibist Emil Richards and other former musical associates. He smiled when he recounted how fun it was to bring back the old charts. Although we spoke of getting together again, the distance between us and his schedule were obstacles. However, we did stay in touch by phone, both for follow-up interviews and discussions about what was going on in our lives, such as his marriage to Canadian vocalist/songwriter Ann Mortifee, their musical collaborations, the wedding of one of his children, the tranquility of life at a cabin he shared with Mortifee on Cortes Island and the warm winters of Tucson, among other things. He had a healthy ego, but not of the negative kind; the feeling was pride in what he had accomplished. Moreover, he displayed a genuine interest not only in the progress I was making with the Tjader project but my personal life as well. His warmth and encouragement were positive influences for me. Two weeks or so after receiving the Tjader biography, he called both to say how impressed he was with the work that I had put into the book and that he thought it was well done. Lastly, he reiterated what he had been telling me for close to a decade: "I'm so happy you are doing this for Cal. He's smiling down on you and thanking you." 

Paul Horn performed as a featured guest, mainly on flute but occasionally on alto sax, with Cal Tjader's groups in concert, including several landmark West Coast jazz festivals detailed further in my book, and in the studio. He can be heard on––CD title is listed second if different than LP title––Latin for Lovers (Sentimental Moods), Concert by the Sea, Vols. 1 & 2 (Monterey Concerts), Cal Tjader Goes Latin (Black Orchid), West Side Story (Cal Tjader Plays Harold Arlen & West Side Story), Cal Tjader Plays/Mary Stallings Sings, In a Latin Bag and Cal Tjader Plays the Contemporary Music of Mexico and Brazil. 

Dr. Herb Wong: A Remembrance

The following passage from Cal Tjader: The Life and Recordings of the Man Who Revolutionized Latin Jazz both illustrates Herb Wong’s overall academic credentials and just how much he devoted his life to jazz:

Dr. Herb Wong is a highly esteemed jazz educator, discographer, writer, critic, business executive (past president and chief producer for Palo Alto Jazz Records and Blackhawk Records) and former disc jockey for the now defunct radio station KJAZ. In addition, he has produced, adjudicated and hosted many jazz events across the United States. Outside of his work on behalf of jazz, Wong has taught at Western Washington University and the University of California at Berkeley and has written science and ecology books.  

My first encounter with Herb Wong was at his home in Menlo Park, California on May 18, 2005. Herb was relaxed and cordial during our interview, revealing his long personal and professional connection with Cal Tjader. He first met Tjader at Oakland’s Burma Lounge circa 1949, and by the early 1960s, had established a friendship that would deepen with the passing years. As he informed and entertained me with Tjader stories and other jazz anecdotes from his past, I was taken with how much enthusiasm he had for my project. Herb mentioned that another witer, several years earlier, had begun a musical analysis of all Tjader’s albums. He was dismayed that the proposed book never came to fruition.

This in person meeting was followed by two more telephone interviews in June, but that was not the end of our association. From that point on until I turned in the manuscript to McFarland in December 2012, we called each other periodically. We would talk about the book he wanted to write on brothers in jazz, such as bassist Percy Heath and his tenor sax playing brother Jimmy. In fact, at Menlo Park, he had asked me for suggestions and was pleased with my answer: guitarist Eddie Duran and his pianist sibling Manny, who died of a lung ailment in the summer of 2005. Unfortunately, Herb's great idea didn’t make it into print.   

Three or four years down the line, Herb Wong wanted to collect his best articles and liner notes into one volume and asked me if I thought McFarland would be interested. I encouraged him to contact my editor, David Alff, who, in turn, demonstrated his confidence by offering a contract. Herb and I subsequently discussed how he could put it all together. He was primarily concerned with how to organize the myriad pieces in his possession, whether to designate a different category for each type of writing, and within that framework, whether do it chronologically or thematically. I was honored that he asked for my advice. Glaucoma, however, progressively took away most of his eyesight. I twice offerred to type it up for a realtively small fee, but, to my surprise, he was low on cash.

All in all, Herb was consistently supportive and very understanding about not only how rewarding writing a biography can be but also that it requires years of painstaking attention to detail. In the fall of 2013, he left a heartwarming message on my answering machine concerning the Cal Tjader biography. I called him back and he was very efffusive in his praise. Specifically, that he was up all night reading it and was impressed with how I wove all the material together, not just the text but the photos and accopanying captions as well. Next, he said that I had captured who Tjader was; this was particularly important for those who were close to Cal. I responded by telling him how much his stamp of approval meant to me. Sadly, that was our last conversation. I had thought about checking in with him early this year, but put it off. He died on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2014, at the age of 88. I sent his wife, Marilyn, a note of condolence and she thoughtfully acknowledged me with a personal "Thank You" card. Finally, a smile came to my face when I found out that Herb Wong's friend, Paul Fingerote, is completing work on the aforementioned compilation book. According to David Alff, McFarland has tentatively scheduled it for publication in 2015. I will kept readers abreast of any new developments.

To wind up this remembrance, here are two excerpts from the Cal Tjader book; the first two paragraphs are from chapter 3, p. 134-135: 

“Daddy Wong Legs,"  [Soul Bird's] uplifting finale, has a humorous story attached to it. “We were drinking at El Matador around 1964 or ‘65,” said Herb Wong. “I was having a King Alphonse, my sissy drink. Cal accidentally hit my left elbow and spilled the drink all over my nice camel-haired sport jacket. He said, ‘Oh, no! I’m so sorry, Herb.’ I said, ‘No problem, I’ll take it to the dry cleaners.’ Cal [calls] the next day and says he is going to write a song for me. I told him it wasn’t necessary but he really wanted to. Cal kept calling me with different song titles, such as 'Wong Way Street' and 'If It’s Not Wong, It’s Right.' I told him to forget it. [Then] he calls me at 2 A.M. I’m groggy and didn’t remember the next day that Cal said he would be recording ‘Daddy Wong Legs’ for me. I apparently had agreed to it.

“Eventually, Cal brought the test pressing over to KJAZ and I had no idea what it was. I never knew what he would bring.... He played different parts of Soul Bird but the first thing he did was play ‘Daddy Wong Legs.’ He was so fidgety; he couldn’t wait to do that to me. He thought that I didn’t know the title because I was so groggy at the time he first mentioned it. Also, I made no anticipatory comment about it. Cal just had a ball; he laughed and laughed. Then he got up and danced around while saying, ‘I gotcha! I gotcha!’ [chuckles]. I said, ‘You sure did.’”

The last two paragraphs are from chapter 5, p. 238:

Tjader and Herb Wong bonded on their love for jazz. Wong would usually catch Tjader at El Matador three or four nights in a row. On each occasion, after the final set, they would make the rounds of all the jazz clubs on Broadway. Wong always prepared a list of the headliners and their schedules. This way he and Tjader could go back and forth across the street and hear one set at Basin Street West, the Jazz Workshop and so on. “All of the managers and [doormen] would say, ‘You guys are here again?’ ‘We’re here again’” [laughs].

The many nights he spent at El Matador revealed to Wong what a clever bandleader Tjader was. “He paced his sets very intelligently, with taste and understanding of how an audience may move from one context to another and still have logic in the set of music that he was presenting.” Tjader was able to express his musical ideas to a broader audience because he could please both straight and Latin jazz purists and ballad lovers during the same performance. “That’s not an ad hoc skill,” continued Wong. “[It’s] something that matures.... The feeling that he would maximize his contribution to the music while ... also contributing to the audience’s pleasure, and hopefully, growth.”

Herb Wong wrote liner notes for the following Cal Tjader LPs:

Warm Wave (Verve V6-8585).

Soul Burst (Verve 557 446-2).

The Prophet (Verve POC J-2779).

Last Night When We Were Young: Cal Tjader with Strings (Fantasy F-9482).

Breathe Easy (Galaxy GXY-5107).

The Shining Sea (Concord Jazz CJ-159).

Cal Tjader on Television: The Early Years

 Cal Tjader’s first known television appearance took place on September 26, 1952. His trio backed former Woody Herman vocalist Mary Ann McCall during San Francisco at Night, broadcast live on KPIX-TV, a CBS affiliate. Next, Tjader, as Modern Mambo Quintet members Bayardo "Benny" Velarde (timbales and bongos), newly hired conguero Luis Miranda, pianist Manny Duran and brother Carlos (bass) watched, received Down Beat’s “Best Small Group of the Nation” award from local disc jockey Don Sherwood on his KGO-TV (ABC affiliate) show Pop Club; the date was April 23, 1955. This was followed by a telethon for San Francisco’s National Educational Television––replaced by PBS in October 1970––affiliate KQED on June 24 and Dottie Hansen’s KGO-TV show Hi Time on July 25, 1956.

Stars of Jazz, hosted by pianist/composer Bobby Troup and broadcast from the Los Angeles area (KABC-TV) from 1956-58, welcomed Cal Tjader for the first time on February 11, 1957. Tjader, Vince Guaraldi, bassist Eugene Wright and drummer Al Torre, commenced the set with “Lover Come Back to Me,” a vehicle driven by a fast-paced vibraphone solo. Then the jazz quartet slowed down for “The Night We Called it a Day” and the leader demonstrated his continually evolving skills as a balladeer. But the real ear-catchers were heard after songbird Shirley Saunders’ rendition of “Taking a Chance On Love."

"Bernie's Tune" had changed significantly since Tjader recorded his first Cuban-tinged version nearly three years earlier. Not only was there a new arrangement but the vibist had replaced the central theme with his own groove, while the original theme was used to wind things up. Moreover, he gave Guaraldi room to roam and the pianist's unique, bouncy style, still in its early stage of development, was amply displayed. On "Jammin'," Torre returned to his drum stool after standing behind the timbales on "Bernie's Tune." Tjader generally preferred conguero Luis Kant to lay out when he called a straight-ahead number, but occasionally an exception was made. Here, without a hitch, Kant transitioned from the Cuban feel to this bluesy, head-bobbing closer.

1957 also saw Tjader on World of Jazz (KRON-TV, August 1), The Don Sherwood Show (KGO-TV, August 10) and Del Courtney Showcase (KPIX-TV, September 7); Woody Herman and June Christy costarred. For World of Jazz, the vibist performed with the program’s regulars, Bob Scobey and his Dixieland Band, and then was interviewed by local disc jockey Charlie Stern.

Tjader had been absent from television for over nine months, when, on the morning of June 30, 1958, he made another visit to Stars of Jazz, now broadcast nationwide. Guaraldi was still around, but earlier in the year Wright, Torre and Kant had been replaced by Al McKibbon, Willie Bobo and Mongo Santamaria, respectively. In the background,  Tjader opened with his finger popping original “Bill B., and Troup, best known for the classic “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66” and subsequently as an actor, introduced the vibist as “a student in the art of percussion in several of its more fascinating forms.” But he neglected to say anything about the rest of the quintet.

After showing Tjader in close-up––his eyes locked on the shiny metal bars––director Hap Weyman shifted the focus to a smiling Bobo. The drummer was apparently digging his leader’s mallets as they whipped through a solo on “Crow’s Nest.” Then the camera moved on to Guaraldi’s thick hands during the pianist’s subtle swinging turn. McKibbon, too, was given room to jump. Following a short tour through the vibraphone’s Asian antecedents by Troup, Tjader led his jazz quartet in a rendition of “Liz-Anne.” As had been the case when Oakland Tribune jazz critic Russ Wilson heard the tune at Berkeley earlier in the year, the waltz theme was established before a move was made into the jazzy middle part––the drummer in 4/4 and the bassist keeping a 3/4 beat. Concurrently, Tjader used different tempos in his solo. Unlike the Berkeley concert, however, he didn’t have time to let Guaraldi improvise.

In an interesting sidebar, saxophonist Gary Foster recalled that the vibraphonist no longer wanted to tackle the complex ballad during the tail end of his career. Consequently, Foster or pianist Clare Fischer would be directed to take over.

Next, Troup segued to vocalist Ernestine Anderson, new on the scene at the time, for her interpretations of “There Will Never Be Another You” and  “III Wind.” In the end, Santamaria was brought up for “Tumbao,” the last of Tjader’s four compositions to be presented. This was the era when it was popular for beatniks to read their poetry to the sounds of jazz. Stars of Jazz had a more unusual approach, however; footage of artist Pat Fitzgerald composing a finger painting was intercut with shots of the quintet, particularly the congas of Santamaria and timbales of Bobo. As the credits rolled, Tjader reprised “Bill B.” for his encore.

The above show was definitely a catalyst for Cal Tjader when it came to getting future small screen bookings. Just a month later, his quintet reappeared on the Don Sherwood Show and then on KQED for a series of live performances in August and September 1958.

 Comparatively few jazz buffs and devotees of Ralph J. Gleason are aware that approximately two years before his renown series Jazz Casual went national on NET in 1961, he had invited Tjader to perform on two KQED programs (August 12 & 19, 1959) that used the same format as he would eventually use for Jazz Casual. For the first show, Tjader was featured in an informal conversation with Gleason. Then he demonstrated how to play the vibraphone and led his jazz quartet––Lonnie Hewitt had replaced Guaraldi in January––through a short set. The second show, in contrast, focused on Cuban jazz and Tjader shared the spotlight with Bobo and Santamaria.

Before the decade ended, the Cal Tjader Quintet, now with Eddie Coleman on bass, was invited to perform on Hugh Hefner’s new late-night show Playboy’s Penthouse, taped at the magazine mogul’s fantasy bachelor pad in Chicago. But outside of club and concert dates, only those who tracked Bay Area jazz radio could hear Tjader during the next two years, as he didn't pop up on television again until 1962. The vibist’s quintet was showcased several times that year, most notably on Jazz Scene, U. S. A., a Los Angeles based television program created by Steve Allen and produced by Jimmie Baker, the man behind Stars of Jazz.  

Cal’s quartet played a swinging number called “Give Irving My Love" over the opening montage of local jazz clubs. Then, after being introduced by host Oscar Brown Jr., they launched into Cole Porter’s “Love for Sale” and "Come Rain or Come Shine.” As the show entered its second half, Bill Fitch joined Cal, Lonnie Hewitt, bassist Freddie Schreiber and John Rae. Fitch played a long tubular shaker and cowbell on "Manhã de Carnaval" and congas on “Half and Half.” Rae played drum set and timbales, respectively. The studio audience and singer/ songwriter Brown, an affable jazz hipster, were snapping their fingers and cheering at appropriate intervals throughout the half-hour running time.

Baker expanded the format of Jazz Scene, U. S. A.–– in syndication for only 26 episodes––to include interaction between the host and his guests. On Stars of Jazz, Troup would provide a little background on the jazz stars and then introduce them. Brown, or alternate host Vern Stevenson, on the other hand, would approach the musicians directly. For instance, when Tjader came on the show, Brown asked the vibist a few questions about his latest album, namely Cal Tjader Plays the Contemporary Music of Mexico and Brazil.

Cal Tjader continued to be a familiar television presence until his premature death in 1982, appearing on many talk shows, such as the Steve Allen Show, Dinah Shore Show and Merv Griffin Show. Given that they were childhood friends, he was booked on the latter’s program more often after Griffin relocated from New York to Hollywood in 1970. These visits would either feature Tjader’s ensemble or the vibist himself jamming with Griffin’s jazz orchestra, which included, among others, trombonist Kai Winding, bassist Ray Brown and trumpeter Jack Sheldon.

The Tjader quintet’s performance on Playboy’s Penthouse, which contains the selections “Cubano Chant,” “Poinciana” and a straight-ahead “Doxy,” was made available on DVD when Hugh Hefner released Playboy After Dark, Collection Two in 2007. There are two black and white Penthouse shows (1959 & 1960) on Disc 1 and two color After Dark shows (1970 and 1968) on Disc 2. All in all, an excellent time capsule of classic music and comedy. The ensuing is just a short list of other guests: Tony Bennett, Count Basie, Phyllis Diller, Johnny Mathis, Grateful Dead and Sid Caesar. Although the set is out-of-print as of this writing, copies may be found floating around on the Internet or in appropriate stores.

The majority of the aforementioned programs, to my knowledge, are not available on DVD. For example, at the end of our interview session in February 2005, I asked Merv Griffin if any of the shows with Cal Tjader were available. He wasn’t sure if his staff had saved them and referred me to his former producer Bob Murphy, who grew up with Tjader and Griffin in San Mateo, CA. Shortly thereafter, I asked Murphy if any of Tjader’s performances would be released, as many of Griffin’s shows had already been put out on DVD. At a later date, he confirmed that the Tjader programs had ended up in the trash can. Moreover, James Harrod, author of the forthcoming Jazz: West, answered my query about Stars of Jazz and Jazz Scene, U. S. A.: “The kinescope of Cal Tjader's Stars of Jazz appearance [in 1957]  was erased by KABC along with other priceless appearances in order to reuse the medium. The video of the Jazz Scene USA show is probably preserved, but it was not selected for VHS or DVD reissue.  I believe that Meadowlane Productions would be the entity to petition for release on DVD.” Harrod's blogs (starsofjazz.blogspot.com and jazzsceneusa.blogspot.com) contain fascinating information and memorabilia. 

Fortunately, some episodes of Stars of Jazz have have survived. Three DVDs with various episodes from 1958 (featuring artists such as Shelly Manne, Paul Horn and Julie London) are available on the web as of this writing. Furthermore, some out-of-print DVDs of Jazz Scene U.S.A. (with Manne, Shorty Rogers, Frank Rosolino and other West Coast stars) pop up now and again. Lastly, jazz film preservationist Mark Cantor has Tjader's 1958 Stars of Jazz performance in his vast collection. Cantor periodically holds special screenings of his clips and posts some of them online. One can always keep an eye out for Tjader while perusing his offerings. 

P. S.: For those who would like to see Tjader's episode of Jazz Scene U.S.A.  on DVD, please contact: 

William Allen, President 

Meadowlane Music Inc,

15201 Burbank Boulevard # B

Van Nuys, CA 91411 

Phone: (818) 988-3830