Notes and tones: 'Catch the Groove' with new archival set from Cal Tjader

I have always enjoyed vibraphonist Cal Tjader’s music, and the way he consistently delivered it.

I find his work subtle and nuanced, but it always seems to swing whether he’s playing a ballad or an up-tempo piece, a show tune, jazz standard or a more commercial neo-pop title. It’s as if the material really doesn’t matter, something Sonny Rollins achieved throughout his playing days.

Further, seemingly all Tjader selections are wrapped tightly in engaging, slightly atypical arrangements; perhaps “surprising” or ”unexpected” might be more accurate. Then there’s Tjader’s use of syncopation, which seems to be a requirement of all vibraphonists who look to play at an advanced level.

Like all great musicians, though, Tjader had his own voice, so he used technique differently than Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson, Red Norvo or Larry Bunker did. Whether it’s Tjader’s pacing, his sustained notes or his playing crisply, cleanly and/or quickly, he’s original.

In some ways Tjader, who I think falls predominantly within the 1950s-60s West Coast Cool School, is quietly understated but oh-so-hip. Anyone familiar with him knows he brought an all-pervasive Latin jazz feel and percussiveness to his music. In music circles, he was often referred to as “the most well-known non-Latin Latin jazz artist.”

Born in St. Louis in 1925, Tjader grew up primarily in California, which became his home base, the locale he used as his jumping-off point when touring the world.

I never saw Tjader live. I wish I had, that’s for sure. Fortunately, Tjader left us with an extensive discography.

From the time he was in his twenties until his far-too-early death at age 56 in 1982, Tjader issued titles seemingly annually. Additionally, there is his work as a sideman. An expansive and versatile musician, Tjader was well-versed in the sub-genres of the day, comfortable playing bebop, hard bop and so-called cross-over fusion during the '70s, as well as obviously being able to carve up Latin jazz charts whenever he chose to.

Tjader can be found on titles issued by Dave Brubeck, Rosemary Clooney, Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, Art Pepper, Tito Puente and George Shearing, among many other artists’ recordings.

Safe to say, when I recently received “Catch The Groove” (Jazz Detective), the forthcoming Tjader two-CD set — also issued as a three-LP set and available as a digital download too — I immediately popped the two discs, one at a time of course, in the player so I could hear Tjader & Co.

Ah, instant gratification!

I was pleased that much more when I realized the 27 previously unreleased tracks capture Tjader leading a variety of piano-bass-drums-and-percussion quintets in a live setting as they performed at The Penthouse, the famed but long-since shuttered Seattle venue.

The aptly titled “Catch The Groove” represents one of the latest projects from veteran producer Zev Feldman who, for many years, has been issuing treasure troves of music in partnership and collaboration with like-minded partners.

“It’s been a great thrill to be on this journey bringing these spectacular recordings of Tjader’s performances at The Penthouse to the world,” said Feldman in the accompanying press release. “It’s been ... several years in the making.”

Realizing the performance took place in Seattle during this particular timeframe, I couldn’t help but wonder if Jim Wilke, a long-standing radio announcer, was somehow involved with the Tjader project. I began to scour the accompanying booklet when I noticed the photo of a stack of reel-to-reel tape boxes, each marked Cal Tjader. Turns out Wilke shot the photo.

Wilke, the host of “Jazz After Hours,” his nationally syndicated overnight show that aired 1984-2014, is also a professional recording engineer, a skillset that even pre-dates his broadcasts; it was he who had the foresight to preserve Tjader’s Penthouse run.

My realization of Wilke’s participation only became more demonstrative when Disc 1, Track 1, began with “Hello, and welcome to jazz at The Penthouse.”

The voice was higher, after all we’re more than 50 years out from the original performances. However, having listened to Wilke’s broadcast frequently, and crossing paths with him as well, I instantly recognized him.

Continuing, he said, “Direct from The Penthouse, just off Pioneer Square here in the heart of Old Seattle ... tonight, the music of Cal Tjader!" With that, the vibraphonist’s band launched into “Take The A-Train.”

Joining Tjader throughout “Catch The Groove” is a coterie of seasoned veterans at that time, including pianists Claire Fischer, Lonnie Hewitt and Al Zulaica; bassists Fred Schreiber, Terry Hilliard, Monk Montgomery and Stan Gilbert; drummers Johnny Rae and Carl Burnett; along with percussionists Bill Fitch and Armando Peraza.

As for repertoire, it’s entertaining and will keep most people attentive — even when the group interprets titles from pop music of the day, such as The Association’s “Along Comes Mary,” which concludes the second disc. There’s a series of mid-tempo titles like “In Your Own Sweet Way,” as well as ballads such as “Lush Life,” “It Never Entered My Mind” and “The Shadow Of Your Smile,” along with the extremely patient reading of “On Green Dolphin Street.”

The heart and soul of this collection though are the Latin time signatures and arrangements, where the timbales and other percussion instruments provide the underlying, perpetually propulsive beat. ”Maramoor Mambo” is a prime example; so is “Insight,” as well as “Morning” and the blues-based “Cuban Fantasy.”

Jon W. Poses is executive director of the “We Always Swing” Jazz Series. Reach him at jazznbsbl@socket.net.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Notes and tones: 'Catch the Groove' with new archival set from Cal Tjader