Review by Nick Dedina
Fantasy Records is to be commended for re-releasing so many of their classic Cal Tjader albums in the budget-priced two-for-one CD format, even if Sentimental Moods features one of their odder pairings. The first ten selections are culled from the dreamy mood music album Latin for Lovers (aka Latin for Lovers With Strings), and the final ten are from San Francisco Moods, a lean and mean West Coast jazz ode to his hometown. While these two sessions don't really go together, they do show you the breadth of what Tjader was recording for Fantasy at the time. While the Latin for Lovers selections aren't really Latin jazz (or even "Latin" or "jazz," for that matter), it is superior mood music with fine string arrangements written by Jack Weeks. If all lounge music was this good, the term couldn't be used as an insult. The soloists don't really stretch out at all, but Tjader, pianist Vince Guaraldi, and flutist Paul Horn each make their presence felt on regal, melodic passages. Willie Bobo and Mongo Santamaria are on the session, but unlike their sizzling one-track cameo on the next session's "Viva Cepeda," they are only around to keep strict time. So while the first half of the disc is upscale easy listening, those culled from San Francisco Moods show how underrated Tjader was at mainstream small-group jazz. Tjader starts out the session on piano, but on most tracks his vibraphone skills are given a real chance to shine. Tjader was always a giving group leader and guitarist Eddie Duran and the rest of the quartet are featured prominently. San Francisco Moods is an exhilarating session, one that veers from gritty, hard-swinging romps to uptown "chamber jazz" and back again without a hitch. Cal Tjader had such great success with Latin jazz that listeners and critics have tended to forget that he really was a major part of the cool West Coast jazz scene and that he recorded all kinds of music throughout his career. This CD reissue is a must-have for Cal Tjader fans and one that reminds people how far-reaching the vibraphonist's mainstream musical talent really was.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/sentimental-moods-mw0000646495
Fantasy Records is to be commended for re-releasing so many of their classic Cal Tjader albums in the budget-priced two-for-one CD format, even if Sentimental Moods features one of their odder pairings. The first ten selections are culled from the dreamy mood music album Latin for Lovers (aka Latin for Lovers With Strings), and the final ten are from San Francisco Moods, a lean and mean West Coast jazz ode to his hometown. While these two sessions don't really go together, they do show you the breadth of what Tjader was recording for Fantasy at the time. While the Latin for Lovers selections aren't really Latin jazz (or even "Latin" or "jazz," for that matter), it is superior mood music with fine string arrangements written by Jack Weeks. If all lounge music was this good, the term couldn't be used as an insult. The soloists don't really stretch out at all, but Tjader, pianist Vince Guaraldi, and flutist Paul Horn each make their presence felt on regal, melodic passages. Willie Bobo and Mongo Santamaria are on the session, but unlike their sizzling one-track cameo on the next session's "Viva Cepeda," they are only around to keep strict time. So while the first half of the disc is upscale easy listening, those culled from San Francisco Moods show how underrated Tjader was at mainstream small-group jazz. Tjader starts out the session on piano, but on most tracks his vibraphone skills are given a real chance to shine. Tjader was always a giving group leader and guitarist Eddie Duran and the rest of the quartet are featured prominently. San Francisco Moods is an exhilarating session, one that veers from gritty, hard-swinging romps to uptown "chamber jazz" and back again without a hitch. Cal Tjader had such great success with Latin jazz that listeners and critics have tended to forget that he really was a major part of the cool West Coast jazz scene and that he recorded all kinds of music throughout his career. This CD reissue is a must-have for Cal Tjader fans and one that reminds people how far-reaching the vibraphonist's mainstream musical talent really was.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/sentimental-moods-mw0000646495
Biography by Richard S. Ginell
Cal Tjader was undoubtedly the most famous non-Latino leader of Latin
jazz bands, an extraordinary distinction. From the 1950s until his
death, he was practically the point man between the worlds of Latin jazz
and mainstream bop; his light, rhythmic, joyous vibraphone manner could
comfortably embrace both styles. His numerous recordings for Fantasy
and Verve and long-standing presence in the San Francisco Bay Area
eventually had a profound influence upon Carlos Santana, and thus Latin
rock. He also played drums and bongos, the latter most notably on the
George Shearing Quintet's puckishly titled "Rap Your Troubles in Drums,"
and would occasionally sit in on piano as well.
Tjader studied music and education at San Francisco State College before
hooking up with fellow Bay Area resident Dave Brubeck as the drummer in
the Brubeck Trio from 1949 to 1951. He then worked with Alvino Rey, led
his own group, and in 1953, joined George Shearing's then hugely
popular quintet as a vibraphonist and percussionist. It was in
Shearing's band that Tjader's love affair with Latin music began,
ignited by Shearing's bassist Al McKibbon, nurtured by contact with
Willie Bobo, Mongo Santamaria, and Armando Peraza, and galvanized by the
'50s mambo craze. When he left Shearing the following year, Tjader
promptly formed his own band that emphasized the Latin element yet also
played mainstream jazz. Bobo and Santamaria eventually joined Tjader's
band as sidemen, and Vince Guaraldi served for a while as pianist and
contributor to the band's songbook ("Ginza," "Thinking of You, MJQ").
Tjader recorded a long series of mostly Latin jazz albums for Fantasy
from the mid-'50s through the early '60s, switching in 1961 to Verve,
where under Creed Taylor's aegis he expanded his stylistic palette and
was teamed with artists like Lalo Schifrin, Anita O'Day, Kenny Burrell,
and Donald Byrd. Along the way, Tjader managed to score a minor hit in
1965 with "Soul Sauce," a reworking of Dizzy Gillespie/Chano Pozo's
"Guacha Guaro," which Tjader had previously cut for Fantasy. Tjader
returned to Fantasy in the 1970s, then in 1979 moved over to the new
Concord Picante label, where he remained until his death.
///////
Reseña de Nick Dedina
Fantasy Records es digno de elogio por relanzar tantos de sus clásicos álbumes de Cal Tjader en el formato de CD dos por uno, a un precio asequible, incluso si Sentimental Moods presenta uno de sus pares más extraños. Las primeras diez selecciones se seleccionan del álbum de música de estado de ánimo de ensueño Latin for Lovers (también conocido como Latin for Lovers With Strings), y las últimas diez son de San Francisco Moods, una oda magra y mezquina de jazz de la Costa Oeste a su ciudad natal. Aunque estas dos sesiones no van realmente juntas, muestran la amplitud de lo que Tjader estaba grabando para Fantasy en ese momento. Mientras que las selecciones de Latin for Lovers no son realmente jazz latino (o incluso "Latin" o "jazz," para el caso), es música de ambiente superior con arreglos de cuerdas finos escritos por Jack Weeks. Si toda la música de salón fuera tan buena, el término no podría ser usado como un insulto. Los solistas no se estiran en absoluto, pero Tjader, el pianista Vince Guaraldi y el flautista Paul Horn hacen sentir su presencia en pasajes reales y melódicos. Willie Bobo y Mongo Santamaría están en la sesión, pero a diferencia de su chisporroteante camafeo de una pista en la siguiente sesión de "Viva Cepeda", sólo están aquí para mantener un tiempo estricto. Así que mientras que la primera mitad del disco es de alta calidad y fácil de escuchar, los seleccionados de San Francisco Moods muestran lo infravalorado que estaba Tjader en el jazz de grupos pequeños. Tjader comienza la sesión con el piano, pero en la mayoría de los temas sus habilidades vibrafónicas tienen una oportunidad real de brillar. Tjader siempre fue un líder de grupo y el guitarrista Eddie Duran y el resto del cuarteto son protagonistas. San Francisco Moods es una sesión estimulante, una que va desde los arenosos y duros retozos hasta el "jazz de cámara" de la parte alta de la ciudad y regresa de nuevo sin problemas. Cal Tjader tuvo tanto éxito con el jazz latino que los oyentes y la crítica han tendido a olvidar que él realmente era una parte importante de la fresca escena del jazz de la Costa Oeste y que grabó todo tipo de música a lo largo de su carrera. Esta reedición de CD es una necesidad para los fans de Cal Tjader y una que le recuerda a la gente cuán lejos estaba el talento musical principal del vibrafonista.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/sentimental-moods-mw0000646495
Biografía de Richard S. Ginell
Cal Tjader fue sin duda el líder no latino más famoso de las bandas de
jazz latino, una distinción extraordinaria. Desde la década de 1950
hasta su muerte, fue prácticamente el hombre clave entre los mundos del
jazz latino y el bop; su manera ligera, rítmica y alegre de vibráfono
podía abrazar cómodamente ambos estilos. Sus numerosas grabaciones para
Fantasy y Verve y su larga presencia en el área de la bahía de San
Francisco tuvieron una profunda influencia en Carlos Santana, y por lo
tanto en el rock latino. También tocaba la batería y el bongos, este
último en particular en el pícaro Quinteto George Shearing titulado "Rap
Your Troubles in Drums", y ocasionalmente también tocaba el piano.
Tjader estudió música y educación en el San Francisco State College
antes de unirse a su compatriota Dave Brubeck como baterista del Brubeck
Trio de 1949 a 1951. Luego trabajó con Alvino Rey, dirigió su propio
grupo y en 1953 se unió al entonces popular quinteto de George Shearing
como vibrafonista y percusionista. Fue en la banda de Shearing que
comenzó el romance de Tjader con la música latina, encendida por el
bajista de Shearing Al McKibbon, alimentada por el contacto con Willie
Bobo, Mongo Santamaría y Armando Peraza, y galvanizada por la locura del
mambo de los años 50. Cuando se fue de Shearing al año siguiente,
Tjader formó su propia banda que enfatizó el elemento latino, pero
también tocó jazz convencional. Bobo y Santamaría eventualmente se
unieron a la banda de Tjader como sidemen, y Vince Guaraldi sirvió por
un tiempo como pianista y contribuyente al cancionero de la banda
("Ginza," "Thinking of You, MJQ").
Tjader grabó una larga serie de álbumes, en su mayoría de jazz latino,
para Fantasy desde mediados de los años 50 hasta principios de los 60,
cambiando en 1961 a Verve, donde bajo la égida de Creed Taylor amplió su
paleta estilística y formó equipo con artistas como Lalo Schifrin,
Anita O'Day, Kenny Burrell y Donald Byrd. En el camino, Tjader logró
anotar un éxito menor en 1965 con "Soul Sauce", una reelaboración de
"Guacha Guaro" de Dizzy Gillespie/Chano Pozo, que Tjader había cortado
previamente para Fantasy. Tjader volvió a Fantasy en los años 70, y en
1979 se trasladó al nuevo sello Concord Picante, donde permaneció hasta
su muerte.
Tracklist
1 I Should Care 2:33
2 Spring Is Here 2:35
3 Time Was 2:58
4 Star Eyes 3:14
5 Stella By Starlight 3:15
6 Alone Together 4:28
7 Ode To A Beat Generation 2:19
8 Skylark 2:36
9 Martha 3:07
10 Quizas, Quizas, Quizas 3:56
11 Running Out 3:22
12 Raccoon Strait 2:24
13 The Last Luff 3:39
14 Sigmund Stern Groove 4:37
15 Coit Tower 1:35
16 Triple T Blues 5:58
17 Union Square 4:20
18 Skyline Waltz 3:43
19 Viva Cepeda 3:40
20 The Grant Avenue Suite 7:29
Personnel includes: Cal Tjader (vibraphone); Paul Horn, Vince Guaraldi, Al McKibbon, Mongo Santamaria, Willie Bobo, Boris Blinder, Harry Moulin, Frances Wiener, Eugene Winkler, Eddie Duran, John Mosher, Jack Weeks, John Markham.
Label: Fantasy – FCD-24742-2
Released: 1995
Genre: Jazz
Style: Latin Jazz
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