Cal Tjader

Latin music's most influential non-Latin bandleader, Cal Tjader had an uncanny ability to concoct genuine Afro-Cuban dance fever. Although he was not necessarily a virtuoso, Tjader played the vibes (and, occasionally, the timbales) with impeccable feeling and precision, and his bands created a sophisticated combination of cool jazz and simmering Afro beats. Tjader's output is distinguished by a certain emotional distance that sets it apart from more visceral efforts by, say, Machito or Tito Puente, but ultimately evokes an effortlessly elegant, strangely nostalgic feeling.

If you're into crisp arrangements and short, sabroso sessions, then Tjader's '50s stint with the Fantasy label is the place to start. Like many of the company's CD reissues, Los Ritmos Calientes compiles two separate LPs into an extended Latin jazz workout. Tjader was a generous leader, and on tracks such as "Mongorama" and "Cubano Chant" he steps aside and lets his percussionists shine. The same happens in Monterey Concerts, a particularly inspired live outing that includes a memorable rendition of Santamaría's sinuous "Afro-Blue."

During the '60s, Tjader switched to the Verve label and began to experiment. The unexpected commercial success of the Soul Sauce LP and the "Guachi Guaro" single must have cheered him up, as evidenced by his subsequent collaborations with pianist Eddie Palmieri on El Sonido Nuevo and Bamboléate -- both of them required listening for Latin jazz aficionados.

Returning to Fantasy, Tjader continued stretch-ing the boundaries of his own signature sound. Primo was the Hispanic community's ultimate declaration of love: Tito Puente himself contributed timbales on Mario Bauza's standard "Tanga" (slang for marijuana), Charlie Palmieri (Eddie's older brother) provided arrangements and exuberant keyboard playing, and salsero Ismael Quintana took care of the vocal choruses. Like every jazz player of his time, Tjader was also touched by the Brazilian wave of the '60s. Amazonas forsakes the bossa craze in favor of a more psychedelic sound, with collaborations by Brazil's enfants terribles Airto Moreira and Egberto Gismonti.

Tjader ended his career on a quiet note, recording a string of albums for the Concord label that saw him returning to the traditionalist approach of his youth. La Onda Va Bien is textbook Tjader, alternately crunchy and velvety, whereas Heat Wave ups the ante through Carmen McRae's vocal bravado. A staple of Tjader's latter-day band was young conguero Poncho Sánchez, who was by his side when the bandleader died while on tour in the Philippines, and since then has founded his own Latin jazz band, paying con-stant tribute to that enigmatic, reserved white man who played the mambo with the swing of a real Cubano. (ERNESTO LECHNER)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide