CAL TJADER Vinyl & CDs

Review: Catch The Groove: Live At The Penthouse 1963-67 does what it says on the tin; with all of the performances heard on this set having previously unreleased, Latin jazz vibraphone legend Cal Tjader is heard with a variety of quintets at the seminal Pacific Northwest venue; he's heard backed by pianists Clare Fischer, Lonnie Hewitt and Al Zulaica, bassists Fred Schreiber, Terry Hilliard, Monk Montgomery and Stan Gilbert, drummers Johnny Rae and Carl Burnett, and percussionists Bill Fitch and Armando Peraza. Part of a new series homing in on live jazz greats by record producer and "Jazz Detective" Zev Feldman, Tjader more than fits into this retrospective effort, with Feldman himself noting the bittersweet diminution of Tjader's popularity in the present era, despite commanding reams of attention from a massive audience while he was alive. All's well that ends well, then: this one comes as both a deluxe LP and CD edition for new-heads and completists alike.

Review: During the 1960s, jazz marimba maestro Cal Tjader performed at Seattle's Penthouse Jazz Club countless times, with many of these performances - made with various quintets and a dizzying array of sidemen, sidewomen and guest performances - being recorded for posterity. This superb double-disc set showcases these atmospheric, often lively recordings for the first time. Tjader is naturally the star throughout, dizzying the audience with mazy and mind-blowing Marimba solos, but at various points he steps back and lets his musical collaborators share the spotlight. For the most part, the tracks are energetic and up-tempo, giving the whole thing a giddy, celebratory feel that's always alluring.