Tjader was Cal's first Fantasy LP after his roughly ten years with Verve and Skye. It's clearly a child of its time, but the grooves - they could be described as some kind of souljazz montuno - are good, especially on the opening track. I love Cal's organ playing - yes he does it himself, via overdub - and the blend of vibes and Rhodes piano - Al Zulaica was an underrated player. This album opened Cal's music up to more modern rock/pop trends,in part due to the influence of producer Ed Bogas - famous for his soundtrack to Fritz The Cat, and a former member of Big Brother & The Holding Co.
The next album, Agua Dulce (available on the Fantasy CD Descargas) was more like Salsa, curiously, although recorded with basically the same band.
If you wonder about Cal handling these pop tunes, go for it - I love his rendition of the Beatles tune, She's Leaving Home. He makes it sound like it has been a popjazz ballad all the time.