Mike Weil's discographies, No. 1 - Cal Tjader, 1948-1982

[mikeweil]

This discography was my starting point to work with the BRIAN database. An abridged version is found as an appendix to S. Duncan Reid's biography of Cal Tjader. I am indebted to him for many details he was able to discuss with musicians who participated in these recordings. We were able to clear many details of the recordings dates and locations - there are many incorrect or simply estimated dates printed in the album credits. Additional thanks are due to James Harrod for his research on Dave Brubeck, Doug Ramsey for his Paul Desmond biography, Jack Woker for some hints out of his long term experience as a collector of vintage records, chewy for his rare finds, and another board member for a tape of a rare Nick Esposito 78 enabling me to compare tracks. The George Shearing sessions with Tjader were released in many different issues which will be added in future updates.

The disco as it was published here was already outdated in some details and will be online on jazzdiscography,com during the next days. Links will be posted here and in other threads related to Tjader threads.

Cal Tjader Discography

 

Edited October 3, 2022 by mikeweil

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

Thanks for posting, this is huge

[EKE BBB]

[mikeweil]

Ladies and gentlemen, at last the Cal Tjader Discograhy is online - a project I started about 15 years ago. Several issues of the Shearing tracks are still missing, as this takes a lot of time to research. 

https://jazzdiscography.com/cal-tjader-discography/

[Dan Gould]

Major congrats, Mike, even if its not all done.

[EKE BBB]

Congratulations Mike. Excellent work! 👌🏾

[mikeweil]

Thanks all. 

As it is, I discovered a hitherto unknown sideman album from the 1970's. But I have to check against an album I have before I update. But that's the rule, as soon as it is out, it is out-dated. That's the advantage of online discographies. 

[Gheorghe]

Though I´m not very much "vertraut" with the work of Cal Tjader (I think I heard one "Stan Getz with Cal Tjader" on those french label "America" jazz LPs, I admire you for the huge amount of time it took you for that immens work. 
Since I think or deduced that you an active musician and teacher also, it must be a 24 din 24 hours of work.....

[mikeweil]

I am a percussionist, which started my interest in Tjader's music and enabled me to analyze the rhythmic aspects, but except for a rehearsal percussion band with friends and former students of mine I am retired. The pandemic stopped my private teaching and work as a dance accompanist at the Frankfurt musical academy. Since I always had a part time day job I got along.

It was time consuming, but it was worth it.

42 minutes ago, Gheorghe said:

Since I think or deduced that you an active musician and teacher also, it must be a 24 din 24 hours of work.....

 

Edited September 29, 2022 by mikeweil

[Gheorghe]

oh thanks for information @mikeweil , so it was not with combos, I understand.But teaching and accompanist for dancers is also a hard job. I have a full time job (and full time doesn´t mean from 08.00-16.00 only !!!)  and try to do music if not dozens of gigs at least selected gigs with really good professional musicians. No carbaret card no union member (joke ! ) 
 

[mikeweil]

Oh, I played in bands, too ......

Edited September 29, 2022 by mikeweil

[Teasing the Korean]

@mikeweil I have a question regarding the March 6, 1954 date, which ended up as part of the Ritmos Caliente album. 

These tunes are percussive in nature, and three of them are only around a minute or 1.5 minutes long. They sound as if the engineer just let the tape roll, and then someone subsequently faded them down prematurely.

Is there any evidence that longer edits of these tracks could exist?

[mikeweil]

No idea. There is noone left alive to tell. Perhaps they just jammed on Afro-Cuban rhythms and let the tape roll, and edited later. It was supposed to be Peraza's date , but the label decided to issue it under Tjader's name. Peraza was still a rather unknown percussionist at the time. The gig with Shearing was his first name engagement.

[Teasing the Korean]

14 minutes ago, mikeweil said:

No idea. There is noone left alive to tell. Perhaps they just jammed on Afro-Cuban rhythms and let the tape roll, and edited later. It was supposed to be Peraza's date , but the label decided to issue it under Tjader's name. Peraza was still a rather unknown percussionist at the time. The gig with Shearing was his first name engagement.

Thanks.  As I can't keep up with all these corporate mergers, is there a chance that unedited masters may exist, or were these either destroyed or tossed in an acquisition?

[mikeweil]

23 hours ago, Teasing the Korean said:

Thanks.  As I can't keep up with all these corporate mergers, is there a chance that unedited masters may exist, or were these either destroyed or tossed in an acquisition?

AFAIK all of the Fantasy material was stored at the Iron Mountain facility after the Fantasy building was sold. Most reissues/box sets released after that had already been conceived at that point. I have no idea who the responsible people at Craft are - they now handle all reissues - and what their criteria are. The new finds of Vince Guaraldi recordings suggest there could be some unreleased Tjader material as well, especially from live dates, but who knows? 

New finds in recent years were live recordings from other sources, like the double CDs on Acrobat and Elemental.

[GA Russell]

I see that the new Cal Tjader at the Penthouse is now available at YT Music.