When I first started collecting Cal Tjader records, conventional wisdom from jazz fans and record store staff steered me toward his seminal work from the 1950s and ’60s, mostly released on Fantasy Records. This was the period when he was stepping out of Dave Brubeck’s shadow and rubbing elbows with jazz royalty who recognized him not only as a masterful vibraphonist but also as a true champion of Latin-influenced music.
Even during his Verve Records years in the ’60s, there were plenty of gems to discover, and more recently I’ve delved into his handful of releases on the short-lived Skye Records label. But after that, I hadn’t found much reason to dig deeper into his catalog… until now.
Craft Recordings, in partnership with its Jazz Dispensary imprint, has just reissued an overlooked 1976 record called Amazonas—and it’s a stunner. I’d never even seen this one in stores before, so it’s no wonder I didn’t pick it up back in the day. Clearly, it must not have sold well at the time, but that hardly reflects the quality of music contained within.
Amazonas boasts some serious musical credentials: produced by Airto, arranged by George Duke, and featuring guest performances from Hermeto Pascoal, Raul de Souza, Egberto Gismonti, and David Amaro. Duke himself appears on electric keyboards under the playful alias “Dawalli Gonga.”
Several of these musicians—including the brilliant Brazilian drummer Roberto Silva—also played on Airto’s 1975 album Identity, so there was already a strong musical chemistry. That synergy helps the music percolate with the finesse of a group that’s been playing together far longer than just this one session.
The reissue is equally impressive on the technical side. Lacquers were cut in an all-analog AAA process from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. The album has been pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI, yielding a pressing that is dead quiet and perfectly centered—no issues whatsoever on that front.
Amazonas is a tremendous album. It feels like a melding of the Latin flavors Tjader had championed for decades with the then-current sounds of jazz-rock fusion and funk. If you enjoy ’70s albums by Return to Forever, The Eleventh House, Jean-Luc Ponty, or George Duke, this record will likely click with you.
One session player I hadn’t noticed before, guitarist David Amaro, nearly steals the show on several tracks. I honestly hadn’t picked up on his presence on many albums by Airto, Flora Purim, or my current-day musical hero Hermeto Pascoal, so this has me eager to revisit all those performances and guest appearances. I also plan to explore his solo recordings—he’s truly a player worth paying attention to.
Check out Amaro’s solo on Airto’s swaggering “Xibaba,” which feels like a blues run through a Latin-tinged Bill Frisell blender. The group also embraces Amaro’s own lovely composition “Flying,” which soars like a Brazilian twist on Allan Holdsworth, building over a dreamy two-chord jam that eventually gives Tjader a launch pad for his vibraphone solo about halfway through the track.
This album features some of the finest-sounding stereo vibraphone I’ve ever heard—listen to the lush stereo soundstage on Sergio Mendes’ “Noa Noa.” Hermeto Pascoal’s breathy flute solos and his interplay with Tjader’s vibes on “Cahuenga” are spectacular.
On the whole, I found Amazonas utterly enjoyable from the very first spin. If you’re a fan of Tjader or Latin-tinged jazz fusion in general, Amazonas is an essential listen.
Where to buy: $33.49 at Amazon
Mark Smotroff is a deep music enthusiast / collector who has also worked in entertainment oriented marketing communications for decades supporting the likes of DTS, Sega and many others. He reviews vinyl for Analog Planet and has written for Audiophile Review, Sound+Vision, Mix, EQ, etc. You can learn more about him at LinkedIn.