Cal Tjader: Catch The Groove, Live at The Penthouse, 1963-1967

  In the press release for the Record Store Day issue of Catch The Groove, Live at The Penthouse, 1963-1967, a compilation of radio broadcasts by Cal Tjader, it’s noted that the last new music to be heard from the late vibraphonist came out two decades ago. The reference is to Cuban Fantasy (Fantasy, 2003), which I had the immense pleasure of producing from performances in San Francisco in 1977. Now I have the added enjoyment of listening to several earlier editions of his bands beautifully captured from a series of appearances at the Penthouse in Seattle. Zev Feldman has been working for years with the stash of tapes from the club recorded and preserved by Jim Wilke. In addition to the wonderful music that he’s been presenting, Feldman always puts together appreciative and informative packages for his releases. The booklet for this set includes memorabilia from the club, previously unseen photos, admiring notes from vibraphonists Joe Locke, Gary Burton, and Terry Gibbs, plus heartfelt reminiscences by drummer Carl Burnett (heard on the 1966 and 1967 sessions), pianist Eddie Palmieri (who made two records with Tjader), and percussionist Poncho Sanchez (who played in Tjader’s band from 1975 until Tjader passed away in 1982), and more. Jim Wilke describes the sound of the band as “good-natured, outgoing music,” and from the warm appreciations that appear in the booklet, it seems that “good-natured” and “outgoing” describe the man as well as his music. There have been a few non-Latin musicians who became well-known for their forays into Latin music. Tjader’s heritage was Swedish, but that didn’t really matter, since he demonstrated a genuine affinity for Latin rhythms. Palmieri calls him “the most natural musician I’ve ever met,” high praise indeed. The first of the 27 songs heard in this set is Billy Strayhorn’s Take the “A” Train and the last track is Along Comes Mary, the 1966 pop hit by the Association. Each one, and everything in between, including standards like Here’s That Rainy Day and On Green Dolphin Street, original tunes like Tjader’s Davito and Soul Burst and jazz compositions like Strayhorn’s Lush Life and Milt Jackson’s Bags’ Groove, gets a respectful and swinging arrangement. The musical treats here are plentiful, with Tjader’s immensely appealing vibraphone inventions front and center, with sustained rhythmic fire from drummers Johnny Rae and Carl Burnett, and Bill Fitch and the masterful Armando Peraza on congas and bongos. When a 24-year old Poncho Sanchez joined the Tjader group, Tjader advised him to “just catch the groove, man.” Good advice, whether you were playing in the band or just listening to their music. Happily recommended. 

Jazz Detective DDJD-012 (also on vinyl); Cal Tjader (vib on all tracks); Seattle, WA; personnel and dates as noted: Disc 1 (76:41); February 2, 1963: Clare Fischer (p) Fred Schreiber (b) Johnny Rae (d, timb) Bill Fitch (cga, perc): Take the “A” Train/ In Your Own Sweet Way/ It Never Entered My Mind/ Morning of the Carnival (Manha de Carnaval)/ Insight. May 6, 1965: Lonnie Hewitt (p) Terry Hilliard (b) Rae (d, timb) Armando Peraza (cga, bgo): Sunset Boulevard/Here’s That Rainy Day/ Davito/ Pantano/ Leyte/ Half and Half. May 13, 1965: same group as May 6: On Green Dolphin Street/ Love For Sale/ Reza/ Maramoor Mambo. Disc 2 (70:14): June 9, 1966: Al Zulaica (p) Monk Montgomery (b) Carl Burnett (d) Peraza (cga, bgo): The Shadow of Your Smile/ Bags’ Groove/ Morning/ Mambo Inn. June 16, 1966: same group as June 9: On Green Dolphin Street/ I Can’t Get Started/ Soul Burst/ Cuban Fantasy. June 8 ,1967: Zulaica (p) Stan Gilbert (b) Burnett (d) Peraza (cga, bgo): O Morro Não Tem Vez/ Fuji/ Lush Life/ Along Comes Mary. www.thejazzdetective.com

Ahmad Jamal: Emerald City Nights, Live at The Penthouse, 1966-1968

  The third and final compilation of radio broadcasts from Seattle showcasing pianist Ahmad Jamal and his trio is Emerald City Nights, Live at The Penthouse, 1966-1968, available on limited edition vinyl for Record Store Day and on CD in December. This time around, we get to hear just one of Jamal’s trios, with bassist Jamil Nasser and drummer Frank Gant, a unit that stayed together from 1966 until the mid-1970's. Jamal, with his influential block chord approach to building improvisations and the irrepressible flow of sound from his instrument, is always a pleasure to hear, especially when he’s in front of an audience. Jamal’s elaborate inventions tend to disregard most of the familiar melodies in favor of the underlying chord structures. For instance, Joseph Kosma’s Autumn Leaves, which Eugene Holley, Jr., mentions in his notes was “a mainstay in the Jamal songbook,” is delivered here “in a whirling dervish of ingenuity and taste.” Another Jamal favorite, Erroll Garner’s classic Misty, gets a similarly unusual treatment, with a lengthy piano/drum duet. Jamal’s lone solo excursion is a lovely investigation of Johnny Mandel’s Emily, a piece also favored by another extremely influential pianist, Bill Evans. As Holley reminds us, the jazz world was in a state of profound flux in the late Sixties. Jamal persevered with his trio, and he always felt at home in the Penthouse. Club owner Charlie Puzzo was a big fan, and brought a concert grand into the small club for Jamal’s frequent appearances in Seattle. Jamal, who passed away in April, 2023, was involved with this release, approving the selections, and telling Holley that “it was a great place to work.” That feeling is apparent in the ebullient performances on offer. Holley’s liner notes follow an introductory note by co-produced Zev Feldman, and are joined by excerpts from brief interviews with pianists Les McCann, Emmet Cohen, Monty Alexander and Jamal himself, plus some previously unpublished photos. Definitely recommended. 

Jazz Detective DDJD-006 (also on vinyl); Ahmad Jamal (p) Jamil Nasser (b) Frank Gant (d); Seattle, WA, dates as noted; Disc 1 (45:13): September 29, 1966: Gloria/ Fantastic Vehicle/ Misty. August 24, 1967: Mr. Lucky/ Autumn Leaves. Disc 2 (48:37): August 31, 1967: Corcovado (Quiet Night of Quiet Stars)/ Where is Love/ Dance to the Lady. April 26, 1968:Naked City Theme/ Emily (solo)/ Alfie. www.thejazzdetective.com

Ahmad Jamal: Emerald City Nights

  Piano stylist supreme Ahmad Jamal is the star of the first releases by the new Jazz Detective label. A pair of complementary double-CD sets, Emerald City Nights: Live At The Penthouse 1963-1964 and Emerald City Nights: Live At The Penthouse 1965-1966 document parts of his sets that were broadcast and recorded by the club. Over the past few years, the Penthouse tape collection has yielded a number of impressive releases, including such stars as Johnny Griffin & Eddie Lockjaw Davis in 1962, Cannonball Adderley in 1966 and 1967, Bill Evans in 1966 and Wynton Kelly with Wes Montgomery in 1966. Zev Feldman has been instrumental in bringing this material, and a lot more, out of the vaults and into the world. This new joint venture with Spain’s Elemental Music label takes its name from his nickname of the Jazz Detective. For this project, he consulted the 92-year old Jamal. The Ahmad Jamal trio stunned the music world with the massive success of the 1958 Argo album Live At The Pershing: But Not For Me. By 1994, this piano trio date had sold over a million copies. Jamal and his groups were quite popular at Seattle’s Penthouse nightspot, and this pair of releases presents music from seven different broadcasts from 1963-1965. (There’s another compilation of Jamal at The Penthouse in preparation.) Each set gets the usual Feldman treatment. The booklets each include period photos, an introduction by the producer, remarks by Jamal extracted from recent interviews, brief notes by Jim Wilke, the on-air host for KING-FM, and Charlie Puzzo, Jr., son of the club owner, and charming recollections by Marshall Chess of Chess Records. Argo was Chess Records’ jazz imprint, and Live At The Pershing was, he says “a viral hit” for the company when a 16-year old Marshall Chess first met Jamal. Eugene Holley, Jr. contributes liner notes for each volume, discussing both the songs and the backgrounds of the bassists (Richard Evans and Jamil Nasser) and drummers (Chuck Lampkin, Vernel Fournier, and Frank Gant). Finally, a batch of pianists weigh in on Jamal’s powerful influence. We hear from Jon Batiste, Kenny Barron, and Aaron Diehl in the 1963-1964 booklet. The 1965-1966 compilation features reminiscences by the late Ramsey Lewis and Hiromi Uehara. As both Uehara and Barron note, active participation in the music by the bass and drums make the band sound, in Uehara’s words, “like one cohesive unit.” Spending some time with these discs provides an opportunity to listen to how the music is ever so slightly altered with different bandmates. But the best thing about these broadcasts is the sheer pleasure of Jamal’s magnificent improvisations on (mostly) popular songs, and his unfailingly à propos rhythmic shadings. Absolutely recommended. I can’t wait to hear what else Jazz Detective has in store for the future. On a personal note, this former tape archivist really appreciates the photographs of tape boxes! 

Jazz Detective DJDD-004; Disc 1 (34:23) Ahmad Jamal (p) Richard Evans (b) Chuck Lampkin (d); Seattle, WA [all tracks], June 20, 1963; Johnny One Note/ Minor Adjustments/ All Of You/ Squatty Roo. Disc 2 (56:27) Ahmad Jamal (p) Jamil Nasser (b) Chuck Lampkin (d); March 26, 1964; Bogota/ Lollipops & Roses/ Tangerine. Same trio; April 2, 1964; Keep On Keeping On/ Minor Moods/ But Not For Me. 

Jazz Detective DJDD-005; Disc 1 (40:29) Ahmad Jamal (p) Jamil Nasser (b) Chuck Lampkin (d); March 18, 1965; I Didn’t Know What Time It Was/ Who Can I Turn To?. Same trio; March 25, 1965; My First Love Song/ Feeling Good. Disc 2 (37:42): Ahmad Jamal (p) Jamil Nasser (b) Vernel Fournier (d); October 28, 1965; Concern/ Like Someone In Love. Ahmad Jamal (p) Jamil Nasser (b) Frank Gant (d); September 22, 1966; Invitation/ Poinciana/ Whisper Not. www.deepdigsmusic.com