Cal Tjader on Drums

[Sundog]

Did Cal Tjader play drums? I saw him credited on a Brubeck album (Brubeck Octet) as the drummer. Is this a typo, or did he actually dabble on drums? Thanks in advance.

[Stereojack]

Did Cal Tjader play drums? I saw him credited on a Brubeck album (Brubeck Octet) as the drummer. Is this a typo, or did he actually dabble on drums? Thanks in advance.

Yes - also played drums (and vibes) with Brubeck's trio c. 1950.

[Conclave]

In addition to playing jazz trap drums, Cal played mainly timbales and he was regarded

a decent timbalero. Occasionally, he sat in on congas and bongos. He also played guiro,

claves, hand cowbell, shakers, a little piano and organ--- you name it, he played it.

The original vinyls give instrument breakdowns, particularly the Ritmo Caliente series

and early Fantasy cuts. The newer re- released CDs unfortunately don't.

Of course his main ax was the Vibes, but on Amazonas ( Fantasy) he delved into the Marimba.

[mikeweil]

Tjader learned to play drum set in the first place, and studied that instrument at San Francisco State University (besides being a boy tap dancer at an early age). He was engaged by Brubeck as a drummer but bought himself a set of vibes at the time and when he mentioned it, Brubeck encouraged him to bring it along to rehearsals and gigs. He did, after only two weeks on the instrument! He's entirely self-taught on the vibes!

Same with the bongos, which he reportedly taught himself to particiapate on a Nick Esposito recording session in 1949.

But the congas: I suppose he knew the basics, but never recorded on them!

He did play timbales, since his first Cuban Jazz sessions for Fantasy, a variety of small percussion, as well as piano and organ.

I read somewhere he was Mingus' favourite drummer during the latter's California days - he drums on a 1949 Mingus session on that great Uptown Mingus disc. He again played drums on one session of the "Tjader Plays Jazz" LP, and on the first Gus Mancuso LP, both on Fantasy.

Edited January 30, 2006 by mikeweil

[Sundog]

Thanks everyone. I need to check some of that early material out.

[mikeweil]

These are the CDs with Cal on drums:

[Conclave]

Just a note on Cal recording on congas.......

On the album Mambo with Tjader- Fantasy 3-202, Cal wails

on congas on the tune Mamblues in the mid section.

He doesn't have an authentic Afro-Cuban Tumbao sound , but he

cooks nevertheless.

[Jazz Kat]

Did Cal Tjader play drums? I saw him credited on a Brubeck album (Brubeck Octet) as the drummer. Is this a typo, or did he actually dabble on drums? Thanks in advance.

Dabble? That was his main instrument until he heard Afro-cuban music. He went back and forth from vibes and drums early with the Brubeck trio.

[mikeweil]

Just a note on Cal recording on congas.......

On the album Mambo with Tjader- Fantasy 3-202, Cal wails

on congas on the tune Mamblues in the mid section.

He doesn't have an authentic Afro-Cuban Tumbao sound , but he

cooks nevertheless.

Seems I overlooked this one: The liner displays a photo of Cal standing behind a conga drum, hands on skin, and the notes mention him working out on conga on this track. That's a detail I have to correct in my eternal work in progress, the Cal Tjader Discography. Thanks for pointing this out!

[SonnyBoy]

My Dad started playing Drums at a young age. He scored big by winning a Gene Krupa contest in his teens. wasn't til later that he embraced the Vibes.

[Dave James]

Drums and vibes are an interesting and not all that rare double. Lionel Hampton and Victor Feldman come to mind.

Up over and out.

[mikeweil]

Larry Bunker was another doubler.

[JPF]

And Alan Dawson.

[chris olivarez]

Johnny Otis is another one. If I call correctly he landed a job with Count Basie who was looking for a drummer. Johnny is also pretty adept on vibes. He plays them a lot on his own recordings as well as piano.

It doesn't surprise me that Cal was a working drummer considering how well he plays those timbales.