What about the Peruvian sub-genre of Cumbia: Chicha?
Picked-up two compilations of this at the weekend and its absolutely a wonderful discovery, cumbia overladen with surf guitar and a good dose of Amazonian ayahusca thrown in for good measure. It's not very often my ears stumble across something new and exciting.
If that actually exists. I wanna hear it.
From a musical perspective, Tjader was and remains very highly regarded by Latin musicians. His complete lack of Latin American blood being completely irrelevant. As well as being a wonderful player and band leader, the numerous musicians he recruited for his bands over the years ranged from superb to the phenomenal. The greatest example would possibly be in around 1957 (from memory) when he pinched both Mongo SantamarĂa and Willie Bobo from the Tito Puente Orchestra. Apparently it was a big diplomatic incident at the time that required an all night meeting to smooth it over. One reason why TP let it go in the end was because he admired Cal's music.
Incidentally Mongo's replacement in the TP Orchestra was a young man called Ray Barretto.
And of course, up until the late 1960s Tjader was extremely well-dressed.
Bump. That original image just popped into my head whilst listening to Miles and eating my lunchtime sandwich. Such a simple look. Such an effective look.
Cal was a major influence on the UK jazz dance scene in the Eighties.
Shoshana remains one of the best tunes of that scene. I hear the opening bars and I'm 14 again
Bought Last Bolero in Berkley mid 80's from that mercenary Adam Gibb who owned Musicwise. They used to advertise in Blues & Soul magazine.
Excellent shot of Tjader in Ralph Gleason's book 'Jam Session': the square hair and glasses, the billowing plaid button-down worn, with the top buttons undone, over a white undershirt; belt tongue flapping as he gives of his best. He looks as if he's really enjoying himself, too.
Shoshana is definitely a wonderful track. As far as I know his best post '60s tune, in fact.
But it's his 50s stuff that I love most of all. It was a real golden era for Latin music, and he was one of the top dogs.
Gleason's book isn't bad, unlike the best efforts of Rudi Blesh, who comes across as an unaware, unhip Lenny Bruce telling us, ad nauseum, about de natural riddums of de negro peoples and how dey do love to skip and dance all de day long, Lordy Lordy. Gerry Mulligan's name is misspelled - as 'Jerry'. But I'm still lapping up Whitney Balliett, an even better writer on the subject than Nat Hentoff - who was pretty good.