The Best Of The Concord Years (2004)

"Vibraphonist Cal Tjader released six well-received albums on Conord. The Best of the Concord Years draws from that storehouse to fill two discs with choice cuts. The arrangements and overall flavor flow easily from composition to composition. There's the sparkling arrangement of "Speak Softly," featuring Roger Glenn's atmospheric flute work, which is perfectly matched to Tjader's light touch on the vibes. There are also surprises like the Latin take on Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing," with a fine vocal by Carmen McRae, and an extra mellow take on John Coltrane's "Naima." Pianist-composer Mark Levine provides both rhythmically intense chording for a piece like "Shoshana" and the gentlest of leads on "Naima," while steady hands like bassist Rob Fisher and percussionist Poncho Sanchez lay down the rhythmic underpinning so essential to Latin jazz." (Allmusic).