Cal Tjader - Shoshana - 1980

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Released in 1980 on the Concord label from the album “Gozame! Pero Ya, featuring Cal Tjader on vibraphone, and written by Mark Levine. 

Cal Tjader made his first album in 1954 and always produced top quality music, releasing many albums in the following decades.

This is one of the best examples of Latin Jazz. It has a wonderful groove with great melodies, and Oh! that piano. I first heard it on a compilation, “Jazz Juice 5”, and immediately loved it, and since then has been one of my all-time favourite songs. I could play it all day every day and never get tired of it!

The intro is the main piano riff, and then the percussion comes in, and then Cal plays a very simple melody on the vibraphone while the piano improvises.

There is a flute solo, and again that very simple but beautiful melody on the vibraphone. All the while the percussive rhythm keeps the groove going with a timbale solo and the melodic vibraphone floating on top. Of course, Cal gets to do his solo too. This is truly an outstanding piece of music.

Dave Moore