By the mid-'60s, vibraphonist
Cal Tjader was recording regularly for Verve in a wide variety of settings but with pretty consistent success. For this popular outing,
Tjader plays a few then-current Latin numbers (including
Clare Fischer's famous "Morning"), revives "Manteca," and performs a pair of
Kurt Weill standards ("My Ship" and "The Bilbao Song"). With
Jerome Richardson,
Seldon Powell, and/or Jerry Dodgion prominent on flutes, such sidemen as the young pianist
Chick Corea, guitarist
Attila Zoller, bassist
Richard Davis, drummer
Grady Tate, and some fine charts written by
Oliver Nelson, the music is quite catchy and accessible, commercial but still creative within the genre. ~ Scott Yanow.