Tjader Cal – Prophet (Verve Vault Series)

In the early 1960s, when vibraphonist Cal Tjader moved from Fantasy Records to Verve Records, he was in one of his most productive phases. Between 1961 and 1968, under the direction of producers Creed Taylor and Esmond Edwards, he recorded fifteen albums for Verve, on which he was able to develop more freely artistically than ever before.

On "The Prophet", his last album for the label, the vibraphonist draws on a wide range of jazz, Latin and blues influences. Half of the program consists of his own compositions and half of pieces by Brazilian keyboardist João Donato, which were orchestrally arranged by Don Sebesky. The piece "Aquarius", written by Donato, was sampled by the hip-hop band A Tribe Called Quest in 1993 for the album "Midnight Marauders".

Verve Vault Series: cut and mastered from the original analog tapes by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Optimal. Single sleeve with iconic original artwork.