I love Cal Tjader. I came across his music pretty early in my digging days, and now it seems much harder to find his records—or at least harder to find them at the prices they used to go for. People have definitely caught on to the value Cal brings.
This one in particular—Agua Dulce—is a gem. My copy is pretty beat up, and I know I didn’t get it from Salty’s. I wish I had, but there’s no way this came from Ramona’s shop. She would never have allowed a copy in this condition to make it to the shelves. If a record didn’t meet her standard, it was straight to the trash—no hesitation.
Mine has a $6 price tag on it, and I can believe I paid that. Honestly, I would still pay $6 for it, even in the shape it’s in. The vinyl itself is VG at best, but the cover is thrashed. Still, I’m glad to have it—it’s one of maybe 30 Cal Tjader records in my collection, and it stands out.
This is definitely ‘70s Cal, with some Moog synth flavor on it. You’ve got Coke Escovedo involved too, playing and contributing arrangements, which just levels it up. The album’s title track, Agua Dulce (Cool-Aid), is a cover of a Johnny Otis and Shuggie Otis joint.
A track that a lot of folks might recognize from this album is “Curacao”, which I believe is a Tjader original. That one got sampled by Madlib, among others. There’s also a Latin jazz version of “Gimme Shelter” by the Rolling Stones that completely works in its own right.
But the two tracks that really hit me hardest—like, far beyond the rest—are “Invitation” and “Morning.”
“Invitation” is a Four Freshmen cover, and I fell in love with it after realizing Dilla had sampled the original. It’s an instrumental, but I know most of the lyrics by heart and I like to sing along with the instrumental.
Then there’s “Morning,” originally by Clare Fischer. Already a gem in its own right, they equally did it justice. The band really delivered on that one. That song’s always been a powerhouse, and this version doesn’t miss.
There really isn’t much Cal Tjader did that I didn’t like, and this album is no exception. It’s top to bottom, super solid. I actually need to get a cleaner copy—because this one’s not leaving my collection until I do. And when that happens, I’ll probably gift this one to someone who’ll appreciate it as much as I do.
If you ever see this record—on vinyl, cassette, whatever—grab it. If you can’t find it in physical form, stream it. It’s a vibe. This is one of those albums I put on while I’m setting tile—keeps the nerves calm and makes the day go smoother.
Cal Tjader – Agua Dulce.
A beautiful record. A keeper.
If you would like to hear any albums I share on this blog, check out my YouTube Playlist: Vinylwav Personal Record Collection