Cal Tjader
Although his reputation in jazz was built upon his talent as a vibe player, Cal
Tjader was also an accomplished percussionist and played the bongos, congas,
timpani and drums. He was also a skilled pianist having been taught classical
piano from a very early age.
Tjader was born in St. Louis, the son of two Swedish vaudeville performers and
his parents relocated to the west coast when he was two. After growing up in the
Bay Area, Tjader enlisted in the military as a medic before going back to
college training to be a teacher. It was there he met another former GI, the
pianis...
