Cal Tjader was an American Latin jazz musician from St. Louis, Missouri. He gained fame as a vibraphonist, percussionist, and bandleader. After Dizzy Gillespie, Cal Tjader was the American musician most important in blending jazz and Afro-Cuban rhythms into a complete sound. Since the 1950s, Tjader's bands have deeply influenced Latin jazz, and this is evident on this album. Tjader combines Afro-Cuban rhythms with mainstream jazz solos on his 1956 album, "Latin Kick." Besides Tjader (vibraphone), the album also features Brew Moore (sax), Luis Miranda (congas), Bayardo Velarde (timbales), Manuel Duran (piano), and Carlos Duran (bass). This new edition is being released as part of the Original Jazz Classics series and is pressed on 180-gram vinyl with all the analog mastering of the original tapes.
