Cal Tjader: Greatest Hits Vol. 1 & 2

I don’t often think of compilations as Desert Island worthy, but I grew up listening to Mom’s LP of the Vol. 1 installment. This compilation on CD covers both of the albums, except for one track, omitted due to length. It is an excellent look at his early Fantasy years, and features original versions of songs that would become his signature tunes in later years, like “Mamblues”, “Black Orchid”, “Lucero”, and “Guachi Guaro” (aka “Soul Sauce”). I do like his Verve recordings as well, but if I had to choose any one disc, this would be it. As his entire collection spans 80+ albums (which I do own in one format or another), this is one of the best ways to take a favorite portion of it with me.