Michael Wolff Remembers Cal Tjader

About

Doors: 5 pm Show: 6:30 pm Acclaimed jazz pianist, composer, educator, and author Michael Wolff comes to Meyhouse Jazz for a special evening honoring the music and legacy of Cal Tjader. A pioneering figure in Latin jazz, Cal Tjader brought together the sophistication of jazz improvisation with the warmth, rhythm, and color of Latin music. Best known as a master of the vibraphone, Tjader was also an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, performing on drums, bongos, congas, timbales, and piano. His music opened a vibrant space where jazz, Afro-Cuban rhythms, world music, and West Coast cool could meet with elegance and energy. Michael Wolff performed with Cal Tjader and brings a personal connection to this tribute. For this program, Wolff will perform a selection of Tjader-inspired tunes along with his own original compositions, creating an evening that reflects both remembrance and reinvention. The music will move through Latin beats, lyrical jazz, rhythmic interplay, and expressive improvisation — celebrating Tjader’s influence while bringing the sound into the present with Wolff’s own creative voice. The quartet features Michael Wolff on piano, Gary Brown on bass, Scott Amendola on drums, and Ray Obiedo on guitar. Lineup Michael Wolff — piano Gary Brown — bass Scott Amendola — drums Ray Obiedo — guitar