Record Guide; JAZZ/POP

Cal Tjader: ''The Shining Sea.'' Cal Tjader, vibes; Scott Hamilton, tenor saxophone; Hank Jones, piano; Vince Lateano, drums; Dean Reilly, bass. Concord Jazz CJ-159 - Cal Tjader, whose name is most often linked with Latin jazz, and whose last two albums for Concord were cut under the new CJP (Concord Jazz Picante) division, has taken a different direction on this latest recording. A tribute to songwriter Johnny Mandel, the set includes several of Mandel's prettiest tunes, including the lovely ''Emily,'' from ''The Americanization of Emily,'' and ''The Shining Sea,'' from ''The Russians are Coming'' (a Mandel-Peggy Lee collaboration). There's also an intriguing arrangement in 7/8 time of the Mandel-Altman ''Song From M*A*S*H.'' Tjader particularly shines on the ballads, using a rich vibrato and pedaling just enough to let the overtones ring out, making a pleasingly dissonant blend with Hank Jones's chords. The ballads are taken at a deliciously slow pace, with Tjader giving time for each chord to settle in and the lines to spread out like taffy on a marble slab - note the especially pretty ''A Time for Love.'' The rhythm section is top-rate, and Scott Hamilton's whispering tenor sax is a welcome addition. This is a subdued, lyrical album, and it gives the listener a good sense of what Mandel's music is all about.