El Cajón is a jazz standard written by Johnny Mandel with English lyrics by David Frishberg. The instrumental version was first released in 1981 by Al Cohn, establishing it as a modern jazz favorite. A vocal version with Frishberg’s lyrics followed in 1985. The tune has been widely interpreted by small ensembles and vocalists, with a notable 1987 live recording by the Stan Getz Quartet at Copenhagen’s Cafe Montmartre. It also appears on modern compilations such as The Songs of Johnny Mandel (2019) by Ukamusic, and continues to be performed in various formats, including a cappella and contemporary jazz setups like Michael Mayo’s 2020 interpretation.
