Vince Guaraldi on LP and CD

So much to find...

Vince Guaraldi on LP and CD

By Derrick Bang

This is a serious task.

The object of this document is no less than a complete catalog of every recording on which Vince Guaraldi ever performed.

As with many Internet guides of this sort, while fans -- both casual and serious -- should find many surprises here, it wouldn't surprise me if a few entries have been left out. I heartily encourage anybody with albums not yet mentioned to contact me, so that I might properly complete this list.

This document is divided into two sections: recordings on which Guaraldi participated as a sideman, and recordings released under his own name, or that of his trio. Entries in each section are listed chronologically, to the extent that original recording dates are known. (Fantasy, the label for which Guaraldi recorded much of his work, is frustratingly incomplete -- and sometimes inaccurate -- with regard to such data.) Finally, each entry includes a rating from one (*) to five (*****) stars. These do not necessarily indicate the "listenability" of the album as a whole, merely its value specifically to fans seeking Guaraldi's participation. (I've never been a fan of Cal Tjader's heaviest Latin period, for example, but the lower ratings on some of those albums reflect Guaraldi's minimal involvement, rather than my dislike of the music therein.)

And so...onward!

As sideman:

"The Cal Tjader Trio"
****

Cal Tjader

Fantasy 3-9
Recorded November 1951

Wow! Some musicians are astonishing right out of the gate, and Guaraldi certainly was one of them. This album, jazz legend Cal Tjader's very first recording for Fantasy, also includes -- as far as I know -- Vince Guaraldi's first studio work. The album was recorded in three chunks, with Vince handling piano on four of the eight tracks; these four cuts -- scarcely 11 minutes of music, with the trio of Tjader (vibes, bongos and drums), Jack Weeks (bass) and Guaraldi (piano) -- open the album, and they're an amazing showcase for the pianist who'd later help define the sound of West Coast Jazz. Guaraldi gets things off to a sizzling start with his smoking solos on "Chopsticks Mambo" (I promise, you'll never again think of that silly introductory exercise in quite the same way) and "Vibra-Tharp," two Tjader originals. Guaraldi is equally hot on "Three Little Words," and I'm frankly amazed Tjader was so generous on this first album; these three tracks are a much more dynamic showcase for Guaraldi, than for the trio's named leader! Only on "Lullaby of the Leaves" does Vince scale back a bit, providing mostly shading for Tjader's vibes.

This album wasn't even available as a standard 12-inch LP; it only saw release as one of those clunky, early-1950s 10-inch albums. Fantasy's CD release -- FCD-24764-2, coupled with another Tjader album, "Breathe Easy," and collectively titled "Extremes" -- thus resurrects these tracks for what most jazz fans will regard as the first time: seminal music that hasn't been heard in half a century. And you can't help but be impressed.

Guaraldi compositions: (none)

"Blues Groove"
**

Woody Herman

Capitol T784 [LP only; not yet re-issued on CD]
Recorded May 16-17, 1956

Guaraldi replaced pianist Nat Pierce for one season on the road with Woody Herman's third "thundering herd," and this is the only album released with his participation in that group. No fewer than 20 musicians are listed in this band, and Guaraldi fans will recognize bassist Monty Budwig, soon to become a regular member of Vince's own trio. Two of the album's cuts, recorded on December 1, 1955, don't feature Guaraldi at all. Of the remaining cuts, recorded on May 15 and 16, 1956, Vince's piano cannot be distinguished at all on four others...but he does come through, loud and clear, on the remaining three. Guaraldi delivers a bouncy (if brief) little intro to "Dupree Blues," and has a great boogie-woogie solo at the beginning of "Pinetop's Blues." He really shines during the album's final cut, "Blues Groove," with a good solo in the middle, a nice introduction, and solid piano riffs during the entire cut. ("Blues Groove" is, alas, the album's sole instrumental. Woody Herman sings on all the others ... more's the pity.)

Guaraldi compositions: (none)

"Gus Mancuso & Special Friends"
*

Gus Mancuso

Fantasy FCD-24762-2 (CD reissue of two Mancuso albums, "Introducing Gus Mancuso" and "Gus Mancuso Quintet: Music from New Faces")
Guaraldi session recorded in November 1956, in San Francisco

Cal Tjader bumped into Gus Mancuso during a Las Vegas gig, and subsequently encouraged Fantasy Records to make an album featuring the baritone horn player (an instrument rarely heard outside of marching bands). Three sessions were set up, one in Los Angeles and two in San Francisco, and the result was Mancuso's first album. Guaraldi participated in one of the San Francisco sessions - along with Tjader (drums), Richie Kamuca (tenor sax) and Gene Wright (bass) - and thus contributed to three of the songs on this release "Brother Aintz," "And Baby Makes Three" and "A Hatful of Dandruff." Vince gets a marvelous extended solo on "Brother Aintz," a swinging up-tempo piece that doesn't quit; his accompaniment on "And Baby Makes Three" is quieter, as befits the gentle number penned by Tjader's wife, Pat. But Guaraldi roars back into the foreground during "A Hatful of Dandruff," which boasts enough of his signature piano work -- no surprise, since he wrote the cut -- that it's practically a star performance.
Ralph Gleason, already a big fan of Guaraldi's, wrote the first album's liner notes. Guaraldi had no part of "Gus Mancuso Quintet: Music from New Faces."
Guaraldi compositions:
"A Hatful of Dandruff"

"Nina Simone Live"

Nina Simone

Coronet CXS-242 [LP only; not available on CD]
Guaraldi session recorded in 1956 (?)

Those who love mysteries will appreciate this one.
Despite what you might think from the cover, Nina Simone and Vince Guaraldi don't work together on this one. Side A has five Simone songs, recorded live in Atlantic City in 1956. As this wasn't enough to fill an album, five tracks by George Wallington were put on the B side when first released in mono on the Spinorama label. The album later was re-released in stereo on the Coronet label (both Spinorama and Coronet were divisions of Premier Albums Inc.), and the Wallington cuts were replaced by four cuts credited as "Vince Guaraldi plays": "Fine Shapes," "Let's Make It," "Fallout" and "They Said."
Except that the pianist in this group -- which sounds like a quintet of piano, bass, drums, sax and trumpet (often muted) -- sure doesn't get much of an opportunity to shine. No additional personel are credited, although the brief notes mention Guaraldi's recent pop single, "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" (but not as a Grammy winner, which suggests that hadn't yet happened when this re-issue hit stores). My guess is that this session probably dates to the same time period as Simone's work, and featured Guaraldi as a sideman behind the clearly dominant trumpet and sax players.
But who are they? And is the pianist in fact Guaraldi? It sure doesn't sound much like him, although certainly he hadn't nailed down his "signature sound" during the middle '50s, and thus these cuts could represent proto-Guaraldi, as it were. Meanwhile, they're certainly interesting...
Guaraldi compositions: (none)

"Jazz at the Blackhawk"
*

The Cal Tjader Quartet

Fantasy OJCCD-436-2
Recorded live January 20, 1957, at the Blackhawk in San Francisco

This gorgeous live session, which lacks any of the Latin flavor that marked most of Tjader's work during this period, instead concentrates on straight-ahead jazz. The fidelity is crisp and clear, and it remains one of Tjader's best live albums in an intimate setting, and with a small group Vince Guaraldi (piano), Gene Wright (bass) and Al Torre (drums). Although Tjader's vibes dominate, Guaraldi shines during several cuts, notably with quiet solos in "Bill B." and "Land's End." His introduction in "When the Sun Comes Out" is lyrical and positively haunting, and he picks up the pace with some energetic riffs in a spirited cover of "I'll Remember April." Vince's finest moment, however, comes during an extended solo in a tune he penned, "Thinking of You, MJQ." If you're seeking a great example of Guaraldi's best work prior to the sessions with his own trio, you won't want to miss this disc.
Guaraldi compositions:
"Thinking of You, MJQ"

"Cal Tjader"

The Cal Tjader Quartet

Fantasy 3253
Recorded April 10-15 1957

Hot on the heels of his live date at The Blackhawk, Cal Tjader assembled the same crew -- Vince Guaraldi (piano), Gene Wright (bass) and Al Torres (drums) -- for this gorgeous studio album, which is another of the lovely "gentle swingers" Tjader and Guaraldi did together. The album starts off with a superb 11-minute medley from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, which gives Vince a nice solo during his melodic presentation of "Strawberry Woman." Guaraldi truly shines on a few other cuts, though, most notably with a peppy solo in "Our Blues" (apparently written by "P. Tjader" and "S. Guaraldi," according to Fantasy's liner notes; that would be Cal's wife, Patricia -- a jazz pianist in her own right -- and Vince's wife, Shirley) and a lively contribution to "And Baby Makes Three." Guaraldi also dominates during a gently swinging rendition of "Willow Weep for Me" in another medley; the pianist would record his own trio's version of this same song the same year, on the album A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing. Vince also gets an extended solo during the final track, "Line for Lyons," and then handles a playful give-and-take with Wright's bass. This Tjader release is precisely the sort of album that comes to mind when trying to describe the evolving West Coast Jazz scene to folks: sweet, tasty and toe-tappin' all the way.
This album has been paired with Tjader's Concert on the Campus on the Fantasy compilation CD Our Blues (FCD-24771-2), but completists be warned: Because of space limitations, one track from Concert on the Campus -- "Rezo" -- was not included.
Guaraldi compositions:
"Our Blues" (?)

"Frank Rosolino Quintet"
*

The Frank Rosolino Quintet

VSOP #16 CD (CD reissue of 1957 Mode LP)
Recorded June 1957, in Hollywood

Trombonist Frank Rosolino was known just as much for his signature sense of humor as his fast jazz chops, and he parlayed both into a successful stint with the Stan Kenton Band, and a five-year run with Howard Rumsey's All Stars at The Lighthouse, the famed Hermosa Beach jazz joint. When it came time to record his own album, Rosolino brought some friends along: Richie Kamuca (tenor sax), Vince Guaraldi (piano), Monty Budwig (bass) and Stan Levey (drums). The resulting eight cuts make pleasant listening, although the arrangements aren't nearly as lively as those on the Conte Candoli album recorded the same month, at the same studio. Guaraldi gets ample opportunity for solos on all eight of these cuts, although his dynamic riffs are most evident on "Let's Make It," "Fallout" and "Tuffy." Vince's mood turns more softly melodic on "They Say" and "Thou Swell," and he has an enjoyable give-and-take with Budwig (soon to be a member of his own trio) on "Cherry."
Guaraldi compositions: (none)

"Conte Candoli Quartet"
*

The Conte Candoli Quartet

Music Visions (Japan) TFCL-88915 (CD reissue of 1957 Mode LP)
Recorded July 1957, in Hollywood

This lively bop session, dominated by trumpeter Conte Candoli, features eight cuts in a swinging, straight-ahead jazz style with Vince Guaraldi (piano), Monty Budwig (bass) and Stan Levey (drums). Candoli, a generous group leader, gives his sidemen ample opportunity to shine on each cut, and Guaraldi takes full advantage. Highlights include his strong, two-fisted attack on "Something for Liza," "Mediolistic," "Tara Ferma" and "Mambo Blues." Vince shifts gears for this album's cover of "Flamingo," and his support here is as lovely and rhythmic as the cut itself, certainly one of the best readings I've ever heard of this jazz standard. Guaraldi and Budwig (soon to be a member of Vince's own trio) trade solos in "Walkie Talkie." A bit old-fashioned, but great fun.
Guaraldi compositions: (none)

"Los Ritmos Calientes"
*

Cal Tjader

Fantasy FCD-24712-2 (CD reissue of two Tjader albums, "Ritmo Caliente" and "Mas Ritmo Caliente")
Guaraldi sessions recorded October 1957, in Chicago; October-November 1957, in New York; and November 1957, in San Francisco

Guaraldi wasn't among the musicians assembled for "Ritmo Caliente," which was recorded in March 1954 and November 1955 ... and you'd never really know he's part of "Mas Ritmo Caliente," despite his participation on all 10 tracks. Aside from Tjader's prominent vibes and timbales, the rest of this sound is dominated by the heavy Latin influences of conga, bongos, gourds, cowbells and all sorts of other distractions. Guaraldi spends most of his time laying down a (deliberately) redundant background beat -- known as a montuno -- which quickly will bore fans attempting to concentrate on Vince's keyboards. He's granted short solos on only three numbers: "Perdido," "Mongorama" and "Perfidia Cha Cha," not one of which justifies the purchase of this CD. Tjader's fans may find something to enjoy, but only Guaraldi completists need apply.
Guaraldi compositions: (none)

"Brew Moore"
*

Brew Moore

Fantasy OJC-049 (F-3-264)
Released November 5, 1957

Guaraldi pops up on only one cut on this album from saxman Brew Moore, but you'd scarcely notice. Five of the tracks were recorded in a studio with different personnel; the sixth, "Dues Blues," was taken from a Cal Tjader concert at the University of California (Berkeley, one assumes), which features Moore on tenor sax, Tjader on vibes, Bobby White on drums, Dean Reilly on bass, and Guaraldi on piano. Alas, it's a frustrating cut for Guaraldi fans; although it runs a healthy 7 minutes and 10 seconds, it gives lengthy solos to Tjader, Moore and Reilly ... but not Vince! You'll hear his piano chops clearly only once, at the very beginning of the cut, when he contributes a sassy little intro; the rest of the time, Guaraldi only lends faint support in the background. Perhaps more frustrating is the notion that somewhere, somebody must've recorded this entire concert ... but (thus far) only this one track has been released. (Major bummer!) Again, this one's only for Guaraldi completists.
Guaraldi compositions: (none)

"The Stan Getz/Cal Tjader Sextet"

Stan Getz, Cal Tjader

Fantasy OJCCD-275
Recorded February 8, 1958

Jazz historians and Stan Getz/Cal Tjader fans will love this album, but it doesn't show Vince Guaraldi to very good advantage; the pianist is all but lost among the swinging sound from Getz (tenor sax), Tjader (vibraphone), Eddie Duran (guitar), Scott LaFaro (bass) and Billy Higgins (drums). Guaraldi supplies little more than background on five of these seven cuts; the two exceptions are "Crow's Nest," on which he delivers a strong solo, and his own "Ginza Samba" (making its first recorded appearance; compare this to the version with Bola Sete, on "From All Sides"), an 11-minute jam session that truly deserves to be called exciting. Everybody gets an extended solo on this up-tempo track, which starts out fiercely and just gets better. Too bad Vince doesn't get similar moments to shine during the other cuts...
This album also is titled with Tjader's name first, so don't make the mistake of thinking that they're two different albums...
Guaraldi compositions:
"Ginza Samba"

"Latin for Lovers"

Cal Tjader

Fantasy 8016
Recorded in 1958

Mention "jazz" and "strings" in the same breath, and most jazz purists will turn up their noses and leave the room. In many cases, they'd be justified ... and this may be one of them. Although Tjader works hard to retain this album's jazz elements, they're frequently overshadowed by conductor Albert White's string quartet. Indeed, without paying close attention, you'll likely hear nothing beyond the flute (Paul Horn), congas and percussion (Mongo Santamaria and Willie Bobo) and the strings. Even Tjader's lead on vibes frequently is overpowered. The result is a pleasant, easy-listening album to use when snuggling on the couch with your favorite companion, but stand-out jazz solos are completely absent. (In fairness, the album certainly was designed with this thought in mind, and probably should not be regarded as a jazz album anyway.) As for Guaraldi, his piano rarely rises above the role of background shading. He has a brief solo in "Alone Together," and actually takes the melody line for a bit in "Quizas, Quizas, Quizas," but that's about it. You'll hear him briefly noodle around in "Time Was," "Star Eyes" and "Skylark," but it's scarcely enough to be termed a solo. On the basis of his work here, you'd never expect that Guaraldi would emerge from Tjader's shadow. Even so, Vince obviously was pleased with the results; he is known to have told Larry Vuckovich -- who was invited to hear this recording session -- that he thought this music was "beautiful," in great part because of the string accompaniment and Paul Horn's flute work. Indeed, we can accept that Guaraldi must have been inspired; he brought in a string quartet for half the numbers of his 1964 release, The Latin Side of Vince Guaraldi. [On a completely unreleated side note, the cut "Martha" sounds strangely similar to the theme that would be used, about a decade later, for television's "The Flying Nun."]
This album has been re-released on a Fantasy compilation CD titled Sentimental Moods (FCD-24742-2), which also includes all of San Francisco Moods.
(And if anybody could supply me with a better photo of the original LP cover, I'd be eternally grateful!)
Guaraldi compositions: (none)

"San Francisco Moods"
**

Cal Tjader

Fantasy 8017
Recorded in 1958

A lot of jazz guides miss this one, and no wonder; Guaraldi participated in only one track, "Viva Cepeda" ... although you don't need to purchase this disc in order to get it, because the cut also appears on Cal Tjader's Latin Concert. The disc as a whole is Tjader's tribute to the famed City by the Golden Gate, where he spent so much time performing during the 1950s and '60s. While nine of these 10 tracks are performed by Tjader and one collection of sidemen, he used his Latin-oriented sextet for "Viva Cepeda," which includes Guaraldi (piano), Al McKibbon, Mongo Santamaria and Willie Bobo. It's a boistrous, up-tempo number, and Guaraldi delivers a lengthy -- and quite ferocious -- solo.
This album has been re-released on a Fantasy compilation CD titled Sentimental Moods (FCD-24742-2), which also includes all of Latin for Lovers.
Guaraldi compositions: (none)

"Cal Tjader's Latin Concert"
***

Cal Tjader

Fantasy OJCCD-643-2
Recorded live September 1958 at the Blackhawk, in San Francisco

Guaraldi fans will find a little more to enjoy than is usual for one of Tjader's Latin-hued albums, mostly because Vince gets more of a chance to shine in this quintet, than among the larger crowd usually associated with similar Tjader releases. Guaraldi's keyboards are quite evident in this group, which includes Tjader (vibes), Mongo Santamaria (congas), Al McKibbon (bass) and Willie Bobo (timbales, drums). Most of the numbers are influenced just as much by bop and straight-ahead jazz, as by Latin, although two of them do drone on and on and on. Guaraldi delivers some striking chops in "Cubano Chant" and a rousing cover of "The Continental," and he also has prominent solos in "Viva Cepeda" and "Mood for Milt." But Vince clearly has the most fun trading riffs with Tjader during "Mi Guaguanco," a lively number certain to get your fingers snapping. While not among the best of Guaraldi's recorded sessions with Tjader, in terms of showcasing the piano, this disc certainly isn't a waste of time.
This recording of "Viva Cepeda" also appears on Cal Tajader's San Francisco Moods.
Guaraldi compositionss: (none)

"Afro Roots"
*

Mongo Santamaria

Prestige PRCD-24018-2 (CD reissue of two Santamaria albums, "Yambu" and "Mongo")
Recorded December 1958 and May 1959

This compilation CD includes all but one of the cuts ("Mi Guaguanco" was left behind, due to space limitations) from Mongo Santamaria's first two sessions as band leader, after he'd achieved acclaim and popular success showcasing his Afro-Cuban sound as a sideman with Tito Puente and Cal Tjader. Since jazz musicians frequently make guest appearances on each other's albums, Tjader and Vince Guaraldi joined Santamaria's band for one cut, "Mazacote." It's something of an anomaly amid all the other selections, and sounds far more like a live jam from one of Tjader's many Latin-influenced albums. Unlike all the other tracks in this package, "Mazacote" is a lengthy (10:33) showcase for all sorts of soloists, although Guaraldi's piano scarcely can be heard. Unless you like Santamaria's work to begin with, this is another one recommended only for the truly anal Guaraldi completists.
Contrary to what www.allmusic.com states, Guaraldi had no part of Santamaria's "Sabroso!" album; Vince simply is mentioned in the liner notes.
Guaraldi compositions: (none)

"Black Orchid"
*

Cal Tjader

Fantasy FCD-24730-2 (CD reissue of two Tjader albums, "Cal Tjader Goes Latin" and "Cal Tjader Quintet")
Guaraldi sessions recorded in 1959

Guaraldi had no involvement with the second of these two albums, but he participated in two of the four sessions that comprised the first. The highlights are four absolutely gorgeous numbers -- "Close Your Eyes," "Contigo," "Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe" and "Out of Nowhere" -- that showcase Vince and tenor sax player Jose "Chombo" Silva. These are quieter tunes, along the lines of ballads or somber laments, and feature some of the prettiest support Guaraldi ever contributed. Two other songs, "Mambo at the 'M' " and "I've Waited So Long," are more typical of the driving, Latinized sound that so captivated Tjader during this period, but (fortunately) Guaraldi is not overwhelmed by congas and timbales, and delivers some sassy up-tempo solos. Six songs out of 21 doesn't necessarily justify purchasing this disc, but the aforementioned four tracks are guaranteed to be enjoyed by staunch Guaraldi fans.
Guaraldi compositions: (none)

"Latinsville"

Victor Feldman

Contemporary S-9005 (re-issued by Fantasy on CD as Contemporary CCD-9005-2)
Guaraldi sessions recorded March 2, 3 and 20, 1959, in Los Angeles

Guaraldi is one of many musicians on this "little big band" bop album, which also features Conte Candoli (trumpet), Victor Feldman (percussion, piano and vibraphone), Walter Benton (tenor sax and timbales), Stan Levey (drums), Armando Peraza and Willie Bobo (both bongos), Scott LaFaro (bass), Frank Rosolino (trombone), Mongo Santamaria (conga) and quite a few other guests on individual tracks. Fans of Cal Tjader's Latin sound are certain to enjoy this work from the British-born Feldman, the second studio project he completed on the Contemporary label. The original 12 cuts were recorded during four sessions in March and May of 1959; the CD re-releases's five bonus tracks were resurrected from two earlier sessions in December 1958. Guaraldi participated in three of the 1959 sessions, which produced tracks 6, 8, 9 and 12 (March 2); 5 and 10 (March 3); and 1, 3 and 7 (March 20). Reflecting the tendency for jazzmen to cross-pollinate in those days, Feldman borrowed heavily from Tjader's Afro-Cuban groove and utilized percussionists Willie Bobo, Armando Peraza and Mongo Santamaria during all three sessions. The results aren't always kind to individual sidemen, particularly Guaraldi, whose piano often gets lost in these up-tempo, Latin-hued covers. Guaraldi provides little more than background on "Flying Down to Rio," "The Gypsy" and "Woody 'n You," and his solos are frustratingly brief in "Cuban Love Song" and "In a Little Spanish Town." He fares best on "Lady of Spain," which boasts solid piano accompaniment and a marvelous solo; and "Spain," which opens with a nice piano intro and maintains a keyboard focus throughout. You'll also hear some good (albeit brief) piano solos in "South of the Border" and some dynamic background chops on "Poinciana," the latter sounding like early rock 'n' roll. At best, though, Guaraldi's work is no more than energetic support; one gets a sense that he strains to make himself heard above the rest, with minimal success.
Guaraldi compositions: (none)

"West Coast Jazz in Hifi"
***

Richie Kamuca/Bill Holman

Fantasy OJCCD-1760-2 (CD reissue of remastered Original Jazz Classics 1992 LP)
Recorded in 1959, in Los Angeles

Although tenor and baritone sax players Richie Kamuca and Bill Holman get the "name credit" on this album, they're really no more or less prominent than any of the other members of this assembled octet, which also includes Frank Rosolino (trombone), Conte Candoli and Ed Leddy (trumpets), Stan Levey (drums), Monty Budwig (bass) and Guaraldi (piano). The group was put together by jazz buff Tony Jacobs, who wanted an album of cuts by the "musician's musicians" of the West Coast jazz movement. (It originally was titled Jazz Erotica when first released in 1959, on the HiFi label.) The result, thanks to being heavy on sax and trumpet, sounds more like a compact version of the classic Big Band swing of the late 1940s and early '50s, as opposed to the West Coast movement that matured a few years later, but it's still great fun.
Thanks to the original monaural separation, Guaraldi's efforts are confined to one channel, but he's very much a part of every one of these 10 cuts: at the least contributing background support with solid chords and noodly little riffs, at the most moving to the foreground with some smooth solos. The cuts showing Guaraldi to best advantage are "I Hadn't Anyone Till You," "Linger Awhile," "If You Were No One" and "Blue Jazz." The latter includes a great little give-and-take with Budwig, already a regular in Guaraldi's own trio. He and Budwig also share the spotlight with drummer Stan Levey in "Star Eyes," which features a brief interlude that sounds very much like the "Guaraldi sound" the pianist would perfect during the next five years. The whole gang builds to a rousing finish with an up-tempo version of "Indiana," which also allows Vince an exciting (if brief) solo.
Guaraldi compositions: (none)

"A Night at the Blackhawk"
***

Cal Tjader Sextet

Fantasy OJCCD-2475-5
Recorded live December 1958 at the Blackhawk, in San Francisco

Tjader spent a lot of time at the Blackhawk, and he enjoyed a very successful 1959 Christmas season at this popular San Francisco jazz hangout. Several sessions were recorded live, resulting in the six tracks that made up this album; aside from Tjader himself, the personnel included Guaraldi (piano), Jose Silva (tenor sax), Al McKibbon (bass), Willie Bobo (timbales, drums) and Mongo Santamaria (congos). The result is a bit dichotomous, reflecting the different recording sessions; part of the album is extremely tasty straight-ahead jazz, while a few other cuts -- notably a cover of "I Love Paris" that long overstays its welcome -- reflect Tjader's continued fascination with the genre's influx of Afro-Cuban sounds. That one track notwithstanding, Guaraldi fans will find much to enjoy on this album; Vince provides some great solos during "I Hadn't Anyone Till You" and "Bill B," and he really cuts loose on a wonderfully up-tempo cover of "Night in Tunisia."
This album and Tjader's "Live and Direct" (which does not feature Guaraldi at all) are combined on Fantasy's CD release "Blackhawk Nights."
Guaraldi compositions: (none)

"Little Band, Big Jazz"
***

The Conte Candoli All Stars

Fresh Sound Records FSR1629
Recorded February 3, 1960

This is a very hard album to find, which is a shame, as it features some genuinely fine support from Guaraldi in a quintet that includes Conte Candolo (trumpet), Leroy Vinegar (bass), Buddy Collette (tenor sax) and Stan Levey (drums). The six cuts are all straight-ahead jazz compositions delivered in the classic style, with ample opportunity for each musician to shine. Guaraldi gets generous solos on all six tracks, with his best chops delivered on "Zizanie" and "Muggin' the Minor." He trades riffs with Candoli on "Countin' the Blues" and opens the slower, bluesy "Macedonia" (his own composition) with a nice keyboard introduction, in addition to an extended solo later in the cut. But his best work comes on "Little David," an original piece composed to honor his son, which features solid piano support throughout and a swinging solo midway through. All in all, this is an engaging album, if in the old Big Band style.
And poor Candoli: Once Guaraldi's star rose, the album cover was redesigned to feature Vince at the expense of the bandleader!
Guaraldi compositions:
"Little David"
"Macedonia"

"Latino"
*

Cal Tjader

Fantasy FCD-24732-2 (CD reissue of two Tjader albums, "Demasiado Caliente" and "Latino!")
Latae 1950s

Although Guaraldi's name is featured prominently on the cover of this compilation CD, the pianist participates in only one track...so let the buyer beware. This collection will appeal mostly to fans of Cal Tjader's seminal involvement with Latin jazz, and all 15 of these cuts are dominated by Tjader's vibes, Mongo Santamaria's conga drums, and Willie Bobo's drums and timbales. The first nine cuts come from "Demasiado Caliente," a studio album recorded in 1960. The remaining six cuts are a mix of live appearances recorded at different times with four different bands (exact dates unknown, but we can assume they hail from the early '60s); Guaraldi's faint background accompaniment on one of these, "A Night in Tunisia," is all but lost behind Tjader's energetic vibes.
Although released in 1960, this album actually is a compilation of tracks originally recorded in the late 1950s, and re-packaged by Fantasy to cash in on Tjader's rising popularity.
Guaraldi compositions: (none)

"Jazz Casual: Jimmy Witherspoon/Jimmy Rushing"
***

Jimmy Witherspoon

Koch Jazz KOC CD-8561
Recorded January 4, 1962, in San Francisco

Although not immediately apparent from the CD cover, the Vince Guaraldi trio appears as backup during this installment of Ralph Gleason's "Jazz Casual" series. The two-part CD (the second half is from another episode, with Jimmy Rushing) opens with a show devoted to Jimmy Witherspoon and his favorite tenor sax player, Ben Webster. Ironically, this episode of "Jazz Casual" actually boasts more music by Guaraldi and his trio (Monty Budwig, bass; Colin Bailey, drums) than the installment "devoted" to him. Witherspoon was an accommodating blues vocalist; he always allowed plenty of time for his back-up musicians to shine. Four tracks are vocal, and you'll hear plenty of Guaraldi's piano in the background, and during instrumental solos. Better still, two cuts -- "Cottontail" and "Chelsea Bridge" -- are instrumental, designed to focus on Webster...but, again, are accompanied by plenty of riffs from Guaraldi and his mates. This is an incredible find for Guaraldi fans, as it's the only recording we have of Guaraldi accompanying a vocalist (other than himself, of course).
This show also is available on video, from Rhino Home Video. Although often concealed behind Webster -- the camera angle is maddeningly uncooperative -- Guaraldi is revealed and shown during his extended solos in "Cottontail" and "Chelsea Bridge." Better still, the video includes one additional cut (unidentified, alas), which is played as the closing credits roll, and it also features Guaraldi quite prominently.
Guaraldi compositions: (none)

"Here's to You, Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years!"

David Benoit

GRP 314 543 637-2
Recorded September 13-29, 1999, in New York, Hollywood and Tennessee;
Orchestra recorded November 5, 1999, in Los Angeles

It worked for Natalie Cole, when she turned "Unforgettable" into a fresh hit by making a duet with her late father, thanks to the magic of post-production. David Benoit does the same here, on the opening track of his marvelous tribute to Guaraldi's Peanuts music. The first cut, "Linus and Lucy," is an unusual collaboration between Benoit's trio (Christian McBride, bass; Peter Erskine, drums and percussion) and Guaraldi himself, using Vince's very first recording of this piece that would help further his fame. You'll recognize Guaraldi's signature keyboard sound as the song opens, and it's almost spooky when Benoit and his guys kick in. Still, since the purpose of this document is to chart all of Guaraldi's recorded appearances, then this one certainly qualifies!
Guaraldi compositions:
"Blue Charlie Brown"
"Charlie Brown Theme"
"Christmas Time Is Here"
"Frieda (with the Naturally Curly Hair)"
"Linus and Lucy"
"Pebble Beach"
"Red Baron"

As star, with his own trios and groups:

"Modern Music from San Francisco"
***

The Vince Guaraldi Quartet/The Ron Crotty Trio

Fantasy LP 3-213
Recorded August 1955

Here it is, Guaraldi historians: Vince's recorded debut as a group leader. The seven cuts on this album are split between three groups: the Vince Guaraldi Quartet (with Jerry Dodgion, alto sax; Eugene Wright, bass; and John Markham, drums); the Ron Crotty Trio (with Guaraldi, piano and celeste; and Eddie Duran, guitar); and the Jerry Dodgion Quartet (which does not include Guaraldi among its personnel). Vince participates on five of these seven tracks, three with the Ron Crotty Trio, and two with his own quartet. (This album also marks Duran's first recorded session.)
Guaraldi's participation on the three with the Ron Crotty Trio -- "Ginza," "The Night We Called It a Day" and "The Masquerade Is Over" -- mostly involves some solid background support and a few extended solos, although he contributes a lot of keyboard work to "Ginza"...no surprise, as it's his own composition. He gets much more of a showcase on the two pieces with his own group, "Calling Dr. Funk" and "Between 8th and 10th on Mission St." The former, a whimsical blues number (and another Guaraldi original), features a great extended solo by the pianist; he also delivers a long solo with a marvelous finger-snapping beat in the latter. The sound here occasionally shows more energy than melody, reflecting the youth of all concerned, and there's little indication of the quieter, Latin-hued direction in which Guaraldi eventually would turn...but it's still a pleasant listening experience.
This album, along with another (no Guaraldi content), has been re-issued on a CD titled "The Jazz Scene San Francisco" (Fantasy 24760).
Guaraldi compositions:
"Calling Dr. Funk"
"Ginza"

"The Vince Guaraldi Trio"
****

The Vince Guaraldi Trio

Fantasy OJCCD-149-2
Recorded April 1956

This, Guaraldi's first session for an album under his own name, is a collection of mostly gentle ballads delivered by the pianist and his trio: Eddie Duran (guitar) and Dean Reilly (bass). The absence of drums contributes to the album's quieter sound, and Guaraldi displays none of the Latin-influenced touch that later would consume him, and very little of the energetic chops he delivered while working with the Woody Herman and Cal Tjader bands. This album opens with a slow cover of John Lewis' "Django" and continues in that mood, with equally charming readings of Billy Strayhorn's "Chelsea Bridge," Gus Arnheim and Tobias-Lemare's "Sweet and Lovely," and several others. Guaraldi handles the Stein-Comden-Green tune "Never Never Land" as a piano solo, and turns it into a gorgeous little piece.
Things get livelier during Cole Porter's "It's Delovely" and the Lane-Loesser standard "The Lady's in Love with You," and the trio's reading of "Fascinating Rhythm" is so fast -- particularly after several slow, bluesy numbers -- that the transition is something of a shock ... although the Gershwin piece is delivered with considerable toe-tapping swing.
Although pretty, the album is at times bland and uneven; far better things were to come.
Three of the selections herein also appear on Guaraldi's Jazz Impressions album: "Django," "Fenwyck's Farfel" and "Three Coins in the Fountain."
Guaraldi compositions:
"Fenwyck's Farfel"

"A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing"
****

The Vince Guaraldi Trio

Fantasy OJCCD-235-2
Recorded April 16, 1957

Guaraldi uses the same trio here as with the previous album: Eddie Duran (guitar) and Dean Reilly (bass), again with no drums. As a result, these eight cuts are (for the most part) gentler and quieter, as befits a collective theme that revolves around flora and changing seasons. Only three tracks could be considered up-tempo -- "Softly, as a Morning Sunrise," "Looking for a Boy" and "Lonely Girl" -- while the others are melancholy laments or tender ballads. Two feature Vince's solo piano and nothing else: "Yesterdays" and "Autumn Leaves." You'll recognize all but one of these songs as popular romantic standards, and each gets the polished Guaraldi treatment; this is among the prettiest of his albums. The one newcomer is a charming Guaraldi original, "Like a Mighty Rose," which fits perfectly with the rest.
Five of these cuts -- "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing," "Yesterdays," "Autumn Leaves," "Willow Weep for Me" and "Like a Mighty Rose" -- also are on Guaraldi's 1964 album, Jazz Impressions. The latter, however, is retitled as "Room at the Bottom."
Guaraldi compositions:
"Like a Mighty Rose" (aka "Room at the Bottom")

"Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus"
*****

The Vince Guaraldi Trio

Fantasy OJCCD-437-2
Recorded April 18, 1962

Sometimes everything comes together perfectly; sometimes every cut on a given album is worth preserving forever. That's most certainly the case with this one, Guaraldi's artistic and commercial breakthrough -- and Fantasy Records' first bona-fide hit in the label's 13 years of existence -- which began life when the jazz pianist decided to cover some tunes from the Antonio Carlos Jobim/Luiz Bonfa score to the 1959 French/Portugeuse film Black Orpheus (an Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Film). It was to be a convergence of remarkable talent and great timing, since the album arrived just as the American public woke up to the distinctive rhythms of bossa nova.
Vince and his trio -- Monty Budwig, bass; Colin Bailey, drums -- deliver stylish renditions of four songs from the film's memorable score: "Samba de Orpheus," "Manha de Carnaval," "O Nosso Amor" and "Generique." Great as they are, the original album's B-side contained an unheralded treat: "Cast Your Fate to the Wind," the eloquent Guaraldi original that would earn him a Gold Record and a 1963 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Jazz Composition, and, not coincidentally, become one of his signature themes. But there's still more; Guaraldi and his mates also deliver a gorgeous reading of Henry Mancini's "Moon River" and a bluesy cover of "Since I Fell for You." Lastly, the icing on the cake is the first appearance of Guaraldi's "Alma-Ville," which also occupied a place of favor in the musician's heart. (Compare this to the version that would appear several years later, on Alma-Ville.) You simply can't ask for more.
After "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" became a hit, the album was retitled to reflect that fact, but nothing else about it changed.
A Super Audio CD version of this album exists, released by Analogue Productions; the catalog number is CAPJ 8089 SA.
For those unfamiliar with Super Audio CD, it is described thusly: Super Audio Compact Disc (Super Audio CD or SACD for short) is a new, revolutionary audio format that promises high-resolution audio in either two-channel stereo or multi-channel audio. Multi-channel audio means up to six full-frequency, discrete channels of music are supported. The audio quality is supposed to far surpass that of the audio Compact Disc (CD) format, with unsurpassed frequency response and sonic transparency, and it's more analog-like in terms of music reproduction. But take note: As much promise as the SACD format holds, the technology is still very new and has not gained "mainstream" status yet. (And yes, SACDs will play on all your conventional CD players.)
Guaraldi compositions:
"Alma-Ville"
"Cast Your Fate to the Wind"

"In Person"
*

Vince Guaraldi

Fantasy OJCCD-951-2
Recorded December 4, 1962, at the Trident in Sausalito, California

Not wanting to lose any momentum after the chart-topping success of "Cast Your Fate to the Wind," Fantasy quickly taped and released one of Guaraldi's many live sessions in the Bay Area. The results are pleasantly entertaining, although the recording quality is a bit "tinny," which makes the music sound overly bright. Guaraldi's standard trio -- Fred Marshall, bass; Colin Bailey, drums -- is further complimented by guitarist Eddie Duran and some up-tempo support from Benny Velarde on scratcher. The latter, in fact, is a key element of roughly half of these nine cuts: the ones that reflect Guaraldi's growing interest in all things Brazilian. "Zelao," "Forgive Me If I'm Late," "Outra Vez" and "Chora Tua Tristeza" sound very much like what Vince would perfect in just a few more months, when teamed with Bola Sete.
But the album isn't all Latin-hued. Guaraldi does a positively gorgeous reading of "On Green Dolphin Street," set at a slow, melancholy tempo; he also has a lot of fun with the cute and bouncy "Jitterbug Waltz." "Miserlou" starts at a sedate pace, but then really heats up into a swinging crowd-pleaser. His one original number, "Freeway," is a quirky little thing that gives Guaraldi plenty of room for some bop-ish chops, but it's not one of his more memorable pieces.
Guaraldi compositions:
"Freeway"

"Jazz Casual: Paul Winter/Bola Sete and Vince Guaraldi"
*

Bola Sete and Vince Guaraldi

Koch Jazz KOC CD-8566
Originally televised March 1, 1963

Until Rhino releases this episode of Ralph Gleason's "Jazz Casual" on video, we'll have to be content with Koch International's CD release of the show's audio tracks. Although the original air date is listed as March 1, 1963, Gleason comments, while hosting the show, on the atypically hot San Francisco summer, which suggests that the session was taped during the summer of 1962. The two-part CD (the first half is from another episode, with the Paul Winter Sextet) has seven tracks devoted to Guaraldi and Sete, but only three cuts feature actual performances by Guaraldi and his trio (Fred Marshall, bass; Jerry Granelli, drums): "Outra Vez," a tasty little composition by Antonio Carlos Jobim; "Star Song," by Guaraldi and William Siden; and "Mambossa," by Sete. The latter two cuts also are on the Guaraldi/Sete album "Vince Guaraldi/Bola Sete and Friends" (reissued by Fantasy as "Vince & Bola"), which is a good thing, since this "Jazz Casual" recording of "Mambossa" cuts off abruptly in the middle of the track (no doubt because time had run out on the show). The Jobim number, though, is previously unreleased by these two, and a wonderful addition to any collector's library. Although one of the other tracks is identified as an "interview" with Guaraldi, it's really only a 47-second introduction of the trio by Gleason...so, historians, don't get your hopes up!
Guaraldi compositions:
"Star Song"

"Vince Guaraldi/Bola Sete and Friends"
****

Vince Guaraldi and Bola Sete

Fantasy FCD-24756-2 (a Fantasy double CD that also includes "Live at El Matador")
Recorded in 1963

The rumor is that Guaraldi and Sete "prepared" for this recording with just a single practice session one day earlier, in Vince's Bay Area home. ("Nothing came out the way we rehearsed it," Guaraldi confessed. "It was beautiful.") If true, these two obviously were the perfect musical marriage from the get-go. This, the first of their three album collaborations, is the most consistent; all five of these quiet samba numbers reflect the gentle bossa nova sound that Sete brought to this relationship. The album opens with "Casaba," a Guaraldi original very much in the Peanuts musical mold for which he'd soon become more famous. (A few years later, Guaraldi would re-record this same song under the title "Jambo's," on the album Alma-Ville.) The other cuts include Sete's arrangement of Luiz Claudio de Castro's "Mambossa," and covers of Horace Silver's "Moon Rays" and Henry Mancini's "The Days of Wine and Roses."
Guaraldi and Sete first met at the 1962 Monterey Jazz Festival, when Dizzy Gillespie sponsored Sete's appearance both in his band and as a soloist; Vince attended the latter set and helped persuade Fantasy Records to sign the Brazilian guitarist ... and, not incidentally, devoted much of the next several years to touring and recording with him. Fred Marshall (bass) and Jerry Granelli (drums) round out the quartet here, and the results are some deliciously smooth Brazilian-style jazz riffs: nothing fancy, to be sure, but it definitely goes down easy.
This album and the third Guaraldi/Sete team-up, "Live at El Matador," have been gathered together on the Fantasy CD "Vince & Bola" (Fantasy FCD-24756-2).
Guaraldi compositions:
"Casaba" (aka "Jambo's)
"Star Song"

"The Navy Swings"
****

Vince Guaraldi and Bola Sete

Label unknown [LP only; not yet re-issued on CD]
Recording dates unknown

Go Navy! The Navy Swings was a weekly, 15-minute public service radio show broadcast in the 1960s, which gave countless jazz stars an opportunity to demonstrate their chops for an appreciate audience no doubt delighted to bring a little swing into their lives. The format was the same each week: Host Don Wilson would introduce the guests and allow them to play a mini-concert of three or four short numbers, each followed by a short and stirring message from "your local Navy recruiter."
Vince and his trio did two of these shows, both accompanied by Bola Sete. They were recorded and released on a single album -- one show per side -- albeit not granted wide commercial distribution; as a result, they're very hard to find. Although Hindsight Records has resurrected and re-issued some on CD (those featuring Carmen MacRae, and the Hi-Los with the Jimmy Wisner Trio, among others), thus far the Guaraldi/Sete sessions remain buried.
Each week's guest always opened with a reading of the "Navy Swings" main theme. On Guaraldi and Sete's first set, he and his trio -- personnel unknown, alas -- then segue to "Samba de Orpheus." "Star Song" is next, followed by "Valsa de Uma Cidade (Waltz of a City)," and that's pretty much it; they wrap with a quick reprise of the show's theme and bid farewell. During the second show, they open with a tasty cover of "What Kind of Fool Am I." Bola then shines during a spirited rendition of "One Note Samba," and then everybody performs "Lollypops and Roses" and "What Is This Thing Called Love." Once again, the gang concludes with a spirited rendition of the "Navy Swings" main theme.
These are marvelous recordings, made during the height of Guaraldi's collaborations with Sete, which (of course!) deserve much wider distribution.
Guaraldi compositions:
"Star Song"

"Jazz Impressions"
****

Vince Guaraldi Trio

Fantasy OJCCD-287-2
Recorded April 1956 and April 1957; released in 1964

This is one of those annoying albums that functions as something of a clandestine "greatest hits" collection. You'd never know it from the title or liner notes, but all eight of these tracks previously appeared on Guaraldi's Vince Guaraldi Trio and A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing albums. The packaging even is a bit deceptive, because "Room at the Bottom" is a new title for "Like a Mighty Rose." No doubt Fantasy, wanting to further capitalize on Guaraldi's blossoming fame, rushed this release into print and hoped that nobody would notice. (Well, I noticed!) Those who already own the two aforementioned albums will not need this one, although it's certainly a nice collection of material by the trio of Vince on piano, Eddie Duran on guitar, and Dean Reilly on bass.
For the record, "Django," "Fenwyck's Farfel" and "Three Coins in the Fountain" previously appeared on The Vince Guaraldi Trio, while "Yesterdays," "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing," "Willow Weep for Me," "Autumn Leaves" and "Room at the Bottom" (then known as "Like a Mighty Rose") previously appeared on A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing.
Guaraldi compositions:
"Fenwyck's Farfel"
"Room at the Bottom" (also known as "Like a Mighty Rose")

"The Latin Side of Vince Guaraldi"
***

Vince Guaraldi

Fantasy OJCCD-878-2
Recorded in 1964

Those who believe that jazz bands and string quartets are incompatible are advised to treat this album with suspicion; although it may have seemed like a good idea at the time, Guaraldi's decision to employ a string quartet as background on five of these numbers is dubious at best. The resulting "E-Z listening sound" only detracts from the otherwise pleasant work by Vince, Eddie Duran (guitar), Fred Marshall (bass), Jerry Granelli (drums), Bill Fitch (congas) and Benny Velarde (timbales). The four cuts lacking violin accompaniment are by far the best: quiet readings of "What Kind of Fool Am I?" and "Whirlpool," a lively cover of Nat Adderley's "Work Song" (well known to Tijuana Brass fans), and a bouncy rendition of Guaraldi's own "Treat Street." Of the rest, Guaraldi's up-tempo cover of Henry Mancini's "Mr. Lucky" gets the album off to a rousing start, and his reading of "Star Song" is another quiet highlight (strings notwithstanding; compare this version to that on Vince Guaraldi/Bola Sete and Friends.). All in all, this is pleasant background music, but it lacks Guaraldi's usual jazz chops.
Guaraldi compositions:
"Brasilia"
"Star Song"
"Treat Street"
"Whirlpool"

"A Boy Named Charlie Brown" (TV)
*****

The Vince Guaraldi Trio

Fantasy FCD-8430-2
Recorded in 1964

Although the entire country dates its first exposure to Guaraldi's signature Peanuts themes with his score for A Charlie Brown Christmas, the music on this album preceded that seasonal animated special. A Boy Named Charlie Brown would have been a "documentary" about Chuck and his friends, very much in the style of A Man Called Mays, which Lee Mendelson had produced a year earlier. Many of Guaraldi's famous themes -- including "Linus and Lucy" -- were written for this never-aired half-hour show (believe it or not, Mendelson couldn't find a sponsor), although of course they all were used many times during subsequent Peanuts installments. The importance of this album and its successor, the score to the Christmas special, cannot be overstated; rarely has an entertainment icon been so quickly -- and firmly -- welded to a musical composition ... indeed, to an entire body of work from one individual. Guaraldi defined the Peanuts sound, and it's just as true today as it was in the 1960s.
The compositions themselves are uniformly sparkling; it's as if the jazz pianist and his trio -- Monty Budwig, bass; Colin Bailey, drums -- had been waiting for this precise inspiration. As befits the original documentary approach, many of these cuts were designed to introduce and accompany specific characters: "The Charlie Brown Theme," "Linus and Lucy," "Schroeder" and "Frieda (With the Naturally Curly Hair)." Although all are great jazz, the tracks range from up-tempo swing ("Oh, Good Grief," "The Charlie Brown Theme" and "The Baseball Theme") to a melancholy lament ("Happiness Is") and an extended blues number ("Blue Charlie Brown").
Prior to its Fantasy release, this album was issue by United Media -- as "Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown" -- with a fold-out section of color illustrations from the never-seen TV show. Fantasy's CD re-issue includes a bonus track: a long (nine minutes!) cover of "Fly Me to the Moon," from one of the trio's many live club sessions; it's a great toe-tapper and a sad reminder of the many hours and hours and hours of live material that never got recorded.
This album's version of "Linus and Lucy" also appears on A Charlie Brown Christmas and Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits. These versions of "Charlie Brown Theme" and "Schroeder" also appear on Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits.
Guaraldi compositions:
"Baseball Theme"
"Blue Charlie Brown"
"Charlie Brown Theme"
"Frieda (With the Naturally Curly Hair)"
"Happiness Is"
"Linus and Lucy"
"Oh, Good Grief!"
"Pebble Beach"
"Schroeder"

"From All Sides"
***

Vince Guaraldi and Bola Sete

Fantasy OJCCD-989-2
Recorded May 1965

The second of Guaraldi's collaborative albums with Bola Sete easily could be mistaken for one of the jazz pianist's collections of Peanuts themes, since the first several cuts -- albeit under different titles -- will be very familiar to fans of Charlie Brown's animated adventures. "Choro" is an up-tempo variation of "Schroeder's Wolfgang," while "Menino Pequeno da Bateria" is a lovely rendition of "My Little Drum," from A Charlie Brown Christmas. "Ginza Samba," although an older Guaraldi composition, has been recast here into a bouncy little melody that sure sounds like something used in one of the Peanuts TV shows ... but I haven't yet figured out which. Five of these eight tracks were recorded during a session with Fred Marshall (bass) and Jerry Granelli (drums), while the others were done with Monty Budwig (bass) and Nick Martinez (drums). Guaraldi and Sete work quite well together, never better than on their lovely cover of Jobim's classic "The Girl from Ipanema." Guaraldi gets a great solo during one of Sete's original compositions, "Mambeando," and the pianist also delivers a rollicking version of his own little tune, "Ballad of Pancho Villa." The latter doesn't have much depth, but it's a lively bit of fluff. The two also perform a smooth bossa nova interpretation of "A Taste of Honey," a tune quite familiar to Tijuana Brass fans.
Guaraldi compositions:
"Ballad of Pancho Villa"
"Choro" (actually a variation on the first movement, Molto Allegro, of Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G-minor, K. 550)
"Ginza Samba"
"Menino Pequeno da Bateria"

"The Grace Cathedral Concert"
****

Vince Guaraldi

Fantasy FCD-9678-2
Recorded live May 21, 1965, in San Francisco's Grace Cathedral

Lots of musicians have composed for singers and for themselves; not too many have composed for God. The Reverend Charles Gompertz, like many other church leaders during the 1960s, wanted to make worship more "approachable" to a society turned nearly upside-down by the beat generation and flower children; he hit upon the concept of a "modern setting for the choral Eucharist," and turned to Vince Guaraldi.
The results are impressive, even at this late date. During much of the service, Guaraldi provides quiet piano support behind prayers (and you'll immediately hear the subtle samba stylings that he liked so much), but he and his trio -- Tom Beeson (bass) and Lee Charlton (drums) -- are by no means overlooked. They swing through several lovely vocal selections by the St. Paul's Church of San Rafael Choir, notably "Kyrie Eleison," "Come Holy Ghost," "Agnus Dei" and "Gloria in Excelsis." Another selection with the choir, "Adore Devote," sounds very much like one of the arrangements Vince gave some of the secular carols in A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Guaraldi gets the spotlight during three pieces: a lovely piano solo on an original he called "In Remembrance of Me"; the lengthy and sublime "Holy Communion Blues," with just the trio; and the event's signature piece, "Theme to Grace," with the choir.
You'll spot an occasional fluff -- Guaraldi must've been incredibly nervous, during this historic, one-shot performance -- but nothing too distracting. I only wish more local churches followed this example...
Guaraldi compositions:
"Holy Communion Blues"
"In Remembrance of Me"
"Theme to Grace"

"A Charlie Brown Christmas"
*****

The Vince Guaraldi Trio

Fantasy FCD-8431-2
Released in 1965; first broadcast December 9, 1965

Back people into a corner and limit them to just one holiday album for the rest of their lives, and I suspect that an impressive number of folks -- jazz fans or not -- would select this one.
And not just for Guaraldi's original Peanuts material. The opening bars of this album's first track, the jazz pianist's take on the traditional "O Tannenbaum," immediately call both the album and the debut Peanuts TV special to mind; Guaraldi's reading of the familiar carol is that unique. He and his trio -- Fred Marshall, bass; Jerry Granelli, drums -- deliver equally exuberant and poignant covers of "What Child Is This" (aka "Greensleeves") and "The Christmas Song."
As for the Guaraldi originals...wow. "Linus and Lucy" reappears, of course, but Guaraldi also contributes a pair of up-tempo originals: the energetic "Christmas Is Coming" and the positively gorgeous "Skating," a tune that evokes falling winter snow like no other. But while he didn't live long enough to see this happen, Guaraldi's fame was cemented even further by "Christmas Time Is Here," a simple yet magnificent holiday tune that has become a seasonal fixture covered by darn near every musician of consequence. Countless new songs attempt to become part of the permanent Christmas musical lexicon; very few succeed ... but "Christmas Time Is Here" is one. Charlie Brown and his friends (or, rather, the off-camera children) sing one version, but the trio's extended instrumental reading is simply sublime.
Fantasy's CD reissue includes a bonus track: a longer version of "Greensleeves" with Guaraldi, Monty Budwig (bass) and Colin Bailey (drums). Only the newest pressings correct the original CD's long-incorrect credits; Marshall and Granelli actually performed the first 11 tracks, while Budwig and Bailey worked only on the bonus track.
This album's version of "Linus and Lucy" also appears on A Boy Named Charlie Brown and Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits. Both versions of "Christmas Time Is Here" appear on Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits.
Fantasy released a Super Audio CD version of this album on October 7, 2003; the catalog number is Fantasy FSA-8431-6. (See the write-up on Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus for a description of Super Audio CDs.)
Guaraldi compositions:
"Christmas Is Coming"
"Christmas Time Is Here"
"Linus and Lucy"
"My Little Drum"
"Skating"

"Live at El Matador"
****

Vince Guaraldi and Bola Sete

Fantasy FCD-24756-2 (a Fantasy double CD that also includes "Vince Guaraldi/Bola Sete and Friends")
Recorded live in 1966, at San Francisco's El Matador

The third and final collaborative effort from Vince Guaraldi and Bola Sete isn't quite the team-up you might expect; the Bay Area pianist and Brazilian guitarist join for only two of the seven numbers on this live album, while the others feature only Vince and his trio (Tom Beeson on bass and Lee Charlton on drums, although the album's liner notes don't note this anywhere, thanks to Fantasy's sloppy record-keeping). Of those, Guaraldi opens with "El Matador," a stylish, finger-snapping original dedicated to this performance venue; he then segues to a whimsical reading of Lennon & McCartney's "I'm a Loser" and a smooth, samba-style cover of "More" (the theme from Mondo Cane). Guaraldi's second original, the Peanuts-styled "Nobody Else," makes the first of its two appearances on his albums; compare this live rendition with the studio version that pops up later, on 1969's "The Eclectic Vince Guaraldi." The trio's final selection, which actually appears after Sete's session, is a pleasant, breezy rendition of "People," the signature song from "Funny Girl."
Sete joins the trio for two lengthy and attention-getting numbers: "O Morro Nao Tem Vez" (also known as "Favela") and the ambitious "Black Orpheus Suite," which makes a medley of two cuts -- "Manha de Carnaval" and "Samba de Orpheus" -- that Guaraldi recorded on his seminal Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus album. This opens with an extended solo session by Sete, after which Guaraldi kicks into gear and brings the house down.
Some of these tracks are marred by Fantasy's decision to eliminate the applause, which results in some jarringly abrupt fades, most disturbingly on "I'm a Loser."
This album and the first Guaraldi/Sete team-up, "Vince Guaraldi/Bola Sete and Friends," have been gathered together on the Fantasy CD "Vince & Bola" (Fantasy FCD-24756-2).
Guaraldi compositions:
"El Matador"
"Nobody Else"

"With the San Francisco Boys Chorus"
****

Vince Guaraldi

D&D VG-1116
Released in 1967 (?)

This is the album nobody knows about, the debut -- and sole -- release on Guaraldi's own D&D label, named for the first initials of his two children. The album has something of an identity crisis; although all the cuts are presented in the breezy shuffle style that made Vince famous, half the tracks employ the San Francisco Boys Chorus for background coloring, while the others are conventional instrumentals with various quartets. Guaraldi's piano and Eddie Duran's guitar are consistent throughout, but three bass players are credited (Tom Beeson, Kelly Bryan and Roland Haynes) and two drummers (Lee Charlton, John Rae). The instrumentals are marvelous, notably Guaraldi's "Newport Theme" and the samba-styled "Spice Island Theme." A whistler adds additional color on "Think Drink" and a melancholy reading of "Eleanor Rigby."
The numbers with the chorus are ... a mixed lot. The voices are appropriately church-like on "Theme to Grace," which stands to reason, since the song was designed for choral accompaniment; Guaraldi also gives himself a generous musical interlude in this rendition, which otherwise sounds quite similar to his arrangement on the Life at the Grace Cathedral album. "Blowin' in the Wind" is the only song the boys actually sing, and I'm not sure the world needed a choral rendition of this Bob Dylan hit. The vocal contribution is much more forced on "Monterey" and "My Little Drum," with the young lads doing nothing but tiresome refrains of the words "Monterey" and "tiddly-pum," respectively. It's worth noting that the first few bars of "Monterey" would undergo a slight change to become "Bon Voyage," one of Guaraldi's many Peanuts themes; and, of course, "My Little Drum" is yet another reading of that Guaraldi variation on "The Little Drummer Boy," in A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Two singles from this album also were issued by Guaraldi's label. The first is D&D VG1000S/1001S, with "Blowing in the Wind" on the A side, and "Monterey" on the B side. The second is D&D VG1325 326/327, with "Eleanor Rigby" on the A side, and "Peppermint Patty" on the B side, as performed by a group dubbed "The Vince Guaraldi Consort," arranged and conducted by John Scott Trotter (!). This is fascinating, because "Peppermint Patty" isn't on this album!
Happily, that B-side was included -- along with an alternate version of "Newport Theme" -- when the album made its CD debut in 2005.
Guaraldi compositions:
"Monterey"
"My Little Drum"
"Newport Theme"
"Peppermint Patty"
"Spice Island Theme"
"Theme to Grace"

"Oh, Good Grief!"
*****

Vince Guaraldi

Warner Bros. 1747-2
Released in 1968

Not too many artists get an opportunity to rework their own material, but Guaraldi certainly does that here. Although all eight tracks on this maddeningly short (only 27 minutes!) album are Peanuts compositions, they're presented in a manner wholly unlike the quieter trio sound found on A Boy Named Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Christmas. Guaraldi works with a quartet this time -- longtime buddy Eddie Duran on guitar, Stanley Gilbert on bass, and Carl Burnett on drums -- and also supplements his familiar piano with an electric harpsichord (sometimes, thanks to the miracle of overdubbing, on the same track).
The result is a delight: the jazziest, swinging-est collection of his Peanuts themes that Guaraldi ever released. Although these arrangements won't call any particular TV scenes to mind, I always think of the dance party that breaks out during the play rehearsal in A Charlie Brown Christmas; all this music is just incredibly fun. Guaraldi begins with a kickin' cover of "Linus and Lucy," and keeps the pace equally frantic for most of the other cuts. A few of these numbers -- notably "Red Baron" -- are so firmly entrenched in the Peanuts musical lexicon that it's hard to belief that this is the only time Guaraldi recorded them. The album has only two quieter numbers: the poignantly sweet "Great Pumpkin Waltz" and "Rain, Rain Go Away," both of which Vince performs solely on acoustic piano. They're haunting little ballads, both evoking every missed football, every lost baseball game, and every devoured kite that poor ol' Charlie Brown ever endured. "Rain, Rain Go Away" concludes the album on a slightly melancholy note, and few will be able to resist the temptation to play the whole thing all over again; everything is that infectiously enchanting.
Guaraldi compositions:
"Great Pumpkin Waltz"
"It's Your Dog, Charlie Brown"
"Linus and Lucy"
"Oh, Good Grief!"
"Peppermint Patty"
"Rain, Rain Go Away"
"Red Baron"
"You're in Love, Charlie Brown"

"The Eclectic Vince Guaraldi"
***

Vince Guaraldi

Wounded Bird CD WOU-1775
Released in 1969

Everybody's allowed to be grotesquely self-indulgent once, but this overproduced album -- at times an EZ-listening travesty, at other times clearly influenced by Guaraldi's fascination with acid rock -- is well-named even by the most magnanimous standards. These nine tracks are all over the map, and under no circumstances could most be called jazz. An ambitious string section -- seven violins, two violas and two celli -- provides backdrop on four tracks, including two Tim Hardin numbers ("Black Sheep Boy" and "Reason to Believe") that Guaraldi selected for his recorded vocal debut. Let's be generous and say that Vince's vocals here aren't up to his whimsical standards on various TV renditions of the Peanuts songs "Joe Cool" and "Little Birdie," and let it go at that. The overbearing strings turn Guaraldi's cover of "Yesterday" into elevator music, and they very nearly ruin this album's version of "Nobody Else," an otherwise perky original very much in the Peanuts mold (which is performed far better by Vince's trio on the Live at El Matador album).
Absent the strings, most of the other cuts fare better. Two long originals, "Lucifer's Lady" and "Coffee and Doe-Nuts," begin as solid blues jams but eventually get a little weird, thanks to extended electric guitar riffs. On the other hand, both "Once I Loved" and "It Was a Very Good Year" are enjoyable trio and (gentler) electric guitar interpretations in Guaraldi's classic samba mold. Lastly, Vince shifts from piano to electric harpsichord for a catchy, up-tempo cover of "The Beat Goes On."
Guaraldi also produced this album, which clearly was recorded during several different sessions with two electric bass players (Bob Maize and Jim McCabe), two on electric guitar (Robert Addison and Eddie Duran), two on drums (Gerald Granelli and Al Coster), and Peter Marshall on acoustic bass ... not to mention all those folks on strings. The credits also claim that Guaraldi plays guitar, but in the complete absence of liner notes -- not to mention the overdubbing and extensive mixing -- it's impossible to determine where.
Guaraldi compositions:
"Coffee and Doe-Nuts"
"Lucifer's Lady"
"Nobody Else"

"Alma-Ville"
*****

Vince Guaraldi

Wounded Bird CD WOU-1828
Released in 1969

From the "eclectic"...to the sublime.
If his previous album was one of Guaraldi's strangest and least accessible, then Alma-Ville was a return to great things. This is a marvelous jazz album, showing off Guaraldi's still-growing talents as both a performer and a songwriter. Six of these nine cuts are originals; the other three are beautiful covers of ballads, rendered in the style to which the jazz pianist returned here with a vengeance. The album opens with a great rendition of "The Masked Marvel," one of Guaraldi's lesser-known Peanuts cuts; it's just one of many catchy, up-tempo tracks on this great album. "Detained in San Ysidro" and "Uno Y Uno" are perky little numbers; Guaraldi eschews piano and plays guitar on the latter. The album's second side demonstrates that Vince still was very fond of his Brazilian sound, as both "Rio from the Air" and a lovely cover of "Watch What Happens" (from The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) demonstrate a smooth samba sound.
The title track, a tune first recorded on the Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus album, is presented here at a much faster pace; it's a true toe-tapping delight. Guaraldi does a lovely reading of Duke Pearson's "Cristo Redentor," which starts soft and slow and then really kicks into gear; Vince's cover of "Eleanor Rigby" is sufficiently up-tempo to dilute that song's usual melancholy sting. The album concludes with "Jambo's," a fast samba number very much in the Peanuts mold, which grants solos all around to the sidemen (who are, for the record: Herb Ellis and Eddie Duran, guitar; Sebastio Neto, bass guitar; Kelly Bryan and Monte Budwig, bass; Rubens Bassini, percussion; and Don Um Romao, Al Coster and Colin Bailey, drums).
(A few years earlier, Guaraldi recorded "Jambo's" under the title "Casaba," on the album Vince Guaraldi, Bola Sete and Friends.)
Nobody knew, of course, that this would be Guaraldi's last album...but if he had to go out on any recording, this certainly makes a superb farewell; it's one of his best records ever.
Guaraldi compositions:
"Alma-Ville"
"Detained in San Ysidro"
"Jambo's" (aka "Casaba")
"The Masked Marvel"
"Rio from the Air"
"Uno Y Uno"

"A Boy Named Charlie Brown"
(film soundtrack)
***

Vince Guaraldi, Rod McKuen and John Scott Trotter

Columbia Masterwork OS 3500 [LP only; not yet re-issued on CD]
Film released December 4, 1969

This album, not to be confused with Guaraldi's earlier release of the same name, is a music-and-dialog condensation of the Peanuts gang's first big-screen film. At roughly half the film's 85-minute running time, the record plays like a "book on tape" abridgement and certainly gives the listener enough to follow the complete storyline.
Although Guaraldi is credited for the original score, poet/musician Rod McKuen wrote the title song and two interior songs, and "musical director" John Scott Trotter -- also the arranger/conductor for most of the Peanuts TV specials -- supplied additional instrumental cuts. Since both sides of the album proceed like a radio play, you'll have trouble isolating distinct tracks, but Guaraldi contributes music in 10 sections, four on side one, and six on side two. (Alas, no sidemen are credited.)
Most of Guaraldi's segments are underscore behind dialog, although brief introductions and between-scene "bumpers" showcase the jazz pianist at the top of his form. Various renditions of "Linus and Lucy" appear throughout the film, including up-tempo renditions with a nice flute line, and a somber minor key variation that accompanies Linus' search for his blanket. Brief versions of both "Charlie Brown's All Stars" and "Baseball Theme" pop up early on (and this is Guaraldi's only album recording of the former), along with a truncated segment from "Blue Charlie Brown." Things are better on side two; Guaraldi delivers a solid rendition of "Skating" that segues into a jazzy untitled hockey theme, both of which accompany Snoopy's ice rink hijinks. Aside from one quick comment from Linus, this purely instrumental sequence runs a sensational two-and-a-half minutes. Guaraldi then contributes a nice combo reading of McKuen's "Champion Charlie Brown," and Vince's final appearance here comes with a brief portion from a non-Peanuts theme: "Lucifer's Lady" (which appears in its full glory on The Eclectic Vince Guaraldi) ... an excerpt that's quite appropriately used behind Charlie Brown's climactic failed attempt to kick the football, since the cut's title clearly suggests that Lucy is "Lucifer's Lady"!
The film's soundtrack was nominated for a 1970 Academy Award for Original Song Score, but Guaraldi, McKuen and Trotter lost to another rather popular quartet: The Beatles, for "Let It Be."
Guaraldi compositions:
"Baseball Theme"
"Blue Charlie Brown"
"Charlie Brown's All-Stars"
"Linus and Lucy"
"Lucifer's Lady"
"Skating"
Untitled hockey music

"Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits"
****

The Vince Guaraldi Trio
Fantasy FCD-9682-2
Released September 8, 1998

Vince Guaraldi died on February 6, 1976, having worked on 15 Peanuts television specials and the first feature film. Despite the popularity of all these shows, and the wealth of music contained therein, Guaraldi didn't release any records after 1969; fans had only three albums to play over and over and over again ... and some of the cuts (notably "Linus and Lucy") were repeated on more than one album.
Three decades after the release of his last Peanuts assemblage, Fantasy finally issued this fourth collection of Guaraldi's Peanuts music. The news is both wonderful and somewhat aggravating: wonderful, for the nine new cuts; aggravating, because five other cuts are repeats from both A Boy Named Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Christmas. How many times must Fantasy make money off the same rendition of "Linus and Lucy"?
Even so, the new material is a joy, although some of these cuts are a bit "muddy," and they lack the polish and studio perfection of Fantasy's earlier releases; they have an unsweetened quality, and display the uneven volume, jump starts and slow fades that betray their probable origins from television audio tracks. The best ones are the title theme to A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and a frequently used cut dubbed "Surfin' Snoopy" -- a new title for a 1966 composition originally dubbed "Air Music" -- that will be recognized immediately. (Actually, it first pops up as the music behind Snoopy's bout of "extreme decorating" in A Charlie Brown Christmas, when he puts all the lights and stuff on his doghouse.) The "Heartburn Waltz" and "Charlie's Blues" (not to be confused with "Blue Charlie Brown," but -- just to further muddy the waters -- a song that also pops up, in a substantially different arrangement, as "Charlie Brown Blues" on the album Oaxaca) also are sweet little numbers, as is this second interpretation of "The Great Pumpkin Waltz," which is gentler than the version heard on Oh, Good Grief!
You'd need a roadmap (or the liner notes) to track all the sidemen, although familiar faces Eddie Duran (guitar), Monty Budwig and Fred Marshall (both bass) and Jerry Granelli (drums) pop up. And while it's nice that Fantasy is so meticulous about listing all these musicians, I wish the same could be said of the song titles; the mistakes here will screw up archivists for years. The first track, although called "Joe Cool," has nothing at all to do with the bluesy vocal that we all know so well. "Track Meet" actually is a variation of "Christmas Is Coming," done with a heavy bossa-nova twist. The liner notes claim that Guaraldi wrote all the tracks, but he clearly can't claim credit for "Camptown Races," although this arrangement certainly has Vince's signature Latin swing. As noted above, "Surfin' Snoopy" is an apparently new title for "Air Music," which although never released by that title on an earlier album, has been published in sheet music collections under its earlier name. The worst gaffe, though, comes with a cute vocal number sung by the members of Glenn Mendelson's sixth-grade class; this cut is called "Oh, Good Grief" although it's actually set to the music of "Schroeder" ... and, of course, "Oh, Good Grief" is another (entirely different) piece of music.
This album's version of "Charlie Brown Theme," "Linus and Lucy" and "Schroeder" were released previously on A Boy Named Charlie Brown. Both versions of "Christmas Time Is Here" were released previously on A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Guaraldi compositions:
"Charlie Brown Theme"
"Charlie's Blues" (aka "Charlie Brown Blues," see Oaxaca)
"Christmas Time Is Here"
"Great Pumpkin Waltz"
"Heartburn Waltz"
"Joe Cool" [sic]
"Linus and Lucy"
"Oh, Good Grief" [sic] (vocal)
"Schroeder"
"Surfin' Snoopy" (aka "Air Music")
"Thanksgiving Theme"
"Track Meet" [sic]

"The Charlie Brown Suite"
****

Vince Guaraldi and various guests
Bluebird 82876-53900-2
Released August 19, 2003

Vince Guaraldi's son, Dave, worked for years to secure the necessary permissions to distribute some of his father's previously unreleased material, and this Bluebird album is the first such compilation.
In terms of production quality, fans must be a little tolerant; most of the cuts -- and most particularly the long title track -- were recorded live, on reel-to-reel tape (and not by professionals). It thus was necessary to "sweeten" these recordings in order to make them more presentable for the mainstream market, and the results should be acceptable to all but hard-core audiophiles. Besides, the joy lies in simply having this material after all these years, and I'll certainly trade a little studio perfectionism for just getting this album into my library.
The centerpiece selection, long spoken of in reverential tones by fans who only knew of it but never had heard it, is the fully orchestrated "Charlie Brown Suite," recorded live on May 18, 1969 -- not 1968, as the liner notes incorrectly state -- during a benefit performance with Amici Della Musica (Richard Williams, conductor) at Mr. D's, a theater/restaurant in San Francisco's North Beach region. This awesome piece of music clocks in at roughly 40 minutes and skillfully weaves half a dozen songs into an integrated whole: "Linus and Lucy," "The Great Pumpkin Waltz" (incorrectly called "Happiness Is" on the CD's liner notes), "Peppermint Patty," "Oh, Good Grief" (incorrectly called "Charlie Brown Theme" on the CD's liner notes), "Rain, Rain, Go Away" and "Red Baron."
The album opens with a sizzling, previously unreleased version of "Linus and Lucy," with Guaraldi accompanied by what sounds like a full big band (no personnel noted). That's followed by the album's one disappointment: a repeat version of "Oh Good Grief" (incorrectly called "The Charlie Brown Theme" on the liner notes) that's exactly the same as the version on the Warners album Oh, Good Grief! (My good buddy Michael Graves insists that this version, as recorded by Ken Hopkins, is superior to its first appearance on Oh, Good Grief! ... but that's a subtle distinction most fans probably won't notice or care about.) Again, sadly, the personnel are not listed (very likely because the information is lost).
The CD concludes with a live (probably nightclub) version of "Cast Your Fate to the Wind," with Guaraldi accompanied by Eddie Duran (guitar), Fred Marshall (bass) and John Waller (drums). This cut is the album's second minor disappointment; it's a somewhat sloppy reading of Guaraldi's signature hit, further betrayed by the less-than-ideal conditions under which it was recorded.
The liner notes include a nice introduction by Dave Guaraldi, and a lengthy article by Lee Mendelson. The mis-identified cuts notwithstanding, it's a nice package, and I hope it proves successful enough for Dave Guaraldi and Bluebird, that more will follow.
Guaraldi compositions:
"Linus and Lucy"
"Oh, Good Grief"
"The Charlie Brown Suite"
"Cast Your Fate to the Wind"

"Oaxaca"
****

Vince Guaraldi
D&D VG1125
Released October 2004

Now teamed with restoration master Michael Graves, Dave Guaraldi has commissioned the second new CD of his father's previously unreleased material, this compilation released on the revived D&D label (previously used for the San Francisco Boys Chorus LP).
The restoration quality is superior to the Bluebird album, although fans still must forgive some tape hiss. All indications are that Vince had somebody drag along a quarter-inch reel-to-reel behemoth when some of these tracks originally were recorded; microphones were set up, and then the musicians simply played. You'll therefore note some audio impurities, mostly background tape hiss ... but it's minimal, and certainly not intrusive.
The nine tracks spring from a variety of sources: some performed live at In Your Ear, a jazz club based in Palo Alto, California; one performed at The Matrix, a San Francisco-based jazz haven; and several professional recorded in a studio.
Guaraldi and crew -- Vince Denham, saxophone and flute; Mike Clark, drums; and Koji, bass -- get off to a rousing start with "Charlie Brown Blues," a wonderfully long arrangement of a Peanuts track that went by the title "Charlie's Blues" on the album Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits. Peanuts fans also will enjoy hearing the title track from "You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown." Both are a lot of fun.
The album takes its title from "Oaxaca" (pronouned WaHAWKa), a catchy little tune full of sparkle and sass, which sounds like it could have been a Peanuts theme, although it never was used as such (as is the case with "Nobody Else," on the Eclectic album).
You'll also hear Guaraldi's covers of The Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want," Paul Williams' "We've Only Just Begun," two Beatles hits -- "You Never Give Me Your Money" and "Something" -- and Michel Legrand's "Watch What Happens." The latter cut, alas, is incomplete; the beginning is missing, and the song therefore fades into life somewhere in the middle. But it's such a lovely track that all concerned deemed it essential to include.
The liner notes are by Ye Humble Web Master himself, Derrick Bang ... who was delighted beyond words to be affiliated with the project.
Guaraldi compositions:
"Charlie Brown Blues" (aka "Charlie's Blues," see also Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits)
"Oaxaca"(two takes)
"You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown"

"North Beach"
****

Vince Guaraldi
D&D VG4465
Released January 2006

Once again working with tapes restored by Michael Graves, Dave Guaraldi self-produced a third new CD of his father's previously unreleased material, this compilation also on the revived D&D label.
The liner notes do no give a clue as to where these tracks were performed -- in a studio, or live -- although the implication is that they spring from club dates in San Francisco's jazz-hued North Beach region. Indeed, the liner notes will one day make this disc a jazz historian's nightmare, because while several sidemen are credited -- Seward McCain and Peter Marshall (bass), Al Coster and Jerry Granelli (drums), and Vince's longtime buddy Eddie Duran (guitar) -- there's no indication of who played on which track.
The tracks themselves are an interesting mix. Several will sound quite familiar, as they've appeared on earlier Guaraldi albums: "Lucifer's Lady," "It Was a Very Good Year" and "Masked Marvel," in particular. Although these are different versions from those on albums Guaraldi fans already possess, the distinctions are so slight that casual fans may not be able to distinguish them.
The variations are more pronounced on the two versions of "Cast Your Fate to the Wind," which open and close this album, and the Peanuts stalwart "Linus and Lucy." These three tracks are quite different from versions we've heard before, and the concluding take on "Cast Your Fate" is particularly noteworthy: an entirely new direction for Vince's signature theme, apparently recorded shortly before he died, and a clear indication that he still was experimenting with the song that put him on the jazz map.
Musically, the three biggest treats are covers of Elton John's "Your Song" and Joe Cowan's "Cabaret" -- the latter a particularly lively rendition of that classic show tune -- and an extended version of "Autumn Leaves" that will fool you into thinking that it's some other song entirely ... until, six minutes into this awesome performance, Vince and the band finally find their way back to the familiar melody line.
In many ways, this CD feels like The Eclectic Vince Guaraldi: an odd mix of this and that, albeit overall a more enjoyable collection. But without any context in Dave Guaraldi's sparse liner notes, it's impossible to catalog any of this music in terms of its place in Vince's career.
Guaraldi compositions:
"Cast Your Fate to the Wind (two takes)"
"Lucifer's Lady"
"Linus and Lucy"
"Masked Marvel"

"The Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown Television Specials"
****

Vince Guaraldi
D&D VG1118
Released December 2006

After recording studio master tapes were discovered for seven of the later Peanuts TV specials scored by Guaraldi, his son Dave cherry-picked many of the better individual songs and cues for this album. They come from four shows: A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving; There's No Time for Love, Charlie Brown; You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown; and You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown. The restoration work once again is superb, thanks to the efforts of Michael Graves and his Atlanta, Georgia-based Osiris Studio. Even so, the listening experience is slightly uneven; the original recording sessions go back to the late 1960s and early '70s, obviously with different technicians and production elements. As a result, the background hiss and occasional fuzz is noticeably different from one track to the next ... but probably not enough to be distracting to any but the most demanding listeners.
The album's prizes include a short but exceptionally lively rendition of "Peppermint Patty"; an up-tempo variation on the title theme for There's No Time for Love, Charlie Brown; and the nearly seven-minute "Pitkin County Blues." The latter is a sassy number highlighted by Tom Harrell's deliciously wicked trumpet (a bit of unexpected instrumentation for a Guaraldi combo), along with the usual solid support from Seward McCain (bass) and Glenn Cronkite (drums).
It's also nice to hear Guaraldi's own handling of "The Incumbent Waltz" (a great title for an equally droll little tune, quite appropriately used in You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown). George Winston fans will recognize the melody, since the New Age pianist frequently has performed it during his live concerts ... and keeps promising to include it in his upcoming second album of Guaraldi compositions.
The album tracks alternate between Guaraldi's traditional piano stylings and the electronic keyboards he favored toward the end of his career; he's equally deft and inventive on both. But because the tracks are in no particular order, one can't get a sense of how his switch from acoustic to electronic instrumentation progressed, which is a shame ... but I suppose a dedicated listener could re-sequence the CD.
The album includes two versions of "Joe Cool": a wonderfully lengthy instrumental, and a shorter vocal. (Guaraldi was quite skilled at varying the mix on his more popular compositions; remember, he scored 15 of these animated TV specials, and felt compelled to include -- for example -- a version of "Linus and Lucy" in just about all of them. Every version was significantly different, whether in arrangement, instrumentation or both. The same is true of "Joe Cool" and "Little Birdie," both of which popped up frequently in the later TV specials.) Flutist Pat O'Hara contributes a clever counter-melody in this instrumental version of "Joe Cool," and I defy the listener not to keep time with a snapping finger or tapping toe. Guaraldi's vocal version of the same song is just a hair slower than usual, the lyrics and arrangement ideally suited to his gravelly voice. It's hard not to picture Snoopy strutting down the school hallway. (Accuracy compels me to point out, however, that this vocal version of "Joe Cool" is a variant from the recording session for There's No Time for Love, Charlie Brown ... not from It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown, as the liner notes claim.)
Some of the other tracks -- notably "Centercourt," "Motocross" and "African Sleigh Ride" -- were designed to be background instrumentals that filled the space behind bits of silent comedy or even conversations between characters. As a result, they can sound repetitive when removed from their visual action. "Motocross," in particular, lingers about two minutes too long.
Perhaps to suggest a sense of the authentic recording-studio experience, Dave Guaraldi chose to leave lead-in business on many of the tracks ... say, a quick noodling warm-up by one of the musicians, or the recording engineer's "Cue 13," followed by Guaraldi's countdown: "One-two-three-two-two-three!" Such stuff might be considered cute the first time one plays the CD, but it quickly grows tiresome and merely detracts from the joys of the music itself.
On the other hand, I'm pleased to see that Dave took my complaint regarding the previous album, North Beach, to heart: This one carefully identifies which musician plays which instrument on every track. It's nice to know who to acknowledge for each solo.
(On the third hand, I'm not sure whether to trust this information, based on the trouble Dave had with the liner notes for the next album in this series. For openers, the dates of the various recording sessions are ... unlikely. See the next review for all the gory details.)
Finally, a bewildering (albeit minor) comment regarding the track selection: Despite the wealth of material from which to choose, Dave inexplicably resurrected one cue from an earlier album. This version of the "Thanksgiving Theme" also can be found on Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits.
Guaraldi compositions:
"African Sleigh Ride"
"Centercourt"
"Incumbent Waltz"
"Joe Cool" (two takes)
"Little Birdie"
"Motocross"
"Peppermint Patty"
"Pitkin County Blues"
"Play It Again, Charlie Brown"
"Thanksgiving Theme"
"There's No Time for Love, Charlie Brown"

"The Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown Television Specials, Volume 2"
****

Vince Guaraldi
D&D VG1119
Released December 2007

Dave Guaraldi once again draws from the best as-yet unheard tracks from the work his father did on Peanuts TV specials toward the end of his career, this time cherry-picking material from It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown; Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown; It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown; A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving; and You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown. The collection is a mix of Vince's signature compositions -- yet again different versions of "Linus and Lucy," "Joe Cool" and "Little Birdie" -- and previously uncollected underscore cues. In most cases, Guaraldi plays an electronic keyboard, and it's truly amazing how much swing he can get from an instrument that can sound sterile in lesser hands.
The meticulous restoration work again comes courtesy of Michael Graves and Osiris Studio. The overall listening experience is reasonably balanced, although one track -- "Is It James or Charlie," from A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving -- sounds as though it originally had been recorded in a closet ... beneath about a mile of ocean water. (This isn't the fault of the restoration process; sadly, this entire recording session simply wasn't preserved very well.) Otherwise, the varying studio conditions are leveled surprisingly well, as noted in my comments for Volume 1 in this series.
The album kicks off with a lively toe-tapper: a grooving instrumental composition that accompanies Marcie and Peppermint Patty's antics while trying to color eggs in It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown, and quite appropriately called "Kitchen Music." (I know, I know ... you won't even find that title on the liner notes. I'll discuss this little problem at greater length below.) It's followed by "Snoopy and Woodstock," a droll instrumental buddy theme for the world-famous beagle and his best birdie friend. Drummer Glenn Cronkite establishes a sassy beat, and Guaraldi and bassist Seward McCain really go to town.
Some of the album's slower tracks demonstrate Guaraldi's ability to evoke gentler moods and the sort of melancholia that one would associate with Charlie Brown. Both "There's Been a Change" and "Never Again" tug at the heart and recall the sadder moments involving Chuck's repeated disappointments during Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown.
This album's version of "Linus and Lucy" is brief, but it's adorable, with some gentle bell sounds added to punctuate the familiar tune. The instrumental version of "Joe Cool" mixes things up a bit with a mouth harp and some piano noodlings; Guaraldi also whistles the melody line, and does so quite well. Finally, the instrumental version of "Little Birdie" also seems to whistle the melody line, although in this case it's Guaraldi's electronic keyboard.
As was the case with the first collection in this series, some of the cues don't stand that well on their own, as they were intended to be used as underscore to on-screen antics. "Charlie Brown's Wake-Up" is perhaps the worst offender here; it's almost random keyboard work and never really goes anywhere.
On the other hand, both "Cops and Robbers" and "Sally's Blues" are a lot of fun. The former starts off sounding like a re-working of "Linus and Lucy" but then develops its own identity as a fast-paced toe-tapper. "Sally's Blues" is really sassy: the sort of dirty blues that makes you close your eyes and smile with appreciation.
The album concludes with a variant version of "Nobody Else," probably recorded during the sessions that resulted in the earlier album, The Eclectic Vince Guaraldi. The instrumentation is the same, but the reading is "pure": The intrusive string section, added after the fact for the album release, is absent (and thank God for that!). I've always felt this cut belonged in the Peanuts musical canon; this particular version merely reinforces that opinion. That is, however, only my opinion; there's no indication it ever was intended as a Peanuts cue, and therefore its inclusion here -- on an album supposedly devoted to Peanuts TV show themes -- is a bit suspect.
Alas, as with the previous collection, Dave Guaraldi once again includes lead-in business on many of the tracks: comments from the recording engineer and Vince's own countdowns. As I said before, this stuff is unnecessary and subtracts from the listening experience.
But that isn't this album's biggest sin.
Aside from the well-recognized signature themes, most listeners won't have any reference point to the titles of most tracks, and therefore won't be aware of the many mistakes made with respect to the labeling of this album's tracking sequence. But even a casual fan will recognize that "Little Birdie" actually is the seventh track, rather than the eighth. Indeed, the tracking order printed on the back of the jewel case, and inside the liner notes booklet, bears scant resemblance to reality. In a word, it's a mess: Cues are out of order, titled incorrectly or absent altogether. Many running times are works of fiction.
And while each track does come from the animated TV special assigned to it, the recording session dates are suspect. You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown aired in 1972, so clearly the music for that show wasn't recorded in 1974. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving aired in 1973, so its music obviously wasn't recorded in 1974. It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown aired in February 1974, so obviously its music wasn't recorded in July of that same year. Finally, Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown aired in 1975 ... so it's highly unlikely (although possible, I'll admit) that its music was recorded in 1973.
I can't help being worried that such sloppiness extends to the track-by-track listings of personnel; if so, that's be a real crisis.
Despite what the CD claims, therefore, please note that what follows here is the true tracking order, with correct titles and running times:
1) "Kitchen Music" (not "Woodstock's Dream"), 1:43
2) "Snoopy and Woodstock," 2:11
3) "Never Again," 1:34
4) "Heartburn Waltz," 2:00
5) "Charlie Brown's Wake-Up," 1:30
6) "There's Been a Change," 1:34
7) "Little Birdie," 1:56
8) "Cops and Robbers," 1:43
9) "Sally's Blues," 1:41
10) "It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown," 2:05
11) "Is It James or Charlie," 2:22
12) "Oh, Good Grief" (from You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown), 1:06
13) "Linus and Lucy," 1:20
14) "Joe Cool," 3:01
15) "Nobody Else," 4:35
The cue "Bus Me" (listed as track 3) isn't to be found anywhere. And track 12 is "Oh, Good Grief," as indicated above, although the liner notes don't mention it at all.
Guaraldi compositions:
"Charlie Brown's Wake-Up"
"Cops and Robbers"
"Heartburn Waltz"
"Is It James or Charlie?"
"It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown"
"Joe Cool"
"Kitchen Music"
"Linus and Lucy"
"Little Birdie"
"Nobody Else"
"Oh, Good Grief"
"Never Again"
"Sally's Blues"
"Snoopy and Woodstock"
"There's Been a Change"

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