Vince Guaraldi Albums (17)
'Vince Guaraldi/Bola Sete & Friends'
Release Date 9/18/2000
Tracks 5
Label Original Jazz Classics
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What The Critics Say
With the first bossa nova wave still raging in North America, Guaraldi returned to the Brazilian groove full-time, this time in tandem with the gentle, classical-influenced, yet subtly swinging, acoustic guitar of Bola Sete. Reportedly Guaraldi and the Rio-born Sete had played together only once before -- the day before the session at Vince's house -- but you would never know it the way these guys weld themselves together with the irresistibly ticking beat. Composer Guaraldi serves up the album's brightest gems -- the winsome "Star Song" and the slightly sardonic, blues-based groovathon "Casaba" -- and there is also a lovely bossa nova treatment of Horace Silver's "Moon Rays." In 2000 the album was combined with the 1966 album Vince Guaraldi and Bola Sete: Live at El Matador on a single-disc Fantasy reissue. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide
'From All Sides'
Release Date 8/11/1998
Tracks 8
Label Original Jazz Classics
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What The Critics Say
Given Vince Guaraldi's affinity for Brazilian music, this pairing with Brazilian guitarist Bola Sete from the early '60s seems like a natural. On From All Sides, fans of the Peanuts TV specials will recognize Guaraldi's trademark pianistic style, with "Menino Pequeno da Bateria" being essentially the same tune used as "My Little Drum" on A Charlie Brown Christmas. The melody of "Ginza Samba" will also be familiar to the Charlie Brown TV audience. Sete contributes a pair of originals, with "Mambeando" being especially enjoyable. The group offers a tasty reading of "The Girl from Ipanema," and places "A Taste of Honey" into an interesting Latin groove. The interaction between the two principals here is generally quite good, though Sete's solo appears to be out of kilter rhythmically with Guaraldi's trio on "Menino Pequeno." That minor complaint aside, this is an enjoyable, easygoing outing. ~ Jim Newsom, All Music Guide
'Cast Your Fate to the Wind'
Release Date 10/17/1990
Tracks 8
Label Fantasy
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What The Critics Say
Brilliant jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi embraces the equally brilliant music of Antonio Carlos Jobim and Henry Mancini, along with his own compositions, highlighted by his haunting classic "Caste Your Fate to the Wind." Every performance by the trio is exquisite. Monte Budwig on bass and Colin Bailey on drums perfectly complement Guaraldi's delicate touch on the keys. Almost heaven. ~ Tim Griggs, All Music Guide
'Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus'
Release Date 5/7/1990
Tracks 8
Label Fantasy/OJC
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What The Critics Say
Here is Vince Guaraldi's breakthrough album -- musically, commercially, in every which way. After numerous records as a leader or sideman, for the first time a recognizable Guaraldi piano style emerges, with whimsical phrasing all his own, a madly swinging right hand and occasional boogie-influenced left hand, and a distinctive, throat-catching, melodic improvisational gift. The first half of the CD is taken up by cover versions of tunes from the Antonio Carlos Jobim/Luiz Bonfa score for the film Black Orpheus, recorded just as bossa nova was taking hold in America. These are genuinely jazz-oriented impressions in a mainstream boppish manner, with only a breath of samba from Monty Budwig (bass) and Colin Bailey (drums) in the opening minute of "Samba de Orpheus"; an edited version of this haunting song was issued as a 45 rpm single. But DJs soon began flipping the single over to play the B-side, a wistful, unforgettably catchy Guaraldi tune called "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" that opens the North American half of the album. The tune became a surprise hit; Fantasy redesigned the cover to call attention to it, and Vince was on his way to fame as one of Latin and mainstream jazz's most irresistible composers. The whole album evokes the ambience of San Francisco's jazz life in the 1960s as few others do -- and such is this record's appeal that even non-jazz and non-Latin music people have been grooving to this music ever since it came out. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide
'A Boy Named Charlie Brown'
Release Date 11/22/1989
Tracks 10
Label Fantasy
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What The Critics Say
Originally entitled Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Charlie Brown, this is an important album not only because it is Guaraldi's first Peanuts soundtrack, but also because the music heard here probably introduced millions of kids (and their parents) to jazz from the mid-'60s onward. Actually, this music is the score for a documentary on the Peanuts phenomenon called A Boy Named Charlie Brown, which ran before the first Peanuts specials per se appeared on the CBS network. The most remarkable thing, besides the high quality of Guaraldi's whimsically swinging tunes, is that he did not compromise his art one iota for the cartoon world; indeed, he sounds even more engaged, inventive, and lighthearted in his piano work here than ever. It must have been quite a delightful shock back then to hear a straight-ahead jazz trio (Guaraldi, Monty Budwig, bass; Colin Bailey, drums) backing all those cartoon figures and genuine children's voices, a mordant running musical commentary that made its own philosophical points. The music on this album laid the groundwork for much that was to come; here is the first appearance of the well-known bossa nova-influenced "Linus and Lucy," and fans of the series will recognize such themes from future episodes as "Baseball Theme" and "Oh, Good Grief" (which is a rewrite of the Dixie Belles' hit "Down at Papa Joe's"). The original LP came with 12 bonus lithographs of Charles Schulz's celebrated Peanuts drawings; the only extra thing the CD issue offers is a gratuitous outtake of "Fly Me to the Moon." ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Though Guaraldi had a little over six more years to live, this was his last commercial release; thus one must rely upon memories of the Peanuts specials for his considerable musical growth during the '70s (particularly in his airborne use of electronic keyboards). This time, producer Shorty Rogers imposed some discipline upon Guaraldi's increasingly eclectic pursuits and pulled an engaging straight jazz album from him, where the focus is primarily on his melodic swinging piano work in his usual mainstream and Latin grooves. The sidemen include many of Guaraldi's colleagues from the Fantasy days and top-flight guests, with the pungent guitar of Herb Ellis featured most prominently, and Guaraldi even takes a rudimentary electric guitar solo himself on "Uno y Uno." Curiously, not a word about Guaraldi's Peanuts scores -- his primary activity at the time -- is mentioned in the liner notes (deliberately, no doubt), and the only hint of a connection is the leadoff tune, "The Masked Marvel." Alma-Ville became available again in 2005, courtesy of the Wounded Bird label. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Here, Vince Guaraldi roams farther afield than ever -- playing piano and electric harpsichord, experimenting with sleek string backdrops, dabbling with the guitar -- and yes, he sings, too. Guaraldi's amateur Bohemian vocal charm won't come as any surprise to those who remember "Joe Cool" and "Little Birdie" from his later Peanuts scores; here, he sounds rather endearing in a pair of songs by pop-folk singer Tim Hardin ("Black Sheep Boy," "Reason to Believe"). Elsewhere, there is enough of the old Guaraldi mainstream and Latin jazz piano here to attract the faithful, particularly the lingering rendition of Jobim's "Once I Loved" and another sardonic original, "Lucifer's Lady." Throughout, Guaraldi generally keeps things at a low-key level, which gives this scattershot album at least a veneer of unity. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide
'Vince Guaraldi at Grace Cathedral'
Release Date 1/1/1966
Tracks 14
Label Fantasy
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What The Critics Say
In a year that also saw Duke Ellington, Dave Brubeck and Lalo Schifrin write jazz-based pieces for the church, Vince Guaraldi may have come up with the most effective sacred work of the four. Written for the completion of San Francisco's Grace Cathedral, Guaraldi's Mass fuses his mainstream and Latin strains comfortably and movingly underneath the plain vanilla Gregorian lines and Anglican plainchant of a 68-voice chorus. Sometimes all Vince does to create a beguiling effect is improvise arpeggios or have his trio engage in a hot bossa nova workout as the chorus chants on one note. Despite the immense size of the cathedral, this music produces an intimate, unpretentious and undeniably emotional response - and there is plenty of jazz content, particularly when Guaraldi's trio goes it alone for nearly a third of the work in the ruminative "Holy Communion Blues." By all means, check this beautiful, unusual album out. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide
'Vince Guaraldi and Bola Sete: Live at El Matador'
Release Date 1/1/1966
Tracks 7
Label Fantasy
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What The Critics Say
Despite the co-billing, Sete only appears on the second half of the album, leaving the Guaraldi trio to knock out a crisp series of standard pops of the time ("I'm a Loser," "People," "More") and two memorable Guaraldi originals ("Nobody Else," "El Matador") in its patented mainstream and Latin modes in the first half. When Sete turns up, the set goes all-Brazilian as the two display their blended, intertwined teamwork for the third and last time on records in "Favela" and a brace of tunes from Black Orpheus. Though it is only a partial collaboration, this album has a bit more fire than their previous ones, possibly due to the live factor. In 2000 the album was combined with the 1963 album Vince Guaraldi, Bola Sete and Friends on a single-disc Fantasy CD reissue. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide
'Vince Guaraldi and Bola Sete: From All Sides'
Release Date 1/1/1965
Tracks 8
Label Fantasy
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What The Critics Say
Guaraldi and Sete team up again for another attractive, mostly bossa nova session, this time with a softer-focused rhythm section, shorter tracks, and more Guaraldi tunes (4) on the menu than before. Guaraldi's quasi-Oriental "Ginza" is resurrected and retooled, "The Girl From Ipanema" and "A Taste Of Honey" are dutifully covered, and the most amusing track is Vince's tongue-in-cheek, slightly rock-ish cha-cha "The Ballad Of Pancho Villa." Although Guaraldi was in somewhat fresher form in his other albums with Sete, this one won't disappoint his fans ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide
