The Man, The Trio, The Legend
When you hear this tune,
does a particular name come to mind (besides Charlie Brown)?
Well this iconic melody is one of the most well-known pieces from Vince Guaraldi’s catalog of excellent music. Desiring to learn “Linus and Lucy’s Theme” as a young 11-year-old was the catalyst to MY OWN long history of (and growth in!) piano-playng. It was the first song that I ever learned to play by ear (talk about a challenge!), and I still play it (a form of it anyway) to this day!
Every generation has had their jazz & Big Band greats, whether Cab Calloway, Count Basie and Glen Miller, or even Lawrence Welk, Wynton Marsalis and Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters. Like many young people from his generation, San Francisco-born Vince began learning piano at the young age of 7, and continued his musical studies throughout high school. After a stint in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, Vince found himself performing with various established groups until he formed his own jazz trio in 1956. He produced their first two albums, “The Vince Guaraldi Trio” and “A Flower Is A Lonesome Thing,” with Eddie Duran on guitar and Dean Reilly on double bass.
The success of their first hit single, “Cast Your Fate To the Wind,” from his 1962 album Jazz Impression of Black Orpheus, exposed executive producer Lee Mendelson to the trio’s Bossa Nova stylings, which complimented the direction Mendelson was leaning towards with a television project he was working on. It was a documentary concerning the comicstrip work of cartoonist Charles Schulz. Vincent, already a fan of the “Peanuts” comicstrip series, happily accepted the opportunity to create the musical backdrop for the project. And thus was born “Linus and Lucy,” which became the centerpiece for the 1965 CBS premiere of “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”
Though I am not a jazz fan, I really enjoy the music of A Charlie Brown Christmas, and have a CD copy that I breakout every Christmas that I can. On it you’ll also find a seasonal-sounding instrumental, “Skating,” as well as Vince’s take on the Little Drummer Boy, “My Little Drum”; and both a vocal and an instrumental version of an original piece, “Christmas Time Is Here,” written by Vince and Mendelson themselves. Vince went on to score 17 Charlie Brown TV specials in his career, and a Charlie Brown movie as well.
Other notable hits from Vince Guaraldi and his trio include “Fascinating Rhythm,” and his rendition of “The Girl From Ipanema” from his 1964 Essential Standards album, “Chora Tua Tristeza” from his In Person album, and finally “Ginza Samba” in 1965, from the album From All Sides, one of several collaborations with Brazilian guitarist Bola Sete (pronounced “SAY-Tay”).
According to bio-site FiveCentsPlease.org, Vince is quoted as saying,
“I don't think I'm a great piano player...but I want to write standards [songs that last], not just hits." He got his wish.
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Vince Guaraldi died unexpectedly in 1976 of heart failure, on the same day he completed his studio work for the TV special, It’s Arbor Day, Charlie Brown. He was 47 years old. The last of his bandmates, drummer Jerry Granelli, passed away in July of 2021. But the body of work they leave behind, especially from A Charlie Brown Christmas, is iconic, beautiful and haunting, and will withstand the test of time.
#twiggworks