Vince Guaraldi is one of the handful of jazz artists to make a platinum album, thanks to his association with the Charlie Brown TV series. This 2 disc set finds him just after that initial fame, culminating in his last recordings before his untimely death in 1976.
The first album has him in vintage Peanuts form on a 1968 album with Carl Burnett/dr, Eddie Duram/g and Stanley Gilbert/b as the team bounces with delight on “Linus and Lucy” and swings with abandon on “He’s Your Dog, Charlie Brown.” A dreamy “Rain, Rain Go Away” and flowing “Great Pumpkin Waltz” possibly represent the apotheosis of music for cartoons.
His next album was truly an “eclectic” affair, as Guaraldi not only adds electric harpsichord, but he even plays guitar and ventures into singing, sounding a bit like Randy Newman on a pair of Tim Hardin pieces like “Reason to Believe.” Even with the band plugging in, the band is hip on “Nobody Else” and a fun Latin groover of the psychedelic hit “The Beat Goes On.” He still holds onto his bossa roots with a lovely take of Jobim’s “LOnce I Loved” and does some nice work on The Beatles’ “Yesterday.”
Guaraldi’s last recorded album teams him with the likes of Herb Ellis/g, Monte Budwig/b, Colin Bailey/b and others for a collection of Samba and Latin gems. The team sizzles on “Jimbo” and “Uno Y Uno” and have fun on a hip “Alma-Ville” while the percussion sizzles on “Rio From the Air” and “The Masked Marvel.” There are a handful of previously released bonus tracks which include an intriguing take of the gospel classic “Oh, Happy Day.” If you’re a Guaraldi fan (and if you’re not, please explain), this is a must, just for the joy emitted on these tunes that is sadly missing these days of virtuosic inaccessibility.