Search - Vince Guaraldi :: Definitive Vince Guaraldi (Bril)

Charming, pleasant, original programmatic music

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 11/29/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Guaraldi had not only a short career but a very erratic discography, with gaps of 4-5 years of apparent non-activity. Disconcerting to his fans (and it's clear he has long had a small but devoted, cult-like following) is the relatively shoddy production values of his few recordings--bad mic placement, out-of-tune pianos, on-location recordings with audience distractions ranging from coughing to conversation.



The present collection captures Guaraldi's deft touch, clever turns of phrase, unexpected shifts in tempo and rhythm sufficiently for listeners to appreciate his unique talent. His is an off-beat, slightly off-kilter melodic-rhythmic sensibility that nevertheless beautifully captures a mood, an aura, an ethnic quality, a seasonal sentiment. Despite his originality, he's one of the more accessible, universally appealing pianists in the music. In some respects, he's a "new-age" version of Thelonious Monk, almost as original and individualistic as the indisputable jazz giant but certainly "easier on the ears" and more immediately graspable than the elusive, idiosyncratic Monk.



Many pianists will appreciate Guaraldi for his "playability"--apart from some of the unexpected twists and the admittedly inimitable touch he's not a difficult pianist to transcribe from record. "Cast Your Fate," "It's Christmastime," and "Theme to Grace" were welcome popular recordings to pianists looking for material that would connect with an audience. His jazz liturgy, even more than Ellington's three Sacred Music Concerts, provides the instant accessibility vital to the success of a communal, shared experience; his Latin reworkings are never overwrought but convincingly in the idiom, the quiet bossa nova alleviated by some hard-swinging 4/4 interludes; his Peanuts holiday programmatic material is bright, light, sparkling--eschewing sentiment, memory, and the elegaic in favor of capturing a privileged innocence that adults may fear has escaped them--until now.



All of which is some sort of explanation for Guaraldi's continuing popularity--even as interest in a group once revered as a jazz institution, The Modern Jazz Quartet, appears to be more marginal than ever. Nor should any listener be deceived by Guaraldi's enduring fame. Contemporaneous with his success were numerous, arguably and inarguably better pianists than Guaraldi, even limiting the field to West Coast artists--from the sadly neglected but utterly irreplaceable Carl Perkins (a perpetual fount of rapturous melodic inspiration despite a crippled left hand) to the prodigious Andre Previn and guys with names like Hawes, Jolly, Levy, Freeman, Cables.



The lesson may be not to look down on playing for peanuts."

Accentuate the positive . . .

Allen Smalling | Chicago, IL United States | 07/04/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Okay, Vince Guaraldi's output may have been "erratic," but I can't help but notice that after the immense success of his music in CBS-TV's A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS (1965), the bigwigs at the network managed to accommodate him. Some people like the roughness of live recordings like those made at concert of nightclub venues; others appreciate the purity of a studio sound.



But surely what counts is that, although Guaraldi's songbook can be "musicogra-phied" to death and holding a nonconformist up to a prolific's quantity of output is a self-defeating proposition, so many people just intuitively love his music, including those who don't normally consider themselves jazz afficionados. I do not any in way think of this two disc-er as high aural quality "minus" some play time to make room for some inferior cuts; I think of it as most of the tracks from THE ESSENTIAL VINCE GUARALDI and a few from his GREATEST HITS album PLUS a solid rack of written-for-Peanuts-specials grooves, and all for just a few dollars more than the other best-of stuff.



"Fascinating Rhythm," "Cast Your Fate to the Wind [any tempo]," "Linus and Lucy" (the opening dance music in the original CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS) -- this is an unexpected bonanza of creative and singular music from a talent who was with us for far too short a time. I try to be a little conservative in my rankings, but IMHO not to give this set five stars is not to understand that five stars exist to reflect the excellence available in this set. BTW "Programmatic" in musical circles does not mean "written for a (TV??) program to fill a scene" but more along the lines of "adding non-standard orchestra instruments to heighten realism" or "musically symbolizing an earlier event" (i.e., first cousin to "concrete" music). Tchaikovsky's 1812 OVERTURE with the booming cannon and the old Tsarist national anthem are right in the programmatic tradition. As for THE DEFINITIVE VINCE GUARALDI, it's some of the liveliest, happiest, most delightfully audacious music I've ever heard, and here at a surprisingly good price. Those points are what I wanted to emphasize."

Just Spectacular, The Definitive Vince

K. R. Cassil | San Francisco | 03/17/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Looks like Mr. Chell took care of most of this one for me, but what I can still do is tell you how this record feels, and I think most would agree that it feels quite good. Out of Vince's 27 albums that came before this, 11 of them being re-mastered versions of older songs, none of them allow you to feel the array of emotions that this one does. It begins with Vince's quartet, including bassist Eugene Wright and drummer John Markham, absolutely nailing a recording of Calling Dr. Funk. This was one of Guaraldi's first big self-composed songs from his first album, Modern Music from San Francisco. Jerry Dodgion helps out on alto sax, by playing the melody with a lagging, relaxing and sexy swing to it, and Guaraldi hides in the back complimenting the sax until he takes lead in the second half. Nick Phillips, the man behind this compilation takes a trip way back with the old George Gershwin song "Fascinating Rhythm," and wow, what a fascinating rhythm. Bola Sete matches the piano melody on guitar with unbelievable accuracy and the song races through the changes without missing a beat, giving way to a thrilling emotion that overrides the original. The third track, "Never Never Land," is a song that brings hope for the future, the kind of song that says "everything will be okay," or "you've come along way, let me tell you about all you've accomplished." It is the first song Guaraldi plays by himself on the album, and he seems to enjoy the spotlight. His smooth jazz licks spice it up just the right amount, and he ends it with a comforting melody that feels like home. Without a moment's rest, "Fenwyck's Farfel' hits the ears, and it is held down strong by a walking bass line and a distinctive guitar lick, involving a tasteful hammer-on or two. It has that same kind of mischievous smooth jazz feel and sound that comes out of the Pink Panther theme. Guaraldi's next piece is maybe is most famous, as "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" did win a Grammy for best jazz piece in 1966. "Moon River" comes soon after, and its name gives away the feel of the song. If you can imagine sitting by the side of the river under the moonlight with your eyes closed, you can already hear this song. And to remain up in the night sky, "Star Song" comes next, spicing the album up a little with a Spanish feel. It doesn't completely escape the smooth genre though, as Guaraldi's piano lines combine and sweetly compliment the nylon-string guitar. Disc 2, and yes friends, there is a disc 2, begins with song called "Mr. Lucky" and continues a bit of samba-like rhythm that is so closely correlated with sensual dancing. Once Guaraldi takes a break from the Spanish tunes, he eases in to some classic smooth jazz with "Ginza Samba," but doesn't quite leave the nylon-string guitar behind yet. The guest guitarist Bola Sete doesn't disappoint as he holds down the rhythm and takes a lush solo in the second half. And now, what everyone is waiting for on the ultimate compilation of all Guaraldi, the Peanuts section comes flying in next. Songs like "Oh, Good Grief," "Linus and Lucy," and of course the "Charlie Brown Theme" really bring back memories. It also includes iconic Peanuts cues such as "Thanksgiving Theme," "Christmas Is Coming," and "Christmas Time Is Here" to set that mood of giving through family and love. Guaraldi's masterpiece then sadly comes to its end with the jazz standard "Autumn Leaves" and lastly, "Blues for Peanuts." Thanks to this compilation, I have a song to match every day and every feeling, and life before it seems empty to me now. If you're a jazz fan like I am, or a smooth jazz fan specifically, expand your limits and allow this one to grace your eardrums. Whether it's for the family or just to keep you company as you do all the things you do, this album should follow you everywhere you go, or take you anywhere you'd like to go. Five stars for sure!!!"