Search - Vince Guaraldi :: Latin Side of Guaraldi

Vince Guaraldi at his best!

Eron Garcia (egarcia@lonemantis.com | San Francisco, CA (USA) | 11/30/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The San Francisco-based piano legend truly hit a high note with this album.The Latin Side of... may not include his biggest hit "Cast Your Fate to the Wind," but in my humble opinion, this album ranks higher.You may recognize some of the tracks (like Corcovado) from albums by other musical greats like Stan Getz and Miles Davis, but Guaraldi's style and meter shine new light, and tempos, on old favorites.Oh, when you buy this album, make sure that you get "From All Sides." The two never leave my CD changer and compliment each other wonderfully!"

Another Vince Guaraldi Classic!

Steven R. Seim | Beaver Dam, WI United States | 07/19/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

""The Latin Side..." has one key weakness - cheesy '60s string arrangements. However, it still remains one of Guaraldi's best non-"Peanuts" works. "Work Song" and "Treat Street," in particular, are irresistably funky, and the hilarious album cover is one of the best of its time. Don't pass this one by!"

Vince played the piano without even trying--and that's no sm

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 10/25/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Vince Guaraldi possessed a special talent for making beautiful music on the piano; and just one listen to this awesome CD proves it. Sure, it may not be as complete as I would have liked; but it's still five stars all the way!



The CD track set begins with a cover of Henry Mancini's "Mr. Lucky." The piano never sounded better when Vince played it; and the strings bolster the natural beauty of this number. I love that percussion, too! I predict that you will enjoy "Mr. Lucky" very much. "What Kind Of Fool Am I?" features a sublime arrangement for Vince's piano playing; and the percussion fits perfectly for this beautiful number. Wow, how Vince Guaraldi could play that piano!



"Work Sing" gets an awesome Latin beat to infuse it with so much more energy than I've ever heard in this piece! Vince delivers this piano arrangement without a superfluous note; and the percussion works wonders for "Work Song." I also like the subtle and very quick tempo changes on "Work Song." "Treat Street" really jams as Vince plays the piano perfectly. The percussion shines as it does throughout this CD; and "Treat Street" will make you want to jump and dance wherever you are! SMILE Moreover, "Dor Que Faz Doer" features a pretty fine arrangement for the strings as Vince plays piano and the percussion enhances the number greatly. I like the subtle tempo and key changes on "Dor Que Faz Doer;" and none of these fine musicians ever misses a beat. Great!



The CD ends with the stunning "Brasilia." This hauntingly beautiful number showcases Vince's ingenuity and creativity at piano playing with a string arrangement that works well while still leaving Vince's piano playing front and center. The percussion helps "Brasilia" along at the same time.



The liner notes have some great artwork including the original cover photo for the record album release; and we get the original record album liner notes by Ralph J. Gleason. The song credits are given as well.



Vince Guaraldi proves again his singularly beautiful piano playing can still charm the birds out of the trees all these years later. Vince may no longer be with us; but he lives on through his remarkably exquisite music. I highly recommend this album for people who like Latin jazz and bossa nova from the 1960s.



Thank you, Vince! We shall never forget you!

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