Guaraldi, Vince(nt Anthony)
Guaraldi, Vince(nt Anthony)
Guaraldi, Vince(nt Anthony), jazz pianist and composer; b. San Francisco, July 17, 1928; d. Menlo Park, Calif., Feb. 6, 1976. He played piano in high school and college in the San Francisco area. Around late 1949/early 1950, he began playing with Cal Tjader; he made his first recordings with Tjader in 1953. In 1955, he formed his own trio, which was popular among the San Francisco beatnik scene. During 1956, he toured with Woody Herman’s Third Herd. He was a frequent contributor to West Coast sessions in the 1950s and 1960s, but became more identified with concept projects like the ′′Jazz Impressions.′′ He is world famous for his themes for the Peanuts television specials during the 1960s, but these only hint at the hard swinging and attractive work he created. He last recorded in 1974, and two years later died of a heart attack while performing at a small club.
Discography
Modern Music from San Francisco (1955); Trio (1956); A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing (1957); Jazz Impressions of ′′Black Orpheus′′ (1962); Tour de Force (1963); V. G./Conte Candoli (1963); In Person (1963); Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1964); Latin Side of V. G. (1964); Live at the El Matador (1966).
—Lewis Porter