Vince Guaraldi Music
- Discography:
Vince Guaraldi
Artist Overview
Vince Guaraldi, the blithe and swinging pianist who will forever be associated with a certain bald-headed cartoon character, paid his dues in the storied haunts of the 1950s jazz scene. Working as an intermission pianist for Art Tatum and a sideman for Cal Tjader, he honed the whimsical, buoyant style that would become his trademark. During a busy period of session work in the early '60s, a b-side of his called "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" was discovered by a local DJ, and became a Grammy-winning hit. It was at about this time that he scored the first Charlie Brown television special, which led to his writing the timeless and inventive theme for 1965's A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS, featuring his signature tune "Linus and Lucy." Fourteen original TV scores followed, as well as other successful albums, but the franchise ended in 1976 when Guaraldi died suddenly of a heart attack at the too-young age of 47.
Vince Guaraldi, the blithe and swinging pianist who will forever be associated with a certain bald-headed cartoon character, paid his dues in the storied haunts of the 1950s jazz scene. Working as an intermission pianist for Art Tatum and a sideman for Cal Tjader, he honed the whimsical, buoyant style that would become his trademark. During a busy period of session work in the early '60s, a b-side of his called "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" was discovered by a local DJ, and became a Grammy-winning hit. It was at about this time that he scored the first Charlie Brown television special, which led to his writing the timeless and inventive theme for 1965's A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS, featuring his signature tune "Linus and Lucy." Fourteen original TV scores followed, as well as other successful albums, but the franchise ended in 1976 when Guaraldi died suddenly of a heart attack at the too-young age of 47.
