Vince Guaraldi, a renowned musician, was born in San Francisco on July 17, 1928. He attended Lincoln High School and later San Francisco State College, where he began performing in various venues, including the Black Hawk and Jackson's Nook, sometimes alongside the Chubby Jackson/Bill Harris band, and other times in combos with Sonny Criss and Bill Harris. During his college years, Guaraldi also performed at minor gigs, such as weddings.
Guaraldi's first recorded work can be heard on "Vibratharpe," a 1953 release by the Cal Tjader Trio. In 1955, he formed his own trio, featuring longtime friend Eddie Duran on guitar and Dean Reilly on bass, and began performing at North Beach's bohemian-hungry club, where his piano work became a huge attraction and was soon recognized as the Guaraldi sound.
The original Vince Guaraldi Trio, with Eddie Duran and Dean Reilly, released two albums: "The Vince Guaraldi Trio" (1956) and "A Flower is a Lonesome Thing" (1957). Guaraldi also toured in 1956 with Woody Herman's third Thundering Herd, replacing Nat Pierce on piano for one season.
Inspired by the 1959 French-Brazilian film Black Orpheus, Guaraldi recorded his own interpretations of Antonio Carlos Jobim's haunting soundtrack music, releasing the album "Jazz Impression of Black Orpheus" in 1962. The album featured the hit single "Samba de Orpheus," and the producers eventually selected "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" as the B-side, which became a smash hit and won the 1963 Grammy for Best Instrumental Jazz Composition.
Guaraldi's greatest fame came from scoring A Charlie Brown Christmas in 1965, based on Charles M. Schulz's "Peanuts" comic strip, and he continued to score all the Peanuts television specials until his death. On February 6, 1976, Guaraldi died of a sudden heart attack at the age of 47 while waiting in a motel room between sets at Menlo Park's Butterfield's nightclub.
