VIDEO
THE MANY SIDES OF VINCE GURALDI

June 15, 2016 | by Ross Eustis

Vince Guraldi

The only student of Bay Area piano legend Vince Guaraldi, Larry Vuckovich presents "The Many Sides of Vince Guaraldi" – a repertoire of Guaraldi’s timeless music including a selection of his Peanuts soundtrack classics as well as “Cast Your Fate to the Wind” and more on June 19, 2016 at the SFJAZZ Center.

Born in the former Yugoslavia and a Bay Area jazz fixture for nearly half a century, Vuckovich has led a storied career, boasting a 25-year association with vocal master Jon Hendricks and a five-year stint as house pianist at jazz impresario Todd Barkan’s legendary Keystone Korner. Leader of numerous high-powered ensembles and veteran of work with major figures including Mel Tormé, Dexter Gordon, “Philly” Joe Jones, Curtis Fuller, and Tom Harrell, Vuckovich is the perfect artist to celebrate the eternal influence of Guaraldi, his mentor and champion.

A North Beach native and one of the most beloved jazz artists to emerge from the San Francisco scene, Vince Guaraldi rose to prominence as part of vibraphonist Cal Tjader’s superlative Latin jazz band and found early success with his 1962 bossa nova tinged Fantasy release Cast Your Fate to the Wind: Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus, a tribute to the Oscar-winning French/Brazilian film Black Orpheus. This pivotal release led to Guaraldi’s most enduring work as composer of scores for seventeen animated Peanuts specials and the unforgettable theme song, "Linus & Lucy."