''Alma-Ville'' is the 12th and final studio album by American jazz pianist

Vince Guaraldi Vincent Anthony Guaraldi (; birth name, né Dellaglio, July 17, 1928 – February 6, 1976) was an American jazz pianist best known for composing music for animated television adaptations of the ''Peanuts'' comic strip. His compositions for this s ...

, released in the U.S. by Warner Bros.-Seven Arts in December 1969.

Background and recording

Vince Guaraldi's final three albums, produced under Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, represent a pivotal period in his career following an extended effort to sever ties with Fantasy Records. Upon securing a three-album contract with Warner, Guaraldi’s inaugural release, '' Oh Good Grief!'', adhered to the label's directive to revisit and re-record eight of his most prominent ''

Peanuts ''Peanuts'' (briefly subtitled ''featuring Good ol' Charlie Brown'') is a print syndication, syndicated daily strip, daily and Sunday strip, Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run ext ...

'' scores. This was succeeded by '' The Eclectic Vince Guaraldi'', a self-produced endeavor in which Guaraldi exercised complete artistic autonomy. However, the album was criticized for its lack of focus and artistic overindulgence, resulting in an unfavorable reception from both critics and the public. For his third and final Warner release, ''Alma-Ville'', the label enlisted the expertise of renowned jazz trumpeter and arranger

Shorty Rogers Milton "Shorty" Rogers (born Milton Rajonsky; April 14, 1924 – November 7, 1994) was an American jazz musician, one of the principal creators of West Coast jazz. He played trumpet and flugelhorn and was in demand for his skills as an arra ...

to assume production responsibilities. Rogers' involvement imbued the project with a greater sense of cohesion and refinement, a marked improvement over Guaraldi's prior album. ''Alma-Ville'' features a balanced repertoire of original compositions and reinterpretations of popular music, including

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

' "

Eleanor Rigby "Eleanor Rigby" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1966 album ''Revolver''. It was also issued on a double A-side single, paired with " Yellow Submarine". Credited to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership, the s ...

," which Guaraldi frequently performed in live settings. The album’s title track is a reimagining of a composition first introduced in his '' Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus'' (1962). The recording process for ''Alma-Ville'' was extensive, employing various musicians depending on the stylistic demands of individual tracks. Guaraldi collaborated with sidemen such as Eddie Duran, Kelly Bryan, and Al Coster on pieces like the vibrant "Masked Marvel" and a bossa nova arrangement of

Duke Pearson Columbus Calvin "Duke" Pearson Jr. (August 17, 1932 – August 4, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer. ''Allmusic'' describes him as having a "big part in shaping the Blue Note label's hard bop direction in the 1960s as a record pro ...

's "Cristo Redentor." Additionally, Guaraldi recorded with a trio composed of Sebastio Neto, Dom um Ramao, and Rubens Bassini for rhythmically intricate tracks like "Rio from the Air." A reunion with longtime collaborators

Monty Budwig Monte Rex Budwig (December 26, 1929 – March 9, 1992) was a West Coast jazz double bassist, professionally known as Monty Budwig. Early life Monte Rex Budwig was born in Pender, Nebraska, on December 26, 1929.His full birthname was Monte Rex ...

, Colin Bailey, and

Herb Ellis Mitchell Herbert Ellis (August 4, 1921 – March 28, 2010) was an American jazz guitarist. During the 1950s, he was in a trio with pianist Oscar Peterson. Biography Born in Farmersville, Texas, Ellis grew up on a farm. He was first exposed ...

yielded notable contributions, including the re-recorded title track "Alma-Ville" and the track "Detained in San Ysidro."

Reception

Despite its more structured production and artistic refinement compared to ''The Eclectic Vince Guaraldi'', ''Alma-Ville'' did not garner significant critical or commercial acclaim. While reviewers acknowledged the album's technical proficiency and diversity, it did not succeed in expanding Guaraldi’s audience beyond his dedicated fan base. Reviews were generally positive but understated, with the album being recognized as a solid, if not groundbreaking, work from a musician whose major contributions to jazz were already established. Both ''The Eclectic Vince Guaraldi'' and ''Alma-Ville'' gradually faded into relative obscurity for many years, whereas ''Oh Good Grief!'' maintained its presence in circulation and continued to sell consistently, largely owing to the enduring popularity of the ''Peanuts'' franchise. A remastered edition of ''Alma-Ville'' was released on July 6, 2018, by

Omnivore Recordings Omnivore Recordings is an independent record label founded in 2010. It specializes in historical releases, reissues and previously unissued vintage recordings, as well as select releases of new music, on CD, vinyl and digital formats. Omnivore R ...

as part of the 2-CD set '' The Complete Warner Bros.–Seven Arts Recordings''.

Track listing

Session information

Credits adapted from remastered 2018 CD liner notes. "The Masked Marvel" *Written by Vince Guaraldi *Piano: Vince Guaraldi *Guitar: Eddie Duran *

Double bass The double bass (), also known as the upright bass, the acoustic bass, the bull fiddle, or simply the bass, is the largest and lowest-pitched string instrument, chordophone in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding rare additions ...

: Kelly Bryan *Drums: Al Coster *Recorded in mid-to-late October 1969 " Cristo Redentor" *Written by

*Piano: Vince Guaraldi *Guitar: Eddie Duran *Double bass: Kelly Bryan *Drums: Al Coster *Recorded in mid-to-late October 1969 "Detained in San Ysidro" *Written by Vince Guaraldi *Piano: Vince Guaraldi *Guitar:

*Double bass:

*Drums: Colin Bailey *Recorded on October 10, 1969 "

" *Written by

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...

and

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...

*Piano: Vince Guaraldi *Guitar: Herb Ellis *Double bass: Monty Budwig *Drums: Colin Bailey *Recorded in mid-to-late October 1969 "Uno Y Uno" *Written by Vince Guaraldi *Piano, lead guitar: Vince Guaraldi *Double bass: Kelly Bryan *Drums: Al Coster *Recorded in mid-to-late October 1969 "Alma-Ville" *Written by Vince Guaraldi *Piano: Vince Guaraldi *Guitar: Herb Ellis *Double bass: Monty Budwig *Drums: Colin Bailey *Recorded on October 10, 1969 "Rio From the Air" *Written by Vince Guaraldi *Piano, guitar: Vince Guaraldi *Electric bass: Sebastião Neto *Drums:

Dom Um Romão Dom Um Romão (3 August 1925 – 27 July 2005) was a Brazilian jazz drummer and percussionist. Noted for his expressive stylings with the fusion band Weather Report, Romão also recorded with artists such as Cannonball Adderley, Paul Simon, An ...

*Percussion:

Rubens Bassini Rubens Bassini (January 26, 1933 in Rio de Janeiro – September 1985) was a Brazilian percussionist, who played bongos and congas above all. He played together with the band Os Ipanemas: Astor Silva; (trombone), Marinho (bass), Wilson das N ...

*Recorded in mid-to-late October 1969 "Watch What Happens" *Written by

Norman Gimbel Norman Gimbel (November 16, 1927 – December 19, 2018) was an American lyricist and songwriter of popular songs and themes to television shows and films. He wrote the lyrics for songs including " Ready to Take a Chance Again" (with composer Cha ...

and Antoine Le Grand *Piano: Vince Guaraldi *Guitar: Eddie Duran *Double bass: Kelly Bryan *Drums: Al Coster *Recorded in mid-to-late October 1969 "Jambo’s" *Written by Vince Guaraldi *Piano: Vince Guaraldi *Guitar: Herb Ellis *Double bass: Monty Budwig *Drums: Colin Bailey *Percussion: Rubens Bassini *Recorded on October 10, 1969

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1969 albums Vince Guaraldi albums Warner Records albums Albums arranged by Shorty Rogers Peanuts music