From All Sides

''From All Sides'' is a collaboration between American pianist Vince Guaraldi and Brazilian guitarist Bola Sete released in February 1965 by Fantasy Records. It was Guaraldi's seventh studio album and the second of three collaborations with Sete.

Recording and background

''From All Sides'' was recorded in late 1964 during a period of heightened activity for Guaraldi and Sete. The two had been performing regularly at Trois Couleurs, a nightclub in San Francisco, where Guaraldi's trio served as the house band for sixteen weeks, with Sete joining for the final twelve. Their growing musical rapport, developed through these extended live sets, carried over into the studio sessions that produced the album.

The record features a blend of Latin jazz, bossa nova, and American jazz idioms, reflecting both Guaraldi's West Coast jazz background and Sete's Brazilian heritage. Several compositions on the album were either reworkings of previously recorded material or later repurposed in future projects. "Ginza Samba," originally titled "Ginza", was first recorded by Guaraldi for his debut album '' Modern Music from San Francisco'' (1956). "Menino Pequeno da Bateria", a gentle bossa nova reinterpretation of "The Little Drummer Boy", would later appear in ''A Charlie Brown Christmas'' as "My Little Drum". Additionally, "Choro" is based on the first theme of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550, I. ''Molto allegro'' which Guaraldi later adapted for the ''Peanuts'' television special ''He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown'' (1968) under the title "Schroeder's Wolfgang".

Other notable tracks include "The Ballad of Pancho Villa", an original composition whose rhythmic drive and melodic phrasing foreshadowed Guaraldi's later ''Peanuts'' cues such as "Linus and Lucy" and "Christmas Is Coming". "Little Fishes", co-composed by Sete and Eva Konrad, is a mid-tempo piece with classical influences, while the album closes with a Latin arrangement of the pop standard "A Taste of Honey". Several of Guaraldi's original compositions from the album were published under his Felfar Music imprint.

Around the time of the album's release in February 1965, Guaraldi and Sete continued to maintain a high public profile. They made two appearances on ''The Dick Stewart Show'', a local Bay Area television program, and performed at a variety of Northern California venues including University of California, Berkeley's International House and Bear's Lair Cabaret, as well as civic benefits and political fundraisers. A planned tour to Brazil in celebration of Rio de Janeiro's quadricentennial was announced, but ultimately canceled due to a combination of logistical issues and insufficient ticket sales.

Although ''Billboard'' named ''From All Sides'' a "Jazz Special Merit Pick" and praised the seamless integration of Latin and American jazz styles, internal tensions within the trio soon led to the end of the collaboration. Drummer Jerry Granelli and bassist Fred Marshall both departed shortly after the album's release, citing creative differences and a desire to move in new artistic directions. Their exit marked the conclusion of the trio's long-running engagement at Trois Couleurs and brought to a close the period during which ''From All Sides'' was conceived and recorded.

Release and reception

In a "Jazz Special Merit" review, ''Billboard'' noted that "Vince Guaraldi on piano and Bola Sete on guitar demonstrate that the Latin musical idiom can be combined with a U.S. sound to form good jazz. The two work so well together that it's often difficult to distinguish the piano from the guitar sounds."

Richard S. Ginell of AllMusic gave the album three out of five stars, noting that "although Guaraldi was in somewhat fresher form in his other albums with Sete, this one won't disappoint his fans."

In 1998, the album was remastered by Phil De Lancie and issued on CD for the first time.

Track listing

All tracks written by Vince Guaraldi, except where noted.

Personnel

Credits adapted from 1965 vinyl release.
* Bola Sete – guitar
;Vince Guaraldi Trio:
*Vince Guaraldi – piano
*Fred Marshall – double bass
*Monty Budwig – double bass
* Jerry Granelli – drums
*Nick Martinez – drums
;Additional:
* Ralph J. Gleason – liner notes

Release history

References

External links

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1965 collaborative albums
Fantasy Records albums
Vince Guaraldi albums
Bola Sete albums
Bossa nova albums
Latin jazz albums
Latin music albums by American artists