The jazz trio recordings that made up most of West Coast pianist Vince Guaraldi's output often leaned more in the pop direction. Guaraldi had played with Cal Tjader and Woody Herman, scored a niche with Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus, and hit a commercial high point with his melodic melodrama "Cast Your Fate to the Wind," but he will forever be tied to his score for the cartoon A Boy Named Charlie Brown. These performances are memorable for the program they set out to accomplish. The bright little skirmish of "Linus and Lucy" is the perfect accompaniment to these mimetic characters. "Blue Charlie Brown" contains some catchy piano soloing from Guaraldi. "Baseball Theme" works perfectly, as does the samba "Pebble Beach" and the Chaplinesque rag, "Schroeder." --John Swenson
