The Vince Guaraldi Trio

 

It's Delovely

The Vince Guaraldi Trio

Recorded in San Francisco in April, 1956

Fantasy 3-225

Vince Guaraldi - Piano

Eddie Duran - Guitar

Dean Reilly - Bass

From the back cover: Off and on during the fall and winter of 1955 the hungry i (all lower-case, it's Bohemia!), a San Francisco night club offered its patrons modern jazz by the Vince Guaraldi Trio.

The hungry i is one of those downstairs clubs where the customers are as entertaining as the acts and the management is more entertaining than both. However, in 1955 it had blossomed forth as one of the top attractions on the tourist circle in San Francisco and as the crowds lined up to enter the main room to catch Mort Sahl, Prof. Irwin Corey or whatever wild wit was currently holding forth, they were beguiled by the music of Vincent Anthony Guaraldi in an adjunct of the foyer called "The Outer Room."

Vince and his guitar-playing friend, Eddie Duran, grew up together in San Fransisco and have worked all kinds of jobs over the years until now they have an instinctive mutual musical mind reading act. Dean Reilly, a comparative newcomer to the Bay Area, has in a few years established himself as one of the better, if not the best, modern bassist in the area.

At the hungry i, Guaraldi and company had no restrictions on what they played. Part of the time, they were on their own and the hungry i gradually attracted a number of jazz fans who were there solely to hear Guaraldi and Duran make modern music. Early in 1956, Guaraldi left San Fransisco to join Woody Herman as pianist with the Third Herd, talking over from Nat Pierce.

In the spring, while home on a vacation from the Herman band, Vince reassembled the Trio for this album. Already the recipient of considerable critical praise for his work with Herman, it seems likely that this album will further enhance his stature.

From Billboard - September 29, 1956: Altho sales are unlikely to be spectacular, this is one of the pleasant surprises of the month. Guaraldi is a young San Francisco pianist who has been getting rave notices with the Woody Herman band. Evidence here says he's a tasteful, authoritative and facile modernist, and that he swings. Further, he has a sense of humor. Guitarist Eddie Duran and bassist Dean Reilly are worthy colleagues. Try their version of John Lewis' Django for a real delight.

Django

Fenwyck Farfel

Never Never Land

Chelsea Bridge

Fascinatin' Rhythm

The Lady's In Love With You

Sweet And Lovely

Ossobucco

Three Coins In A Fountain

It's Delovely