Vince & Bola

Pianist Vince Guaraldi is best known for his musical accompaniment to Charles Schulz's Peanuts cartoons, but he was also a successful jazz pianist until his death in 1976. Brazilian guitarist Bola Sete was a star in the bossa nova movement of the '60s who fell into obscurity before being embraced by the New Age crowd in the '80s. This reissue combines the pair's first collaboration, Vince Guaraldi & Bola Sete and Friends (from 1963), and their third and final collaboration, Live at El Matador (from 1966), on one 73-minute disc. Their light mix of bossa nova and bop jazz landed these songs in lounges across America back in the day--now they provide a snapshot of the '60s club scene as well as a greater spotlight on Sete's style, which gets generous attention on the fantastic '66 date, Bola Sete at the Monterey Jazz Festival. Guaraldi fans used to hearing his trio will find Sete's guitar to be a fine addition to the pianist's sound. Two sides of the same coin, the playing on Friends is tighter and moodier, while the live album shows the two stretching out in the traditional jazz sense. --Tad Hendrickson