''In Person'' (also known as ''Vince Guaraldi "In Person"'') is a live performance album by jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi, released in the U.S. on June 10, 1963 on Fantasy Records. It was released as a follow-up to his album '' Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus'' which featured the surprise hit song "

Cast Your Fate to the Wind "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" is an American jazz instrumental selection by Vince Guaraldi; later, a lyric was written by Carel Werber. It won a Grammy Award for Best Original Jazz Composition in 1963. It was included on the album ''Jazz Impress ...

". The concert was recorded live at The Trident Jazz Club in Sausalito, California, on December 4, 1962.

Reception

Contemporary

'' Cashbox'' magazine cited the single "Zelao"/"Jitterbug Waltz" from ''In Person'' as a Best Bet: "Vince Guaraldi, who scored last time out with 'Cast Your Fate to the Winds' ic could duplicate that success with this top-flight bossa nova follow-up stanza. The tune is a contagious, easy-going lyrical ballad with a danceable, rapidly-changing beat." In the album's liner notes,

Ralph J. Gleason Ralph Joseph Gleason (March 1, 1917 – June 3, 1975) was an American music critic and columnist. He contributed for many years to the ''San Francisco Chronicle'', was a founding editor of ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, and cofounder of the Monterey ...

praised Guaraldi's performance style, noting, "What Vince has got in his playing is feeling. This is a quality that money can't buy, practice cannot make perfect and technique tends to defeat rather than enhance. Vince sings when he plays. I don't mean he grunts or hums or even makes a noise at all. I mean his fingers sing, the music sings, and he writhes and twists on the piano stool like a balancing act in the circus."Gleason, Ralph J.; Liner notes for ''In Person'' The ''

DownBeat ' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chi ...

'' critic agreed: "In a period when there seems to be a plethora of bland, sound-alike jazz pianists, Guaraldi is a refreshing relief. ehas an exceptional knack for catching and projecting the spirit of a tune, for finding the essence of the piece, and bringing strength and validity to his exposition of it. This is honest piano playing, with no phoney soul, no gimmicks, no pretense. It's a rare quality to find on a record these days."

Retrospective

AllMusic critic Richard S. Ginell called ''In Person'' "a defining album for Guaraldi in his natural habitat" (a jazz club setting), adding that the album captures the musician "at his most winning." ''Why It Matters'' blogger James Stafford cited ''In Person'' as capturing "the pianist in that brief moment when he was enjoying his first great national success with 'Cast Your Fate To the Wind' but hadn’t yet been transformed into a household name by ''Peanuts''. It’s a beautiful record, filled with blues, bebop, and bossa nova, but for sheer plaster-a-smile-on-your-face delight nothing beats his take on the Mediterranean traditional song ' Misirlou'."

Track listing

Personnel

;Vince Guaraldi Quintet * Vince Guaraldi – piano * Eddie Duran – guitars * Fred Marshall – double bass * Colin Bailey – drums * Benny Valarde –

güiro The güiro () is a Puerto Rican percussion instrument consisting of an open-ended, hollow gourd with parallel notches cut in one side. It is played by rubbing a stick or tines (see photo) along the notches to produce a ratchet sound. The güiro ...

;Additional: *

– liner notes

Release history

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:In Person (Vince Guaraldi album) 1963 live albums Albums arranged by Vince Guaraldi Fantasy Records live albums Vince Guaraldi albums Vince Guaraldi live albums