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Vince Guaraldi: Oaxaca
ByPowered by a rhythm section well versed in providing a driving rock beat, Guaraldi and multi-instrumentalist Vince Denham tear through a selection of rock tunes. Armed with an arsenal of electronic devices, they turn "You Can't Always Get What You Want" into a ferocious squall, yet display a gentler touch on "Something." It's a testament to Guaraldi's abilities as a musician that all this works as well as it does, and his treatments of these relatively new songs show a skill at interpretation that was never quite apparent in his early days as a pianist dealing with standards. It should come as no surprise that Guaraldi is still capable of crafting amazingly catchy melodies, and the title track is one of his finest.
Although many will prefer the whimsical musicality of Guaraldi's Peanuts work, Oaxaca makes the claim that Guaraldi could work successfully in a variety of settings. David Guaraldi is dedicated to getting his father's unreleased work into circulation, starting with last years' release of The Charlie Brown Suite. Oaxaca is an interesting second choice, but no doubt Guaraldi's fans, who are probably the main target for this reissue, will have this to tide them over until Alma-Ville gets reissued.
Track Listing
1. Charlie Brown Blues 2. Oaxaca 3. We've Only Just Begun 4. You Can't Always Get What You Want 5. Something 6. You're A Good Sport, Charlie Brown 7. Watch What Happens 8. You Never Give Me Your Money 9. Oaxaca (alternate take).
Personnel
Vince Guaraldi
pianoVince Guaraldi - piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B-3, clavinet; Mike Clark - drums; Koji - bass; Vince Denham - saxophone, flute.
Album information
Title: Oaxaca | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Self Produced
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