Excerpts from: Music to be heard and seen

By Jonathan Weiss | Thu, Jul 29 2010 01:18 PM

One of the enduring qualities of the Peanuts animated franchise is the music of jazz pianist and composer Vince Guaraldi, with his light and airy touch at the piano and compositional gift for memorable and emotive melodies, continues to delight music lovers of all ages.  Even before the success of the Peanuts, Guaraldi recorded a B-side in 1963 called Cast Your Fate to the Wind, which became a minor chart success in the days when less-formatted Top 40 radio stations could play a jazz tune next to a pop song next to a soul track.

That same year, Guaraldi and jazz critic/co-founder of Rolling Stone magazine, Ralph J. Gleason collaborated on a film that offered a unique perspective on Cast Your Fate to the Wind, which crossed over from the jazz world to the pop charts and influenced the next generation of American music. Unavailable for 40 years, this rare footage has been restored in high-definition and fully expanded to continue Guaraldi’s story through the 1960s and 70s, and will premier in Los Angeles this Sunday, Aug 1.

The film, presented by jazz impresario Ruth Price and her Jazz Bakery Movable Feast series, will take place at the historic Silent Movie Theater in the Fairfax District.  The film will be shown at 3:30 p.m., with a Q & A conducted by noted film critic and historian, Leonard Maltin. Tickets are $20, which includes a wine reception beginning at 3 p.m.