Jazz Goes to the Cathedral

We explore a little-known jazz story: Vince Guaraldi composed and performed a mass! We talk with Derrick Bang, his biographer, about the creation of this music. It was presented at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, in May 1965. It’s an extraordinary story and we’re glad to tell it.

Want to hear the mass? The highlights were recorded by Fantasy Records, and you can obtain that recording by clicking here. (The MP3 files are more readily available than the CD or LP.)

To learn more about Derrick’s connection to Vince Guaraldi, visit his page at  http://fivecentsplease.org/dpb/guaraldi.html

Want to learn more about our 50th anniversary celebration at Grace Cathedral in 2015? Derrick has a lengthy series of accounts listed below:  

• http://impressionsofvince.blogspot.com/2015/06/mass-appeal-chapter-2.html. 
• http://impressionsofvince.blogspot.com/2015/07/mass-appeal-chapter-3.html
• http://impressionsofvince.blogspot.com/2015/08/mass-appeal-chapter-4.html
• http://impressionsofvince.blogspot.com/2015/08/an-afternoon-of-grace.html
• http://impressionsofvince.blogspot.com/2015/08/mass-appeal-chapter-5.html http://impressionsofvince.blogspot.com/2015/09/east-coast-grace.html

And we suggest subscribing to blog of All Things Guaraldi at http://impressionsofvince.blogspot.com/

You can get your own copy of Vince Guaraldi at the Piano by clicking here on Amazon or clicking here for the publisher’s page. We have additional material of our conversation with Derrick which we will release as a bonus podcast in the future.

Featured music:

“Blues in F,” performed by Bill Carter with the Jim Martinez Trio at the 50th anniversary of the Guaraldi Mass, Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, accompanied by the Jim Martinez trio. Music is unreleased. © Presbybop Music.

Theme music: "All Thumbs" from Faith in a New Key, Bill Carter and the Presbybop Quartet
Music used by permission from Presbybop Music (BMI)
Announcer: Chris Norton
(c) Presbybop Music