Vince Guaraldi had his own style of jazz by the time he ran into the Peanuts gang. His cheerful piano, plucky bass and steady, easy-does-it brush drumming with slight Latin overtones were mellow, cool ...

When television producer Lee Mendelson heard jazz pianist/composer Vince Guaraldi's hit single "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" on his car radio, he thought he had found the right composer for the ...