A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing
A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing is the second studio album by American jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi (credited to the Vince Guaraldi Trio), released in the US by Fantasy Records in April 1958.
| A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 1958 | |||
| Recorded | April 16, 1957 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 34:40 | |||
| Label | Fantasy | |||
| Vince Guaraldi chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Five Cents Please | |
Background
A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing exhibits the trio's growth from the safer jazz style played in their self-titled album Vince Guaraldi Trio. Guaraldi employed the same musicians as he did for his debut album; guitarist Eddie Duran and bassist Dean Reilly. Guaraldi began exploring his personal style on the piano with these tracks before becoming recognized as a great jazz pianist in his following album Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus (1962).[3]
Critical reception
Guaraldi historian and author Derrick Bang ranks the album as one of the pianist's "prettiest," adding that it is "gentle and lyrical, as befits a collective theme that revolves around flora and changing seasons."[2] AllMusic critic Scott Yanow said the album is one of Guaraldi's "better sets", adding that the pianist "plays...tastefully and with light swing, making this a program that is equally successful as both cool jazz and background music."[1]
Track listing
The following track listing is for the original 1958 vinyl release.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing" | Billy Strayhorn | 5:37 |
| 2. | "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise" | Oscar Hammerstein II, Sigmund Romberg | 3:28 |
| 3. | "Yesterdays" | Jerome Kern | 4:00 |
| 4. | "Like a Mighty Rose" (aka "Room at the Bottom"[2]) | Vince Guaraldi | 4:30 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Looking for a Boy" | George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin | 4:06 |
| 2. | "Autumn Leaves" | Joseph Kosma | 4:22 |
| 3. | "Lonely Girl" | Bobby Troup | 3:23 |
| 4. | "Willow Weep for Me" | Ann Ronell | 5:14 |
| Total length: | 34:40 | ||
Personnel
The Vince Guaraldi Trio
- Vince Guaraldi – piano
- Eddie Duran – guitar
- Dean Reilly – double bass
External links
- A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing at Discogs (list of releases)
References
- Yanow, Scott. "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing". AllMusic. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
- Bang, Derrick. "Vince Guaraldi on LP and CD: A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing". fivecentsplease.org. Derrick Bang, Scott McGuire. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing" Archived December 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Fantasy Records. Retrieved June 25, 2011.