I first met Vince's son David, and his family, at an all-Guaraldi concert George Winston gave in November 1998, in Santa Rosa. David's group included his grandmother — yep, Vince's mother — and I walked her back to their car, when the evening concluded. She held my arm like a cultured lady at a society dance. So close, I reflect, so close ... but that was years before I decided to write my book.
Vince's ex-wife, Shirley, also died before I ever had a chance to meet her. As far as I know, she never was interviewed formally about their years together. That may have been by choice; she's not mentioned at all in Bob Deorchuck's excellent Guaraldi profile in the July 1981 issue of Keyboard Magazine — which definitely is worth seeking out, for those who've not read it — and there's no evidence she attended any of the annual Guaraldi reunion concerts at the Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society, for as long as they lasted.
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| Gretchen Glanzer and friend. She modeled for Lilli Ann during her early years with Vince, and therefore knew how to "sell" a photo. Many of Guaraldi's LP covers are droll, but this definitely is the best. (Photo by Charles Weckler) |
But I sure wish I'd met her in person.
I therefore was quite pleased to receive a note from a gentleman named Brian McCormack, who thought I'd enjoy hearing a little story he had to tell. He thought correctly; he also agreed to share his anecdote in this wider forum. Take it away, Brian:
I've been a huge fan of Vince Guaraldi since I was a child, and have enjoyed playing his music on the piano for many years now.
On Labor Day weekend in September 2007, I was visiting two friends — Rob and Ted — in Morro Bay, California. We're all landscape architects, and a larger bunch of us got together one evening to drink wine at Rob's house, and enjoy the charm of his family and his small California coastal town. Some of us had worked together at the same landscape architectural firm in Southern California in the 1980s, while others had graduated together from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Rob, Ted and I drove to nearby Los Osos the following morning, to Celia's Garden Café, a locally owned coffee shop. We sat outside to enjoy our lattes and scones, and two very cool ladies about my Mom's age sat next to us. We all started talking; we explained about being landscape architects, and how most of us had started our own firms, and that the weekend was a reunion of sorts for us. The ladies were quite interested in our work, and I'm pretty sure we gave them our business cards.
We also talked about my heritage, as I'm a member of Idaho's Nez Perce Tribe. (Later that day, Rob took Ted and me on a hike to visit some local Indian archaeological sites along the California coastline.)
Eventually, we got around to asking the ladies about their professions.
One of them told us that she once was a concert promoter for Bill Graham in the Bay Area, and that she had toured with the Grateful Dead and other 1960s and '70s-era rock bands. She talked about some of the bands that she had managed. One in particular was Jefferson Airplane and Grace Slick. I was a huge fan of their music, and we talked about how I liked playing some of Jefferson Airplane's music on the piano. (I also was a piano major in college.)
She also mentioned having lived with Vince Guaraldi. She was surprised when I told her I loved his music.
I always think of this lady whenever I play any of Vince's pieces on the piano. (My favorite is "Manha de Carnaval.") I didn't get her name that day, and only learned that it was Gretchen after visiting this blog. I was hoping to run into her again during my next visit to Los Osos, but was sad to read in the Lost Live Dead blog that she had died in 2009. My condolences to her family and friends.
That was a memorable Labor Day weekend for me, to say the least.
By all accounts, Gretchen charmed everybody she met, and that certainly seems to have been the case here. I envy your chance encounter, Brian, and I'm grateful you got in touch.
It would be nice, one day, to hear you play "Manha de Carnaval."
Photo credit goes to Charles Weckler. This was photographed in Sausalito in the basement of our house where my Dad had his studio and darkroom.
ReplyDeleteI am a huge fan of your Dad Charles Weckler's work..is there a page or any publication of his photographs?
DeleteGreat story as my dad and Gretchen were first cousins growing up together in Dinuba, CA. Gretchen was an incredible and fascinating woman and I feel like I missed out by not sitting and talking with her more before she passed of cancer. She went to a book signing of mine in San Luis Obispo in 2008 then passed away the next year. I picked up the piano but never once talked about her and Vince. Missed opportunity for sure.
ReplyDeleteI just came across this blog. Gretchen was one of my mother's best friends in San Francisco. When I was a young teenager, I remember visiting Gretchen when she was working for Bill Graham and his Shady Management firm. Her office was above the Quartz and Pints Liquor Store at the corner of Fillmore and Union St. in San Francisco. She was dating Vince Guaraldi at that time. One day, I was in the office with her when Vince came up for a quick visit. He must have been there for only a couple of minutes before he left. A couple of minutes later, he came back up to the office all freaked out because someone had just stolen his Porsche, which he had parked right in front of the building on Union St. He had only been away from the car for a couple of minutes.
ReplyDeleteI remember Gretchen as someone who could handle anything you threw at her. That was especially true in the way she would handle the band members from groups like The Grateful Dead and Santana, to name just two of the many groups. She was a take no prisoners type of person and I always admired her for that.
I remember going to multiple dinners at the famous Vanessi's, on Broadway (now gone), with my mother and Gretchen and how she loved their garlic bread. When my mother passed away, ironically also from cancer, at the age of 61, Gretchen was there at the funeral and she was especially comforting.
Gretchen was one of those rare individuals that left a lasting impression on anyone who know her. I can attest to that as I had not seen her in many years but remember her presence as if it was yesterday. I was saddened to see that she had passed, also at a relatively young age, from the same disease that took my mother.
I've been a diehard Guaraldi fan for years. I don't know how I never stumbled on to this site but I am really enjoying the stories and all of your comments. Seems lightyears away for a guy from Illinois who was just a child when Vince passed. Thanks for all of your input. I just wish we had more video or audio performances of him.
ReplyDeleteByron, thanks for the kind words. You're right; there isn't much actual video footage, but we do have a few. YouTube will pull up the two "Jazz Casual" episodes, and a few more exist beyond that. A full list (as far as I know) can be found in the videography of my Guaraldi bio.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a clue as to how I found this site. But, I'm so glad that I did. I am from Alabama and I grew up watching and listening to Vince's music on the Peanuts specials. For me, the holiday season just isn't the same without his unique sound. I began searching for any information about Vince a few years ago. The path that eventually led me to this site began a few months ago when I was in an old record antique store. There I found a copy of the Grateful Dead album "Aoxomoxoa". On the back cover, is a photo that contains several people. Some of which are the band members. However, towards the back of the photo, is an individual next to a horse and a woman in front of him with flowers next to her face. Upon investigating, I discovered that the man was non other than Vince Guaraldi and the woman was Gretchen Glanzer. It's been a real pleasure listening to the stories on this site. Hopefully, there will be more. Thank You.
ReplyDeleteI actually became friends with Gretchen in the last few years of her life. She moved to Los Osos CA and became part of our little circle of bohemians at our cafe, Copa de Oro. She was a wonderful person I spent hours upon hours in her living room passing a pipe, listening to her stories about Vince, The Dead, and so much more as she let me goof around on Vince’s piano that sat in her living room. I was just thinking of her today and looked her up, which is how I came across this post. Here’s to Gretchen
ReplyDeleteI’m the early 60s I worked for Mel Belli the (in)famous lawyer with offices at 722 Montgomery Street, next door to Doro’s restaurant. It was there I met Gretchen (then) Glanzer, who was working there as the receptionist. We became close friends and even roommates with an apartment on Taylor Street on Nob Hill—all very exciting for a couple of 20 something’s! We were both big music fans & Gretchen branched out as a manager after meeting Vince (Guaraldi), who opened that door for her. She was a beautiful, intelligent and very talented woman. Especially since she came from Dinuba down in the valley and had very strict religious upbringing— very close to that of the Quakers. I’m so happy to have had her in my life!
ReplyDeleteGretchen gave me a place to live on Castro Street. Then we moved to 666 Noe. Vince would come over often and he was, without a doubt, the funniest person I've ever met. She got me into the music business when she was managing Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks, later Dave Mason. I lost track of her for many years and found her living in Dinuba with Kaja. I helped them move to Los Osos and had so many fine times with the occasional Scorpio Stings from "The Mighty G...the one we just had to be around". Tomorrow will be her 82nd birthday. I'm pretty sure she would've hated being old. I treasure my memories of her, all her pets, gardens, long conversations on the phone, food and intelligence. Cheers! (formerly) Cya
ReplyDeleteCinthia ... how marvelous to see this! And what great memories! Please send me your email address; mine is linked toward the bottom of the right-hand column. I look forward to hearing more from you.
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