Editing Vince Guaraldi (section)

===Collaborations and early albums=== 
Guaraldi made his debut as a bandleader in August 1955 during a live session at the [[Black Hawk (nightclub)|Black Hawk]], where he recorded original compositions "Ginza" and "Calling Dr. Funk". These tracks were included in ''[[Modern Music from San Francisco]]'', released by [[Fantasy Records]] in March 1956. Impressed with his work, Fantasy offered Guaraldi an exclusive contract, leading to the release of his first album, ''[[Vince Guaraldi Trio (album)|Vince Guaraldi Trio]]'', which featured Duran and Reilly but no drummer. Concurrently, he toured with [[Woody Herman#"The Four Brothers Band" and more Herds, 1947–1969|Woody Herman's Third Herd]], delivering dynamic performances that contrasted with his more subdued recordings.<ref name="Bangtimeline56">{{cite web |url= http://www.fivecentsplease.org/dpb/VinceGuaralditimeline.html#1956 |title= Vince Guaraldi Timeline: 1956 |last= Bang |first=Derrick |website=FiveCentsPlease.org |publisher= Derrick Bang, Scott McGuire |access-date= 5 March 2021 |quote=}}</ref>  

Reuniting with Tjader in 1956, Guaraldi became a key member of two of the vibraphonist's ensembles. The first, focused on straight-ahead jazz, featured Al Torre (drums), Eugene Wright (bass), and Luis Kant (percussion). The second, formed in 1958, incorporated Latin influences and included [[Al McKibbon]] (bass), [[Mongo Santamaría]] (congas), [[Willie Bobo]] (drums), and reed players [[Paul Horn (musician)|Paul Horn]] and José "Chombo" Silva for select performances.{{sfn|Bang|2012|p=55}}{{sfn|Bang|2012|p=77}} 

Guaraldi recorded his second album, ''[[A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing]]'', in April 1957, again with Duran and Reilly but without a drummer. Released in October 1957, the album struggled commercially, leading Fantasy Records to drop him.<ref name="Bangtimeline58">{{cite web |url= http://www.fivecentsplease.org/dpb/VinceGuaralditimeline.html#1958 |title= Vince Guaraldi Timeline: 1958 |last= Bang |first=Derrick |website= FiveCentsPlease.org |publisher= Derrick Bang, Scott McGuire |access-date= 5 March 2021 |quote=}}</ref>