The Song Of The Snowbird

A good friend of mine is a semi-snowbird.

As I understand the term “snowbird”, it applies to a Northerner who maintains a home in Florida and spends the entire Winter there soaking up the sun. My friend has the house but just uses it periodically, hence the “semi”. In any case, I have to admit that the approach of cold weather makes me (along with a lot of other people) envy him a little, and dream about getting away to warm and exotic places.

It’s the kind of feeling that probably had a lot to do with the popularity of a certain Sixties song, recorded by a group known as Sounds Orchestral. It was a British studio ensemble put together by a record company and fronted by pianist John Pearson, drummer Kenny Clare, and bassist Tony Reeves. They recorded a tune that had been written by respected jazz pianist and composer Vince Guaraldi, who had recorded it himself a couple of years earlier and had won a Grammy for Best Original Jazz Composition. However, it would be Sounds Orchestral’s 1965 version of “Cast Your Fate To the Wind” that would hit the charts in a big way.

After the success of that song, Sounds Orchestral continued to record for a few years but never had another record approach the success of their big one. Eventually they all went their separate ways, although they did try comebacks from time to time through the years.

Guaraldi died in 1976, just 47 years old. He’s remembered as a talented artist and composer, not only for the ultimate snowbird song and other jazz work, but also as the man behind much of the delightful soundtrack music for Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang.