Song of the Day 12/9: Vince Guaraldi Trio, “Cast Your Fate to the Wind”

Donald Trump’s War on Wind – a particularly stupid fixation given AI’s soaring demand for electricity – suffered a setback yesterday. A federal judge ruled his abrupt cancellation of all wind power projects was “arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law.” As if that would ever stop him.

I’m sure his amateur-grade lawyers will take this to the Supreme Court, and if Trump is still alive by the time the Fixed Six address it they’ll give him what he wants. Still, I have to think that this is one of several policies – tariffs top the list – that will disappear once Trump joins the choir invisible, for the simple reason that they’re bad for business.

Our 12 Days of Christmas Songs doesn’t start until Sunday, but this song makes a good precursor. Vince Guaraldi’s composition appeared on his 1962 Latin-influenced album “Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus,” and was originally released as the B-side. DJs knew a hit when they heard one, and the instrumental spent 19 weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100, peaking at No. 22.

Lee Mendelson was driving across the Golden Gate Bridge when he heard it on the radio and thought it would be perfect for a documentary he was producing about Peanuts cartoonist Charles Schulz. That project fell through, but Mendelson tapped Guaraldi again to score the enduring Christmas special and even more enduring album that followed.

It wasn’t long before lyrics were written to accompany Guaraldi’s tune, opening it up for vocalists, starting with Mel Tormé. Johnny Rivers gave it some rock flavor and a showier production a few years later.

BTW, this was the A-side to “Cast Your Fate to the Wind,” Guaraldi’s improvisation based on “Samba de Orpheus,” from Brazilian guitarist Luiz Bonfá’s score for the 1959 film “Black Orpheus.”