Live at El Matador

Live at El Matador is a live performance album by pianist Vince Guaraldi and guitarist Bola Sete, released in October 1966 by Fantasy Records. It is their third and final recorded collaboration as well as Guaraldi's last release for Fantasy.

In 2000, it was issued on CD coupled with Vince Guaraldi, Bola Sete and Friends (1964) as Vince & Bola.

Background
Live at El Matador is a condensed version of a live performance that Guaraldi and Sete regularly presented at this point in their collaboration. Guaraldi and his trio performed their set first, followed by a solo performance from Sete, and then concluded with Guaraldi's trio rejoining Sete for a joint finale. Live at El Matador contains the first and third segments of a performance, excising Sete's solo set. The original vinyl release contained Guaraldi's opening set on Side One and the concluding Guaraldi/Sete set on Side Two.

Despite Live at El Matador being a live album, Fantasy Record engineers faded several selections rather than letting them naturally conclude with audience applause. Guaraldi historian and author Derrick Bang commented that this "results in some jarringly abrupt fades, most disturbingly on 'I'm a Loser'."

Personnel
Credits adapted from rear cover of original 1966 vinyl release.
 * Bola Sete – guitar (Tracks 6, 7)


 * Vince Guaraldi Trio
 * Vince Guaraldi – piano
 * Tom Beeson – double bass
 * Lee Charlton – drums


 * Additional
 * Wally Heider – mastering
 * Fred Schill – design
 * James Easton – sound engineer
 * Jack Engelman – liner notes