Vince Guaraldi: A Charlie Brown Christmas
A beloved (and rightly so) half-hour parable about the meaning of the holidays featuring the Peanuts gang, Guaraldi's music plays a pivotal role in etching A Charlie Brown Christmas into the brains of those who love the series. The ballad "Christmas Time Is Here" sounds while Charlie Brown laments finding his mailbox without even one Christmas card; the driving rhythm of "Christmas is Coming" while Charlie enters the local school auditorium to direct a seasonal play; the finger-snapping "O Tannenbaum" while Charlie and Linus search for the perfect tree. While not all the music featured in the special is found on Fantasy's 1988 compact disc reissue, the most memorable numbers are included, along with a couple of additional performances by Guaraldi and his trio of Monty Budwig on bass and drummer Colin Bailey.
The centrepiece of the album is "Christmas Time Is Here," which has become a seasonal standard. While the vocal version with a children's chorus is nice, the instrumental take is quite a bit better, particularly the moving conclusion where Guaraldi gently flutters over the keyboard. Guaraldi goes for a tougher approach for "Linus and Lucy" (pretty much the Peanuts theme song) as well as "Christmas Is Coming" and "Skating," which all have him crafting memorable themes using simple riffs. The swing generated by Guaraldi's trio is best heard in "O Tannenbaum," which locks into a loose jazz groove after a solo introduction by the pianist.
Guaraldi's soundtrack album to A Charlie Brown Christmas offers the best of both worlds. It is accessible enough to delight the non-jazz fan, yet full of enough improvisation to appeal to the serious jazz buff. The recording places Guaraldi in rarefied company and ensures that his music will continue to delight many throughout the Christmas season.
Track Listing
1. O Tannenbaum 5:08 2. What Child Is This? 2:25 3. My Little Drum 3:12 4. Linus and Lucy 3:06 5. Christmas Time Is Here 6:05 6. Christmas Time Is Here 2:47 7. Skating 2:27 8. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing 1:55 9. Christmas Is Coming 3:25 10. F?r Elise 1:06 11. The Christmas Song 3:17 12. Greensleeves 5:26
Personnel
Vince Guaraldi—piano; Jerry Granelli—drums; Colin Bailey—drums; Monty Budwig—bass; Fred Marshall—bass.
Album information
Title: A Charlie Brown Christmas | Year Released: 2015 | Record Label: Fantasy Jazz
Post a comment about this album
FOR THE LOVE OF JAZZ
All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.
WE NEED YOUR HELP
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
Tags
Showcase
Contest Giveaway
