Vince Guaraldi: A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Just in time for Thanksgiving, the people at Lee Mendelson films are serving up a fresh take on some old favorites. The soundtrack to a A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving has been released for the first time, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the special.

Vince Guaraldi's voice is the first sound on the album. "Okay, well, did ya get that last one? This is cue one," as it swings into "Charlie Brown Blues." It is a good introduction to the "behind the scenes feel" of the release. Hearing the musicians talk to each other helps listeners feel like they are in the studio listening to various takes—like one of the gang, which might be the appeal of the cartoons as well as the music.

Tom Harrell wrote the brass arrangements and sounds terrific on trumpet. Seward McCain plays electric bass and Chuck Bennett plays trombone. Each musician shines during extended cuts. The release comes in at 37 minutes, and features 21 tracks.

Sean Mendelson, the son of Lee Mendelson and co-producer of the album, speaking on the WCB Jazz Vinyl Collector YouTube channel said this is more than background music. "They are little nuggets of melodic candy," Mendelson said. "There's enough musical meat here to keep everyone happy and remind them of their childhood."

Unlike the Christmas album, the Thanksgiving special soundtrack was never recorded as a traditional album, so the release might sound a little choppy at times. On the other animated hand, the creative process is fully displayed here through multiple takes of various tracks. It is more evident than ever that Guaraldi and his band did not take this music lightly even when they were having fun.

An experimental spirit seems to guide the entire session. On "Little Birdie" Guaraldi sings; he whistles on another track. Guaraldi even tries playing guitar on a track. This version of "Linus and Lucy" has additional horns and a counter melody and is different enough to warrant another listen. The band had fun making the music and it is fun to listen to.

"Thanksgiving Interlude" appears several times. On track 11, it sounds like a hip-hop remix, with a pushed tempo and strong rhythm track at the top of the mix. It would have been interesting to hear this version go much longer. It would be interesting to hear what a rapper would do with the track.

Some of the longer tracks sound great as stand-alone songs. The "Fife and Drum" theme is an exception, sounding like it was written for a specific scene to push a narrative along. Of course, some cues work great for their intended purpose, providing a transition in the storytelling, but they work better as curiosities than full songs. Three cues of the "Thanksgiving Interlude" in a row might be tiring for people looking for a traditional listening experience, but completists will like the attention to detail. "Is it James or Charlie Bonus Track with Whistling" really swings over the familiar chords. It might be some of the most effective whistling ever recorded. "Clark or Guaraldi" finishes off the album with a series of false starts but once it settles in the organ and bass track grooves until an abrupt ending. Just as the album started, this track reinforces the insider feel. It gives the listener the impression of standing over to the side watching and listening to these musicians at work.

Jazz fans might not appreciate the short cues, but that brevity might have been the secret to the widespread appeal of this music. While the cartoon seems timeless, some of these tracks sound like they could have only been created in the early 1970s. Guaraldi was in his forties while working on this album, but he surrounded himself with musicians in their twenties, so the album was very much of its time. Perhaps influenced by Stevie Wonder, he laid down some funky clavinet on this version of "Peppermint Patti" and used multi-layer techniques popularized by fusion.

The remix did a nice job of brightening up the sound. Produced by Sean and Jason Mendelson, re-mixed by Terry Carleton, and restored and mastered by Vinson Hudson, it sounds great. Much like seeing a digitally restored version of the cartoon after watching a faded version for a decade, listening to this new release will renew the sense of joy this music and its cartoon stars have provided over the last 50 years. This album might not appeal to jazz purists, but they probably saw the cartoon dog and bird on the cover and decided to move on. For those who check-in, it is plenty of fun. It might not be an album to sit through all at once, but there are gems all the way through.

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