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Vince Guaraldi: It's The Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown!
ByIt is a varied set that includes a funky grinder ("Snoopy and Woodstock") featuring Guaraldi on fuzz guitars, a "Cast Your Fate to the Wind"-style piano pop tune ("Woodstock's Dream"), an electric harpsichord-driven soul groover ("Woodstock's Pad") and the requisite short arrangements of "Linus and Lucy," the best of which is "Salting Eggs/Linus and Lucy (4th Reprise)." There is also an audio Easter egg in the form of "Woodstock Medley," a 2021 recording from Wally Heider Studios. featuring pianist and Guaraldi fan David Benoit mashing up a variety of '70s Peanuts themes alongside McCain and former Guaraldi drummer Mike Clark.
While plenty of the short cues here conjure up the kind of jovial jazz that Guaraldi was already famous for prior to his first association with the Peanuts empire in 1964, It's The Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown! features one of the more diverse soundtracks in the canon. In addition to those tracks that explore the pop and soul styles of the day, there are interesting adaptations of excerpts from two movements of Beethoven's 7th symphony, featuring the flute of Robert Claire. The Benoit bonus track may seem like filler, padding out an admittedly short album, but it is not. In addition to this special's "Woodstock's Dream," the medley combines many favorite themes from other specials, such as "Little Birdie" and the "Thanksgiving Theme," and fits in perfectly with Guaraldi's original 25 cues. Benoit's use of both acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes and McCain's familiar bass playing ensure the musical throughline of this set and round out the album on a high note.
Between the standard release limited Easter Purple 12" and egg-shaped 10" vinyl editions found only in independent record stores for Record Store Day, and the television special itself now streaming on Apple TV+, there are many ways for Peanuts and Guaraldi fans to celebrate the season with It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown.
Track Listing
Peppermint Patty; Easter Theme / Easter Theme (Reprise); Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 2 No. 3 - I. Allegro con brio; Snoopy and Woodstock; Linus and Lucy; Woodstock's Dream; Snoopy's Gumballs / Sally and Linus; Woodstock's Dream (Reprise); Marcie's Song (Kitchen Music); Linus and Lucy (Reprise); Woodstock's Pad; Woodstock's Dream (2nd Reprise); Music Box Dance (Minuet in G Major, BWV Anh. 116); Woodstock's Dream (3rd Reprise); Easter Egg Soup (Kitchen Music 2); Linus and Lucy (2nd Reprise) / Linus and Lucy (3rd Reprise); Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 - II. Allegretto; Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 - I. Poco sostenuto - Vivace; Salting Eggs / Linus and Lucy (4th Reprise); Woodstock Medley (Woodstock's Wake-Up / Little Birdie / Woodstock's Dream / Thanksgiving Theme / Little Birdie [Reprise]).
Personnel
Vince Guaraldi
pianoSeward McCain
bassEliot Zigmund
drumsGlenn Cronkhite
drumsRobert Claire
fluteDavid Benoit
pianoMike Clark
drumsAlbum information
Title: It's The Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown! | Year Released: 2025 | Record Label: Lee Mendelson Film Productions
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