Sunday, December 10, 2017

Swinging holiday Juice

Way back in the day — seven years before A Charlie Brown Christmas debuted — Henry Mancini’s groundbreaking jazz soundtrack album for the TV series Peter Gunn was quite the rage. It spent well over a year on Billboard’s Top LPs chart, won two Grammy Awards — Album of the Year, and Best Arrangement — and prompted Mancini to release a sequel, More Music from Peter Gunn, later that same year. Both LPs were so popular that they spawned a unique cottage industry, when other jazz stars — most notably Shelly Manne, Ted Nash, Joe Wilder, Ray Ellis and Pete Candoli — covered the entire album.

Flash forward half a century, and Guaraldi’s equally iconic 1965 soundtrack for A Charlie Brown Christmas has garnered the same attention. It actually started with Cyrus Chestnut’s 2000 album of the same title, and more recently has included releases by the Eric Byrd Trio (2009) and The Ornaments (2011). Jazz pianists David Benoit and Jim Martinez also have covered the entire album over time, although not all at once, each taking several releases to do so.

Additional examples can be found in this earlier blog post.

To this group we now can add jazz pianist Jose “Juicy” Gonzales, who has presented Charlie Brown Christmas concerts for several years now, in his home town of Seattle, Washington.

Linus and Juicy: A Holiday Album covers almost all of Guaraldi’s score — “What Child Is This”/“Greensleeves” was left behind — along with some apt extras. The versatile Gonzales is ably supported by bassist Michael Marcus and drummer Matt Jorgensen, both of whom get plenty of chances to demonstrate their own chops. The album opens with a ferocious double-time reading of “White Christmas” that positively roars, and offers lively keyboard and bass solos: just a taste of further delights to come.

Given how many hundreds (thousands?) of soloists, combos and bands have covered “Linus and Lucy,” this album’s highlight may well be “Linus and Juicy,” Gonzales’ playful and marvelously unique arrangement of that tune: a wild re-interpretation also highlighted by another of Marcus’ sleek bass solos. The trio’s handling of “Skating” is buoyant and lyrical; “Christmas Is Coming” is aggressively peppy, with a terrific swing bridge dominated by Marcus’ walking bass.

Jorgensen sets an infectious march tempo for “Little Drummer Boy,” adding tasty percussion touches behind Gonzales’ lyrical keyboard noodling; “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” is suitably thoughtful and majestic. Gonzales opens “O Tannenbaum” with gentle solo piano, in a respectful echo of Guaraldi’s arrangement, and then “expands” the tune with some delectable swing that invites a tasty bass solo, which segues to lively byplay between keyboard and drums.

A lengthy, 7-minute arrangement of “Christmas Time Is Here” is properly gentle, offering plenty of lyrical improv by both Gonzales and Marcus. Unexpectedly droll and up-tempo readings of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” and “Silent Night” deliver more sizzle than we generally expect from these two reverential carols.

Gonzales adds enthusiastic but clearly untrained vocals to “The First Noel” and “The Christmas Song,” which may raise eyebrows; although his delivery is heartfelt, Tony Bennett and Harry Connick Jr. have nothing to worry about. But that’s a minor quibble, given the finger-snapping “juice” that characterizes the rest of the album. It’s a must for Guaraldi fans, and can be ordered here.

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BITS AND BOBS

December always unleashes a string of tributes to Guaraldi and A Charlie Brown Christmas, most of which are amateur noodlings from individuals who do little or no research, and add nothing of merit to the discussion. But this year is far better than usual, starting with Ethan Iverson’s scholarly piece in no less than The New Yorker.

Other items of interest:

• Michael G. Williams’ detailed history of Guaraldi, in Tribune

• Charles Mudede’s excellent feature in The Stranger

• A short but delightful new CBC Radio interview with drummer Jerry Granelli

• Matt Draper’s nicely assembled short YouTube documentary about Guaraldi


Wednesday, November 15, 2017

A Jolly Guaraldi Holiday 2017

The holiday season is upon us, and it's once again time to investigate the many Guaraldi-themed concerts taking place, most of which (of course!) are tied in to his music from A Charlie Brown Christmas.

I traced the history and growth of this delightful tradition back in 2012, with a modest schedule that now seems quaint. This new post will serve as a clearinghouse for any and all late 2017 concerts that come to my attention. As always, I'll add to this schedule as new information becomes available, so you'll want to check back frequently.




Our Canadian neighbors once again can enjoy the return of the season's most historic booking. Drummer Jerry Granelli, who worked as a member of Guaraldi's trio in the 1960s, will headline Tales of A Charlie Brown Christmas with his own trio: Simon Fisk (bass) and Chris Gestrin (piano). You'll definitely want to check out this excellent recent interview with Granelli. He began this annual celebration with a few shows in 2013, and the results were quite popular (no surprise there). Two shows have been booked thus far: Saturday, December 2, at Central United Church in Calgary, Alberta; Details; and Sunday, December 10, at the Spatz Theatre in Halifax, Nova Scotia; Details.



Pianist David Benoit has taken the year off in terms of his annual Charlie Brown Christmas show, instead joining forces with saxman Dave Koz for the latter's 20th Anniversary Christmas Tour (coinciding with the release of Koz's new CD, 20th Anniversary Christmas). Koz and Benoit will be joined by trumpeter Rick Braun, acoustic guitarist Peter White, and vocalist Selina Albright. Koz's new album includes "Christmas Time Is Here," and with Benoit on board, you can count on at least a few more Guaraldi numbers. The tour kicks off November 24 in Atlanta, Georgia, with stops in Florida, New York, Ohio, Texas, Arizona, Nevada and several other states, before concluding December 23 in Cerritos, California. Check Benoit's web site for additional information.


Pianist Eric Mintel and his quartet — Nelson Hill, sax and flute; Jack Hegyi, bass; and Dave Mohn, drums — always have a busy schedule, and this year is no different. They're presenting a Charlie Brown Christmas Special November 30 at the Buttonwood Tree, in Middletown, Connecticut (details here); and another one December 21 at the Colonial Theater in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania (details here). The band has numerous gigs in between, as you can see by checking Mintel's web site; unfortunately, he doesn't specify which are Charlie Brown Christmas shows. You'll have to investigate dates in your area.

The Heather Pierson Trio — Pierson on piano; Shawn Nadeau on bass; Craig Bryan on drums — has scheduled a tour of (thus far) six shows devoted to A Charlie Brown Christmas. Most of the shows are in Maine: They kick off December 1 in Auburn, and conclude December 22 in Bangor; with a stop in between in New Hampshire. Check her website for details.


The Cartoon Christmas Trio - Jeff Knoettner, piano; Rob Swanson, bass; Jimmy Coleman, drums - doesn't concentrate solely on music from A Charlie Brown Christmas; they also pepper their performances with tunes from other animated holiday shows, such as Frosty the Snowman and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. (Their album is a kick; give it a listen.) They have several shows scheduled thus far, starting November 22 in Wilmington, Delaware; and concluding December 21, in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Check their website for details.

The Eric Byrd Trio — Byrd, piano and vocals; Bhagwan Khalsa, acoustic bass; Alphonso Young Jr., drums and percussion — also has made a cottage industry of Guaraldi's Christmas music, going so far as to cover most of the album in a 2009 release. Byrd's combo has taken its Charlie Brown Christmas Show on the road during previous years, but this year's tour is limited to seven shows in Washington, D.C., and Maryland, from November 26 through December 21. Check his website for details.

The Ornaments, a jazz trio based in Nashville, Tennessee, is celebrating the 12th anniversary of its Charlie Brown Christmas shows. The combo — Jen Gunderman, piano; James Haggerty, bass; and Martin Lynds, drums — is doing a week's worth of gigs at The Family Wash in East Nashville, with shows each evening from Monday, December 11, through Friday, December 22. An additional kids' show takes place Saturday, December 16, at the Belcourt Theater. Details. (And if you haven't yet picked up the group's spiffy CD cover of Guaraldi's entire Charlie Brown Christmas album, what are you waiting for?)

The San Francisco Symphony once again is getting into the act, with seven performances of A Charlie Brown Christmas — Live between December 21 and 24 at Davies Symphony Hall, in do
wntown San Francisco, California. The concerts will feature the Symphony and Symphony Chorus, along with dancers, narration and animated backdrops. Check their website for details.


Keyboardist David Ellington and his "Peanut Gallery" are holding court during December, with five Charlie Brown Christmas dates — December 10, 17, 21, 22 and 23 — at Venkman's in Atlanta, Georgia. This appears to be a dinner theater-type arrangement; check the venue for details.




Northern California jazz pianist Jim Martinez and his combo are taking The Jazz Music from A Charlie Brown Christmas on the road, starting December 1 in Bakersfield, California; additional California dates are in Lincoln (December 5) and Newark (December 8). He then has five gigs in Florida (December 12-17). Visit his website for additional details. (And do check out his recent album tribute to Guaraldi, Charles M. Schulz and Peanuts!)

Other groups also have gotten into the act: 

• Chris White's Jazz Trio performs Vince Guaraldi's Charlie Brown Thanksgiving; Wednesday, November 22, at the Winter's Jazz Club, Chicago, Illinois. Details.


• The Music of Vince Guaraldi and Peanuts, with the Donovan Johnson Band (Johnson, piano; Ed Archibald, sax and flute; George Laughery, guitar; Steve Gomez, bass; Doug Montera, drums; and Kent Barnes, percussion); Sunday, November 26, at the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, Nebraska. Details.

• The Jeffrey Butzer Trio (Butzer, drums; T.T. Mahoney, piano; Mike Beshera, bass) performs Charlie Brown's Christmas; Saturday, December 2, at the Revelry Room, Chattanooga, Tennessee. Details

Charlie Brown Goes to The Nutcracker, performed by Ron LeGault Jazz — LeGault, piano; Andrew Vogt, sax; Curtis Fox, trombone; Dave Weinand, bass; and Andreas Schmid, drums — will feature music from A Charlie Brown Christmas and the Nutcracker Ballet; Saturday, December 2, at the St. Julien Hotel & Spa's T-Zero Lounge, Boulder, Colorado. Details.

• Chris White's Jazz Trio performs Vince Guaraldi's Charlie Brown Christmas; Tuesday, December 5, at the Winter's Jazz Club, Chicago, Illinois. Details.

• The Jeffrey Butzer Trio (Butzer, drums; T.T. Mahoney, piano; Mike Beshera, bass) performs Charlie Brown's Christmas; Wednesday, December 6, at Madlife Stage & Studios, Woodstock, Georgia. Details

• A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Music of Vince Guaraldi, with the Michelle Schumann Trio (Schumann, piano; Utah Hamrick, bass; and David Sierra, drums); Thursday, December 7, at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor's Baugh Performance Hall, Belton, Texas. Details.

• The Rick Hirsch 3 (Hirsch, sax; Kirk Reese, piano; Bob Hart, bass) performs Charlie Brown Christmas Jazz; Friday, December 8, at the State Theater, State College, Pennsylvania. Details.

The Jody Nardone Trio — Nardone, piano and vocals; Jerry Navarro, bass; and Chris Brown, drums — will play the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas and other holiday favorites; Friday, December 8, at Rudy's Jazz Room in Nashville, Tennesee. Details.

The Ed Croft Trio (Croft, bass; Jake Malone-Brancato, piano; and Candace Simone Thomas, drums) will present the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas; Saturday, December 9, at the PAUSA Art House in Buffalo, New York. Details.

• Charlie Brown Goes to The Nutcracker, performed by Ron LeGault Jazz — LeGault, piano; Andrew Vogt, sax; Curtis Fox, trombone; Dave Weinand, bass; and Andreas Schmid, drums — will feature music from A Charlie Brown Christmas and the Nutcracker Ballet; Saturday, December 9, at the St. Julien Hotel & Spa's T-Zero Lounge, Boulder, Colorado. Details.

• The Jody Nardone Trio — Nardone, piano and vocals; Jerry Navarro, bass; and Chris Brown, drums — will play the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas and other holiday favorites; Saturday, December 9, at Rudy's Jazz Room in Nashville, Tennesee. Details.

The Aidan Scrimgeour Trio (Scrimgeour, piano; Matt Estabrook, upright bass; and Jackson Fulk-Logon, drums) will present A Charlie Brown Jazz Piano Christmas; Saturday, December 9, at Studio FOLI, Salem, Massachusetts. Details.


• A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Music of Vince Guaraldi, with the Michelle Schumann Trio (Schumann, piano; Utah Hamrick, bass; and David Sierra, drums); Saturday, December 9, at the Stateside Theater in Austin, Texas. Details.

• A Charlie Brown Christmas, with the Jose Gonzales Trio (Gonzales, piano; Michael Marcus, bass; and Matt Jorgensen, drums); Sunday, December 10 -- both an afternoon family matinee and an evening performance -- at the Cornish Playhouse in Seattle, Washington. Details.

• The Malcolm Granger Trio (Granger, piano; Rich Hill, bass; Michael Dunford, drums) performs A Charlie Brown Christmas; Sunday, December 10, at the Cotuit Center for the Arts, Cotuit, Massachusetts. Details.

• Chris White's Jazz Trio performs Vince Guaraldi's Charlie Brown Christmas; Sunday, December 10, at the Lincoln Park Zoo's Cafe Brauer, Chicago, Illinois. Details.

• The Aidan Scrimgeour Trio (Scrimgeour, piano; Matt Estabrook, upright bass; and Jackson Fulk-Logon, drums) will present A Charlie Brown Jazz Piano Christmas; Monday, December 11, at Tufts University's Distler Performance Hall, Medford, Massachusetts. Details.

• The Ed Vezinho/Jim Ward Big Band, with guest vocalist Cathy Rocco, presents A Charlie Brown Christmas; Monday, December 11, at the Gateway Playhouse, Somers Point, New Jersey. Details.

The Jerrod Cattey Trio (Cattey, drums; Darren Litzie, keyboards; and Kevin Smith, bass) will perform the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas; Tuesday, December 12, at Three Sheets, New Haven, Connecticut. Details.

The Doc Watson Trio (Watson, piano; Brandon Rivas, bass; and Graeme Francis, drums) will present music from A Charlie Brown Christmas; Wednesday, December 13, at the club Jazz Texas, San Antonio, Texas. Details.

The Music Carolina Jazz Trio (Federico Pivetta, piano; Matt Kendrick, bass; and John Wilson, drums) will present beloved selections from A Charlie Brown Christmas; Wednesday, December 13, at Salem College's Shirley Recital Hall, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Details.

Guitar for Guaraldi, featuring the Dave Brandwein Trio, will transpose the classic piano stylings of A Charlie Brown Christmas for a guitar lead; Thursday, December 14, at the Heartland Café, Chicago, Illinois. Details.

• Chris White's Jazz Trio performs Vince Guaraldi's Charlie Brown Christmas; Thursday, December 14, at the Winter's Jazz Club, Chicago, Illinois. Details.


• The Jeffrey Butzer Trio (Butzer, drums; T.T. Mahoney, piano; Mike Beshera, bass) performs Charlie Brown's Christmas; Thursday, December 14, at Saturn, Birmingham, Alabama. Details

• Pianist Adam Shulman plays Vince Guaraldi's A Charlie Brown Christmas; two shows daily Thursday through Sunday, December 14-17, at the SFJAZZ Center, San Francisco, California. Details.

• The Jeffrey Butzer Trio (Butzer, drums; T.T. Mahoney, piano; Mike Beshera, bass) performs Charlie Brown's Christmas; Friday, December 15, at The Earl, in Atlanta, Georgia. Details.

• Guitar for Guaraldi, featuring the Dave Brandwein Trio, will transpose the classic piano stylings of A Charlie Brown Christmas for a guitar lead; Friday, December 15, at The Radler (a German beer hall), Chicago, Illinois. Details.

• Chris White's Jazz Trio performs A Peanuts Christmas; Friday, December 15, at the Gorton Community Center, Lake Forest, Illinois. Details.

• Jazz guitarist Chris Von Staats and his band will perform music from A Charlie Brown Christmas; Friday, December 15, at The Skinny Pancake, Hanover, New Hampshire. Details.

A Charlie Brown Christmas with the Karl Stabnau Quartet (Stabnau, woodwinds; Jacob Dupre, piano; Danny Ziemann, bass; and Eric Metzgar, drums); Saturday, December 16, at Jazz Central, in Syracuse, New York. Details.

• Charlie Brown Goes to The Nutcracker, performed by Ron LeGault Jazz — LeGault, piano; Andrew Vogt, sax; Curtis Fox, trombone; Dave Weinand, bass; and Andreas Schmid, drums — will feature music from A Charlie Brown Christmas and the Nutcracker Ballet; Saturday, December 16, at the St. Julien Hotel & Spa's T-Zero Lounge, Boulder, Colorado. Details.

• The Jeffrey Butzer Trio (Butzer, drums; T.T. Mahoney, piano; Mike Beshera, bass) performs Charlie Brown's Christmas; Saturday, December 16, at The Earl, in Atlanta, Georgia. Details.


• The Alex Murphy Trio — Murphy, piano; Mary Halm, bass; and Jeremy Benshish, drums and cymbals — will perform music from A Charlie Brown Christmas; Saturday, December 16, at the Vero Voce School of Music, St. Charles, Illinois. Details.

• A Charlie Brown Jazz Christmas, with the Joe Cool Trio (Chris Spies, piano; Chris Severin, bass; and John Milham, drums); Saturday, December 16, at the Mobile Saenger Theatre in Mobile, Alabama. Details.

• A Charlie Brown Christmas, with the Jose Gonzales Trio (Gonzales, piano; Michael Marcus, bass; and Matt Jorgensen, drums); Saturday, December 16 at the Tim Noah Thumbnail Theater, Snohomish, Washington. Details.

• Charlie Brown Goes to The Nutcracker, performed by Ron LeGault Jazz — LeGault, piano; Andrew Vogt, sax; Curtis Fox, trombone; Dave Weinand, bass; and Andreas Schmid, drums — will feature music from A Charlie Brown Christmas and the Nutcracker Ballet; Sunday, December 17, at Rory's Tavern, Denver, Colorado. Details.

• One for our friends across the pond! The Jason Frederick Cinematic Trio (Frederick, piano; Scott Wheeler, double bass; and Dan Mullins, drums) will present music from A Charlie Brown Christmas along with other Guaraldi hits, plus a selection of Guaraldi-esque Christmas tunes; Sunday, December 17, at the Colchester Arts Centre, Essex, England. Details.

• Guitar for Guaraldi, featuring the Dave Brandwein Trio, will transpose the classic piano stylings of A Charlie Brown Christmas for a guitar lead; Sunday, December 17, at The Café Mustache, Chicago, Illinois. Details.

The Duncan Cooper Trio — Cooper, piano; John Beach, bass; and James Mackenzie, drums — will perform the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas; Sunday, December 17, at St. Andrew's Church, Picton, Ontario. Details.

• A Charlie Brown Jazz Christmas, with the Joe Cool Trio (Chris Spies, piano; Chris Severin, bass; and John Milham, drums); Sunday, December 17, at the Laurel Little Theater in Laurel, Mississippi. Details.

• The Ed Vezinho/Jim Ward Big Band, with guest vocalist Cathy Rocco, presents A Charlie Brown Christmas; Monday, December 18, at the Gateway Playhouse, Somers Point, New Jersey. Details.

Bassist Andrew Randazzo leads a 15-piece big band, dubbed The R4nd4zzo Bigb4nd, in a tribute to the music of Vince Guaraldi, with particular emphasis on the score to A Charlie Brown Christmas; Monday, December 18, at The Vagabond, Richmond, Virginia. Details.

• The "Piano Starts Here" series will present The Music of A Charlie Brown Christmas, featuring keyboardists Dawn Clement, Tim Kennedy and Chris McCarthy; Monday, December 18, at The Royal Room, Seattle, Washington. Details.

• The "Piano Starts Here" series will present The Music of A Charlie Brown Christmas, featuring keyboardists Ryan BurnsEven CaptainAlex Guilbert and Daniel Salka; Monday, December 18, at The Royal Room, Seattle, Washington. Details.

The Tim Stine Quartet (Stine, guitar; Nick Mazzarella, reeds; Matt Ulery, double bass; and Quin Kirchner, traps) will perform music from A Charlie Brown Christmas; Tuesday, December 19, at The California Clipper, Chicago, Illinois. Details.

The Pete Peterson Trio (Peterson, piano; Danny Kiely, bass; and Bruce Morrow, drums) will take patrons through the Charlie Brown Christmas album, followed by a second set of holiday standards; Wednesday, December 20, at Jimmy Can't Dance (that's a club), Louisville, Kentucky. Details.

The Peter Shea Trio (Shea, piano and vocals; Clark Johnson, bass; and Terry Clarke, drums; along with special guest James Bryan, guitar) will be featured in The Music of A Charlie Brown Christmas; Wednesday, December 20, at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Details.

Jazz pianist Peter Roberts headlines A Charlie Brown Christmas; Thursday, December 21, at the jazz club Noce, Des Moines, Iowa. Details.

The Yuletide Saints Jazz Trio — James Raymond, keyboards; Andrew Ford, bass; and Steve DiStanislao, drums — will perform the score from A Charlie Brown Christmas; Thursday, December 21, at Coffee Gallery Backstage, Altadena, California. Details.

• The Jerrod Cattey Trio (Cattey, drums; Darren Litzie, keyboards; and Kevin Smith, bass) will perform the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas; Thursday, December 21, at Sasso's Coal-Fired Pizza, Torrington, Connecticut. Details.

• The third annual Snow Globe Show will kick off with a performance of the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas, by the Mack Grout Trio (Grout, piano; Devin Lowe, bass; and Adam Kessler, drums); Thursday, December 21, at the Fremont Abbey Arts Center, Seattle, Washington. Details.

The Adam Bowman Trio (Bowman, drums; Thomas Hammerton, piano; and Tyler Wagler, bass) will present A Very Charlie Brown Concert; Thursday, December 21, at the Guelph Youth Music Centre, Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Details.

• The Pete Peterson Trio (Peterson, piano; Danny Kiely, bass; and Bruce Morrow, drums) will take patrons through the Charlie Brown Christmas album, followed by a second set of holiday standards; Thursday, December 21, at Jimmy Can't Dance (that's a club), Louisville, Kentucky. Details.

The Adam Price Group (Price, sax, flute and clarinet; Mike Masciangelo, piano; and Matt Campbell, bass) will present the full Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack; Friday, December 22, at The Bridge Inn, Oley, Pennsylvania. Details.

The Jeremy Baum Trio (Baum, keyboards; Brandon Morrison, acoustic bass; and Manuel Quintana, drums) will present A Charlie Brown Christmas Tribute; Saturday, December 23, at The Falcon, Marlboro, New York. Details.

• Charlie Brown Goes to The Nutcracker, performed by Ron LeGault Jazz — LeGault, piano; Andrew Vogt, sax; Curtis Fox, trombone; Dave Weinand, bass; and Andreas Schmid, drums — will feature music from A Charlie Brown Christmas and the Nutcracker Ballet; Saturday, December 23, at the St. Julien Hotel & Spa's T-Zero Lounge, Boulder, Colorado. Details.

• Jazz pianist Peter Roberts headlines A Charlie Brown Christmas; Saturday, December 23, at the jazz club Noce, Des Moines, Iowa. Details.

• Touring and session trumpeter Mike Lewis will present the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas at 6:30 and 9 p.m. Sunday, December 24, at Honolulu's Blue Note Hawaii. Details.

• Touring and session trumpeter Mike Lewis will present the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas at 6:30 and 9 p.m. Monday, December 25, at Honolulu's Blue Note Hawaii. Details.

The Charlie Brown Trio (Andrew Boudreau, piano; John MacLeod, bass; and Will Fisher, drums) will present their sixth annual performance of music from A Charlie Brown Christmas; Wednesday, December 27, at Roadside Willie's Smokehouse & Bar, Bible Hill (Truro), Nova Scotia. Details.

Thursday, November 9, 2017

Once more unto the breach, dear friends...

In what has become an annual tradition, we have yet another re-release of A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Craft Recordings, the catalog division of Concord Music, has produced a high-end vinyl reissue that will hit retail outlets on November 17. The LP was pressed onto 180-gram vinyl, and housed in an old-school style, tip-on jacket, featuring the artwork from the original 1965 LP. Lacquers for the album were cut by George Horn and Anne-Marie Suenram at Fantasy Studios, while the vinyl was pressed at Quality Record Pressings.

This have given Concord a good excuse for some proud boasting, and I'll let them quote some fun statistics:

A Charlie Brown Christmas, certified 4X Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2016, is one of the best-selling jazz albums in history, second only to Miles Davis' Kind of Blue. It's no surprise: Guaraldi's engaging score to the synonymous holiday television special has introduced generations of children and their parents to the joys of jazz, with tracks such as the instantly recognizable "Linus and Lucy," and the yuletide favorite "Christmas Time Is Here." The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007, and the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry five years later, and continues to be a perennial favorite, thanks in part to annual airings of the TV special.

The price isn't too bad, either; pre-orders can be made at Amazon.

But wait; that's not all! Barnes & Noble has released a new picture-disc vinyl LP, which you can order here. (B&N did the same thing last year, albeit with a different image; that album has become quite difficult to find.)

Just in case you need another copy ... or two!

Friday, September 22, 2017

Vince Guaraldi Day (locally)

The opening line of a brief announcement published in Wednesday's Napa Valley Register couldn't help catching my eye:

Mill Valley Mayor Jessica Sloan has proclaimed Sunday, Sept. 24, as "Vince Guaraldi Day."

Seriously?

Indeed yes. And the official proclamation is pretty fancy:




It seems an oddly random choice of day. Guaraldi was born on July 17, and died on February 6. Near as I can determine, nothing of consequence ever happened to him on a September 24 (although Shelby Flint's vocal cover of "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" did peak at No. 11 on Billboard's Top 40 Easy Listening Chart, on September 24, 1966).

So, I had to wonder ... what will take place, on Vince Guaraldi Day?

A speech by Mayor Sloan? A parade? A screening of the recent Toby Gleason/Andy Thomas documentary, The Anatomy of Vince Guaraldi? All-day screenings of the many Peanuts TV specials he scored, including A Charlie Brown Christmas and A Boy Named Charlie Brown, for which he "may be most known"?

Apparently not.

Near as I can tell, the only event scheduled is a Guaraldi-themed concert by the Larry Vuckovich Quintet, taking place at 3 p.m. at Mill Valley's Throckmorton Theatre. (Ticket information is available here.)

Which makes it seem as though Mayor Sloan's proclamation mostly is a well-timed boost for Larry's concert. I guess it's great to have friends in high places!

And I look forward to ever-more-ambitious programs, when Mill Valley celebrates each Vince Guaraldi Day, in years to come...

Sunday, May 21, 2017

Setting the record straight ... again!

The argument was driving me into sputtering incoherence.

Many fans and I were overjoyed, back in late summer 1998, with the unexpected arrival of Fantasy’s Charlie Brown’s Holiday Hits: the first collection of (mostly) new Vince Guaraldi Peanuts themes in 30 years. And, like many of those same fans, I was puzzled by the CD’s first track: a cue titled “Joe Cool,” which most assuredly was not the iconic tune that boasted Vince’s richly expressive vocal. This new disc’s so-called “Joe Cool” wasn’t even close to the actual item: clearly, a mistake. One of two unfortunate things had happened: Either somebody had put the wrong track on the disc, intending to lead off with the actual “Joe Cool,” or the existing track had been mis-labeled. The former seemed unlikely, because the disc’s entire purpose was to present previously unreleased tracks (aside from the final three, lifted from A Charlie Brown Christmas). But the latter hypothesis also didn’t feel right, because the mysterious Track #1 didn’t sound like Guaraldi. A close approximation, perhaps, but not the real deal.

But that was 1998, years before I even considered writing Guaraldi’s biography, and therefore years before I established contacts, colleagues and friends at Fantasy/Concord. I filed the matter as a vexing conundrum, and forgot about it.

Now, however, it was early 2010; I had just been hired by Fantasy/Concord to write liner notes for the impending release of a new Guaraldi anthology, the character-themed Peanuts Portraits. A few days earlier, I had been sent the track list and corresponding music files. There were ... issues.

Three biggies, to be precise:

1) One Guaraldi track, “Jennie L,” was lifted from the 1975 prime-time special Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown. It’s a lovely little tune, but the Peanuts neighborhood never featured a character named Jennie, with or without the “L.” Guaraldi frequently gave his cues unusual, whimsical and even puzzling names, and I’ve never been able to source the reason behind this particular title.

2) Charlie Brown’s sister Sally was represented by a track titled “Sally’s Blues” ... but the corresponding music file was not the cue of that title found within the 1974 prime-time special It’s a Mystery, Charlie Brown. Frankly, the track didn’t even sound like Guaraldi.

3) To my horror, they also lifted the same bogus “Joe Cool” track from Charlie Brown’s Holiday Hits.

Additionally, I spotted some lesser issues concerning the cue titles “Charlie’s Blues” and “Blue Charlie Brown,” but Guaraldi himself bears some of the blame there, because of the numerous variant cues he delivered with different combinations of the words “Charlie” and “Blue” in the title. (For a more detailed explanation of those two tracks, see my Guaraldi discography.)

Friday, March 17, 2017

You're finally a film score, Charlie Brown!

If you’ve glanced at the album cover alongside these words, you already know the happy news.

And yes: It’s amazing.

The specialty soundtrack label Kritzerland, known for its prestige handling of expanded, long unavailable and/or previously unreleased scores, has produced a full-score album of the Academy Award-nominated music from the 1969 film A Boy Named Charlie Brown.

And it features lots of previously unavailable Guaraldi tracks, along with all the clever Rod McKuen songs, and John Scott Trotter’s supplemental orchestral cues, as heard in the film, and in gloriously clear stereo sound. But wait, there’s more: The disc also includes a bunch of nifty bonus tracks!

(It should be noted — for archivists who pay attention to such things — that this now is the third album with this title, and is distinct from Guaraldi’s 1964 Fantasy album, and Rod McKuen’s 1970 Stanyan Records album.)

Additional information about this new release can be found at Kritzerland’s web site. (No, it won’t be available via Amazon, nor will it ever pop up in a brick-and-mortar store.) Bear in mind, as well, that this is a limited-issue release of 1,000 copies. Some previous releases have sold out in a matter of weeks or even days, so don’t delay. [Update on March 24, 2017: It sold out in a week!]

Honestly, I never thought this moment would come.

In Chapter 13 of my book, I briefly discuss the Columbia soundtrack LP produced to accompany the film upon release — actually a “storybook” album that clutters all of its music with dialogue — and I conclude with this paragraph:

Unfortunately, the soundtrack album went out of print rather quickly and never was re-issued on CD. To this day, it remains one of the great Holy Grails for Guaraldi fans. In the early 21st century, an ambitious attempt was made to produce a music-only CD of the soundtrack, which would have allowed some of Guaraldi’s best work to shine, notably with extended versions of “Skating” and “Blue Charlie Brown.” But the rights issues had grown labyrinthine with the passage of so many decades. Despite a heroic four-year struggle, the project was abandoned.

That final sentence understates the agonized frustration of those who tried so hard to get that CD released. I watched from the sidelines.

Years passed. Occasional updates arrived, but the prognosis began to look grim. Cinema Center Films had ceased to exist as a production entity decades earlier, and Columbia Records had been swallowed up by Sony. Numerous other entities also were involved.

Ultimately, it appeared that everybody on our team had surrendered.

More time passed.

And then, suddenly, a flow of fresh correspondence erupted toward the end of last year. Contrary to what I had assumed, a few key people hadn’t given up (and boy, more power to them, for patience and perseverance). Messages flew back and forth during the past few months, and you can see the happy result above.

I wrote fresh liner notes for the Kritzerland release; that essay is supplemented by a track-by-track discussion that you can find here. It was a lot of writing and editing in a very short period of time, because — after so many years of inactivity — everything now happened quickly. Not that I minded, because ...

... the long wait is over!

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

The Peanuts Connection: Down to the last note!

I first "met" Rob Kirby when he was one of several hundred individuals who submitted an essay for 2009's Security Blankets: How Peanuts Touched Our Lives, the book I co-edited with Don Fraser. Rob's essay was charming, warm and droll: precisely the sort of "personal touch" that we were seeking. He easily made the cut, and his contribution — and a similarly droll photo — can be found on Page 75.


Rob's essay also acknowledged his fondness for Guaraldi, and recognition of the major impact that Vince's music had on the early Peanuts TV specials. Our shared interest kept us in touch, exchanging notes every so often, with Rob occasionally hinting at a "big project" that he kept meaning to tackle.

Typical British understatement.

Rob has completed his labor of love, and it's astonishing. Starting with the Music Use Sheets that I had posted on one of my many Guaraldi web pages, and armed with DVDs of every Guaraldi-scored Peanuts TV special — and the big-screen film A Boy Named Charlie Brown — along with all the albums of Guaraldi's music available to the mainstream public, Rob meticulously analyzed every second of music in each film, cross-checking against the titles indicated by the Music Use Sheets, and in many cases filling in additional data and correcting mistakes. (As I explain, in that page's introduction, Music Use Sheets are "dynamic" documents that undergo changes en route to a finished product, much the way scripts can change during filming. Initial intentions notwithstanding, when it came time to edit a given scene, a last-minute decision might be made to drop a planned cue, or add one where music hadn't originally been requested. The Use Sheets kindly shared by Lee Mendelson, many years ago, gave no indication of what part of production they represented. A few dovetailed very neatly to an animated special as aired; others did not.)

Rob's efforts allowed me, at long last, to amend that page so that the Music Use Sheet list for each film now accurately reflects the finished product; the results can be viewed here.

But that's only the tip of Rob's research. He also carefully analyzed every cue, from the shortest snippet to a full-length melody, to determine uniqueness. Many of Guaraldi's most popular Peanuts themes appear multiple times in a given TV special, in some cases in different arrangements or different "takes" (as is the nature of jazz). That distinction wasn't mentioned in the original Music Use Sheets; thanks to Rob, we now know — as just one example — that several different versions of the "Baseball Theme" are used in 1966's Charlie Brown's All-Stars, only one of which matches the version included on Guaraldi's album, Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown.

And that's the other great feature of Rob's work: He also identified where specific cues — which is to say, a precise arrangement — can be found, among Guaraldi's various albums.

Along the way, he uncovered a few surprises, and made some savvy observations.

He realized, for example, that the delightfully upbeat version of "Peppermint Patty," heard midway through 1967's You're in Love Charlie Brown, is a bonus track on the CD re-release of Vince Guaraldi with the San Francisco Boys Chorus. Along a similar line, the terrific, brass-heavy arrangement of "Linus and Lucy," heard midway through 1973's A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, can be found on the CD The Charlie Brown Suite and Other Favorites, where it's titled "Linus and Lucy with the Band."

Rob also has a keen ear, having recognized something that I'm ashamed to admit I've missed, all these years: The cue "Bon Voyage," heard early in 1968's He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown, clearly is adapted from the song "Monterey," one of the other tracks on Vince Guaraldi with the San Francisco Boys Chorus.

On a more sobering note — literally — Rob noticed that most of the cues written for 1976's It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown sound suspiciously similar to earlier tunes such as "Christmas Time Is Here," "Joe Cool" and the aforementioned "Baseball Theme." An overly hasty assumption might suggest that Guaraldi was running out of creative juice, but I strongly doubt that; it seems much more likely that Guaraldi's very poor health affected his work on this special. Remember, he died right after finishing the studio recordings for this show.

My Music Use web page doesn't begin to cover all of Rob's thorough research, which must be appreciated in its entirety, at his blog. (You'll also want to read his detailed account of what prompted this project, and how he approached it.) As he explains, in his key, bold entries refer to specific arrangements of cues that can be found on various Guaraldi albums. Green entries address disputed existing information, and blue entries refer to cues that were rearranged and re-recorded on albums by Guaraldi or George Winston.

Granted, Rob's efforts represent a degree of "geeking out" that'll likely be appreciated — to the proper degree — by only a small handful of people. But as somebody who shares Rob's obsessive research tendencies, I regard his work as an invaluable document, and a resource of historic proportion.

On top of which, it's a lot of fun to read!