A Jolly Guaraldi Holiday 2024

As Charlie Brown would say, Good grief!

Talk about a growth industry...

By mid-December last year, this annual round-up of Guaraldi-themed concerts had grown to an astonishing length, with a whopping 171 entries — several of which cited multiple bookings for the given group — which was a massive jump over 2022. I expected some increase, given that Covid fears had eased ... but I sure wasn't prepared for an explosion of such magnitude.

Will it happen again this year?

Too soon to tell, since fresh bookings continue to be announced throughout the first half of December.

Call this a good start, then; we've already covered 34 American states, four Canadian provinces and one venue in the UK. (And I'm sure groups in some of the remaining 16 states are joining in the fun; I simply haven't heard about them yet.)

I first traced the history and growth of this delightful annual tradition back in 2012, with a modest schedule that now seems quaint. This year's post will serve as a clearinghouse for any and all 2024 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. New entries and listings will be tagged as UPDATES. 

Let's start with mainstay groups with busy touring schedules:

• The Chris White Trio has become quite serious about honoring Guaraldi's holiday-themed Peanuts music. During the next month, White (on piano) will work with bassists Sean Jacobi, Mike Benning, Joe Policastro and Alex Austin; and drummers Ryan Jacobi, Kurt Lubbe, Dave Williams, Darren Scorza and Joe Adamik. The trio began this season back on Sunday, October 29, with the first of two performances of the music from It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, at jazz clubs in Chicago, Illinois. One of those, Winter's Jazz Club, will host the trio's one-night tribute to the music from A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on Wednesday, November 27. The group's full-schedule Charlie Brown Christmas shows (dozens!) will kick off Saturday, November 30, in Arlington, Illinois, with additional performances at numerous Illinois venues — and one night in Michigan — concluding Sunday, December 22, once again at Winter's. Details.

• Popular jazz pianist David Benoit traditionally headlines a concert tour of his Christmas Tribute to Charlie Brown each December. This year's schedule — which again features vocalist Courtney Fortune — kicks off Friday, November 29, in Hollywood, California, with subsequent stops in New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Arizona, additional California venues, and concludes December 19-22, at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley in Seattle, Washington. Check his website for details.

• The Ornaments — Jen Gunderman, piano; Martin Lynds, bass; and James Haggaerty, drums — will be joined by special guest soloists for their 19th annual performances of music from A Charlie Brown Christmas during a busy schedule that runs from December 14-22: two shows Saturday, December 14, at the Temple Theatre in Portland, Tennessee; and 12 shows Tuesday through Sunday, December 17-22, at the Eastside Bowl, in Nashville, Tennesee. Details. And do check out their 2011 live album.

• Doc Watkins and his Orchestra will begin their month-long Christmas in Jazz tributes to the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas at San Antonio's JazzTX, Texas, on Friday, November 29. Upcoming shows include November 30 and December 5-8, 10, 12-14 and 20-22. Details. They also scheduled a December 19 performance at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, also in San Antonio. Details. The icing on the cake: Watkins' terrific 2022 album, The Music of A Charlie Brown Christmas; do check it out!

• The Eric Byrd Trio — Byrd, piano and vocals; Bhagwan Khalsa, acoustic bass; and Alphonso Young Jr., drums and percussion — has made a cottage industry of Guaraldi's Charlie Brown Christmas music, having thus far released two cover albums: a 2009 studio project, and a 2021 live performance. Both are available here. Byrd's combo begins its annual run on Saturday, November 30, in Maryland, with numerous subsequent performances in that state and Virginia, concluding Saturday, December 21. Details.

• The Heather Pierson Trio — Pierson, piano; Shawn Nadeau, bass; and Craig Bryan, drums — will began an ambition Charlie Brown Christmas tour on Saturday, November 30, in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. Subsequent stops will include venues in that state, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Maine, concluding on Sunday, December 22, in Waldoboro, Maine. Details.

Heart and soul!

Valentine's Day will come early next year.

January 17 will see the first-ever release of Vince Guaraldi's soundtrack to Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown.

This soundtrack debut will be one of the first highlights during what promises to be an exciting 75th anniversary year of the Peanuts comic strip, which debuted October 2, 1950. It'll also mark the 50th anniversary of this TV special, which debuted on January 28, 1975.

The album will be available in the usual formats: LP, CD and digital download. LP collectors will have three options, starting with the traditional black vinyl, available at Amazon and the usual mainstream outlets. As always, potential future albums of Guaraldi's Peanuts scores will depend on sales of each new release ... so buy one for yourself, and a second as a gift for a friend!

(Shop locally, if possible. Support your brick-and-mortar retailer!)

Additionally, a "Puppy Love Pink" BioVinyl variant will be available as a Barnes & Noble exclusive:

And a limited-edition "Heartburn Red" BioVinyl variant will be available as a Record Store Day exclusive, on April 12, 2025:

All options feature detailed liner notes by my humble self, and producers Sean and Jason Mendelson. 

The album's Lee Mendelson Film Productions web page can be viewed here, which includes ordering links and four sample tracks. The full LMFP press release is here.

(Bear in mind that the Record Store Day page doesn't list all participating outlets, so it'll be wise to check with your local shop.)

As had become tradition by the time this 13th Peanuts TV special went into production, Guaraldi composed all the music, which was performed by his trio, under the supervision of John Scott Trotter. Guaraldi handled all the keyboard elements, on piano, Fender Rhodes and ARP String Ensemble synthesizer; he also added occasional soft guitar licks. Seward McCain played bass, and Vince Lateano handled the drum work.

Guaraldi took a different direction with this special’s score, and made a point of not using most of his familiar Peanuts cues, such as “Peppermint Patty,” “Red Baron” and “Blue Charlie Brown.” Although “Linus and Lucy” briefly surfaces twice, the arrangements are so novel, that casual listeners could be excused for thinking they’re entirely different melodies. This approach was intentional, because Guaraldi's score is a “tone poem tapestry,” designed to reinforce the melancholy atmosphere of various love’s labors lost. That’s particularly true of quietly thoughtful tracks such as “Never Again,” “There’s Been a Change,” “Charlie Brown’s Wake-up” and “Jennie L.”

The album's 30 tracks feature the show's 22 score cues, followed by seven alternate takes and bonus mixes. The final track, "Last Call for Love," is a true bonus: When the recording session concluded, the trio jammed on a bluesy 6-minute piece, which features a truly terrific solo from McCain. 

Score tracks:

1. Heartburn Waltz

2. Heartburn Waltz (Reprise)

3. Linus and Lucy

4. Valentine Interlude #1 / Heartburn Waltz (2nd Reprise)

5. Piano Sonata No. 20 in G Major, Op. 49 No. 2 - 1. Allegro ma non troppo, by Ludwig van Beethoven

6. Heartburn Waltz (3rd Reprise)

7. Linus and Lucy (Reprise)

8. Paw Pet Overture

9. Freddie's Mood (Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op. 9, No. 2 by Frederic Chopin)

10. Heartburn Waltz (4th Reprise)

11 Never Again

12 Music Box Dance (Minuet in G Major, BWV Anh. 116, by Johann Sebastian Bach)

13. Woodstock's Mambo

14. Heartburn Waltz (5th Reprise)

15. Jennie L.

16. Heartburn Waltz (6th Reprise)

17. Valentine Interlude #2 / Heartburn Waltz (7th Reprise)

18. There's Been a Change

19. Woodstock's Revenge

20. Charlie Brown's Wake-Up

21. Heartburn Waltz (Reprise)

22. Freddie's Mood (Show Version)

Bonus tracks:

23. Heartburn Waltz (Bonus Mix)

24. Jennie L. (Alternate Take)

25. Heartburn Waltz (Alternate Take)

26. Woodstock's Mambo (Bonus Mix)

27. Heartburn Waltz (Reprise) (Bonus Mix)

28. There's Been a Change (Alternate Take)

29. Heartburn Waltz (5th Reprise) (Bonus Mix)

30. Last Call for Love

The folks at Lee Mendelson Film Productions will get the New Year off to a terrific start!