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While writing the final chapter of my book on Guaraldi, when it came time to briefly mention the unusual phenomenon of contemporary musicians who’ve chosen to cover the entire Charlie Brown Christmas score, I paused long enough to wonder whether this has happened very often.
Granted, jazz is a genre that encourages such behavior; consider the number of folks who’ve put their own stamp on, say, Miles Davis’ “All Blues.” But covering an entire album? Surely, that must be unusual.
And, indeed, it is ... but, by a curious coincidence, one of my other favorite jazz albums — also a TV score — has garnered the same attention: Henry Mancini’s iconic soundtrack for Peter Gunn. The series ran for three seasons, from September 1958 through September 1961, and Mancini produced two albums: The Music from Peter Gunn (1958) and More Music from Peter Gunn (1959).
To say that Mancini’s swingin’ themes made a splash would be an understatement. The first album reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Pop LP Chart, and suddenly everybody wanted a piece of the action. All sorts of folks covered the groovin' title theme, with Ray Anthony's version spending 17 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart between January 5 and April 27, 1959; it peaked at No. 8 the week of March 2.
Ted Nash, Maxwell Davis and Pete Candoli had released the first cover album, titled simply Peter Gunn, the year before; Nash, Pete and Conte Candoli, calling themselves the Soundstage All Stars, followed with More Peter Gunn in 1959. Drummer Shelly Manne & His Men also released two albums in 1959: Play Peter Gunn and Son of Gunn. The Joe Wilder Quartet joined the fun in 1959, with Jazz from Peter Gunn; Ray Ellis and his Orchestra followed in 1960, with The Best of Peter Gunn. Manne & His Men returned to the well in 1967, with the outré Jazz Gunn (a little too far out for my taste, but that's just one vote).
Ted Nash, Maxwell Davis and Pete Candoli had released the first cover album, titled simply Peter Gunn, the year before; Nash, Pete and Conte Candoli, calling themselves the Soundstage All Stars, followed with More Peter Gunn in 1959. Drummer Shelly Manne & His Men also released two albums in 1959: Play Peter Gunn and Son of Gunn. The Joe Wilder Quartet joined the fun in 1959, with Jazz from Peter Gunn; Ray Ellis and his Orchestra followed in 1960, with The Best of Peter Gunn. Manne & His Men returned to the well in 1967, with the outré Jazz Gunn (a little too far out for my taste, but that's just one vote).
It’s simple, really: When listeners really, truly love a particular score, they can’t get enough of it. Leonard Bernstein’s music for West Side Story is another good example; I couldn’t begin to tabulate all the jazz cover versions that album generated.
We therefore shouldn’t be surprised that Guaraldi’s beloved Christmas album has received the same treatment, and increasingly more often as time has passed.
But are they any good?
In most cases, yes, and well worth your time and money. And since this is the holiday season, it seems an appropriate time to discuss them all.
But let’s make it a bit more fun, and score the contestants according to my own whimsical parameters. Points therefore will be awarded for...
1) Covering all four of Guaraldi’s original tunes: “Christmas Time Is Here,” “Christmas Is Coming,” “Skating” and “Linus and Lucy” (5 points each, for a total of 20);
2) Covering all five of the traditional Christmas songs that Guaraldi arranged and included on the album: “O Tannenbaum,” “What Child Is This, (aka Greensleeves)” “My Little Drum (aka The Little Drummer Boy),” “The Christmas Song” and “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” (5 points each, for a total of 25);
3) Plus covering Beethoven’s “Für Elise” (25 point bonus);
4) And presenting them in the same album sequence (50 point bonus).
Fresh jazz covers of additional Christmas songs are nice, but count neither toward nor against the total score. Additional Guaraldi tunes also are welcome, and — again — count neither toward nor against the total score.
Finally, 10 points will be subtracted for unimaginatively calling the album A Charlie Brown Christmas, because that’s confusing. At the very least, the artist(s) in question should give their work some sort of original title.
Please note, though: The final tally applies solely to how faithful the cover elements are, and in no way reflects the musicality present. Jim Martinez’s album may score low in the “perfect cover” department, but it’s one of my favorites on this list.
Onward!
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Jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut appears to have been first out of the gate, with the 2000 release of A Charlie Brown Christmas (Atlantic 2A-83366).
The results are intriguing. Chestnut’s approach to the piano is quite spiritual; his interpretations of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” (a duet with tenor saxman Michael Brecker) and “My Little Drum” are slow, somber and absolutely gorgeous. He’s equally adept at the up-tempo stuff; his covers of “Linus and Lucy” and “Christmas Is Coming” are marvelous.
Bryan McKnight delivers a mellow vocal on “The Christmas Song,” with Chestnut comping lyrically behind him; flutist Hubert Laws and percussionist Don Alias help give “Für Elise” a shimmying salsa vibe that’ll have you dancing in the living room.
That said, some of the stylistic choices are puzzling. I’m no fan of jazz harmonica, and it’s absolutely not the instrument of choice for “Skating”; a harmonica simply does not say “ice skating” to me.
Perhaps worse, the otherwise tasty vibes used in “What Child Is This” are obscured by the Manhattan Transfer’s gawpy background la-la-la punctuations, which sound more like something hijacked from a Lawrence Welk disc. I can’t understand it: You hire one of the jazz world’s finest vocal quartet, known for tight harmonies and boppin’ arrangements, and use them solely for color?That’s just weird.
On the other hand, Chestnut delivers a sweet original titled “Charlie Brown and Me,” first as a poignant solo and then, later in the album, as a lively combo arrangement that would have been right at home in a Peanuts TV special.
So, the results: all four Guaraldi songs (20), along with the five seasonal carols (25) and “Für Elise” (25). But the sequence is different (0), and Chestnut loses 10 points for album title. Final score: 60 points.
Five years then passed, until the 2005 release of 40 Years: A Charlie Brown Christmas (Peak Records PKD-8534-2), a compilation album produced by jazz pianist and current Peanuts music torch-bearer David Benoit, who also performs on many of the tracks.
(It should be noted that the version of this album sold at Target contained two additional tracks exclusive to that big-box store: an early-ish example of the obnoxious marketing practice that has become increasingly common since then.)
This album is, ah, interesting, to say the least. Jazz purists will lament the frequent use of strings and vocal wah-wah accents, and the percussion is too heavy at times, particularly on “O Tannenbaum,” where the disco-style beat overwhelms Gerald Albright’s lush sax work.
But a few of the cuts are quite nice, starting with Benoit’s punchy, swinging cover of “Christmas Is Coming,” which gets the album off to a great start. Smooth jazz stalwart Dave Koz delivers an equally lively reading of “Linus and Lucy”; trumpet player Rick Braun supplies a solid rendition of “My Little Drum”; and Vanessa Williams brings heart-breaking poignance to the one new song, Benoit’s “Just Like Me.”
On the other hand, Toni Braxton destroys “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” — a song not even in A Charlie Brown Christmas — with a breathy, microphone-swallowing delivery that sounds as if each word is bursting between her lips during the height of sexual passion. And as inappropriate as Braxton’s delivery is, Chaka Khan is even worse on “The Christmas Song”: outrageously overwrought, her harsh, unappealing voice building to a (literally) shrieking climax. Ugh.
Tribute albums always run the risk of tainting pleasant memories of the original material, and it’s sad, but true: The contributions by Braxton, Khan and The Rippingtons (“Red Baron”) are so disappointing that they overshadow the rest.
The results: all four Guaraldi songs (20), but only four seasonal carols (“Greensleeves” is missing) (20) and “Für Elise” (25). The sequence is different (0), but Benoit avoids the penalty by supplying a fresh title. Final score: 65 points.
Pianist Jim Martinez also made his fondness for Vince Guaraldi public in 2005, with his self-released A Jim Martinez Jazzy Christmas (which, sadly, has gone out of print). Martinez handles piano and bass; thanks to the magic of post-production, it sounds like two different people performing. Harold Jones contributes solid drum work on most cuts, with Guy Kowarsh filling in on two.
Although it’s hard to tell from the outside, this album is a sorta-kinda cover of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Martinez offers up his readings of “Christmas Is Coming,” “Christmas Time Is Here” — a truly lovely piano solo — and the more rambunctious “Skating,” along with versions of “O Christmas Tree,” “The Christmas Song” and “Greensleeves,” all of which display echoes of Guaraldi’s handling of the same tunes.
Indeed, Martinez’s “Christmas Time Is Here” segues smoothly into a solo piano intro of “O Christmas Tree,” which then kicks into gear with a trio reading that borrows just enough from Guaraldi to make fans smile with recognition. But make no mistake: Martinez’s bridges and noodlings are very much his own, and quite enjoyable.
Martinez and his band perform quite frequently in church settings, and so the rest of his lovely album features his arrangements of traditional carols such as “O Holy Night,” “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” “Go Tell It on the Mountain” and others. I particularly enjoy his up-tempo handling of “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” which includes a cute quote from “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”
“Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” truly cooks, while Evelyn White adds a rich vocal to the gospel-hued “Go Tell It on the Mountain.” She only sings at the beginning and conclusion; Martinez bridges her contribution with a sprightly keyboard solo.
Everything about this set suggests a program assembled for a live performance ... and, as the years have passed, I’ve been lucky enough to catch him numerous times in person. (Martinez travels a lot; check his web site to see if he’s coming to your area.)
The results, then: only three Guaraldi songs (“Linus and Lucy” is on one of his other albums, and so only 15 in this category), and only three seasonal carols (“My Little Drum” and “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” are missing, and so only 15 here) and no sign of “Für Elise” (0). The sequence is different (0), and the album title is quite distinct (no penalty). Final score: 30 points.
Which simply means than Martinez gets an A+ for eschewing a carbon copy and blazing his own holiday jazz trail.
Bassist Rob Swanson was drawn to jazz after the first time he watched A Charlie Brown Christmas on television; he repaid that debt, years later, by forming a band called the Christmas Cartoon Trio and booking gigs that focused on jazz interpretations of several seasonal animated classics.
The best arrangements have found their way onto 2008’s self-produced disc, Cartoon Christmas Trio, which is certain to be embraced by Guaraldi fans. The familiar Guaraldi compositions and arrangements are augmented by songs that popped up in a few other animated Christmas specials, with some additional holiday tunes tossed in to build an album. The result is mostly enjoyable, allowing for a few hiccups and a tendency for drummer Jackie Browne to indulge in the sort of solos beloved by high school garage bands.
Fortunately, Browne's occasional excesses are overshadowed by Jeff Knoettner's keyboard work — on both acoustic and electric instruments — and Swanson's excellent bass work.
Several of the arrangements are quite clever. “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” emerges as a cute, heavily percussive New Orleans strut in 4/4 time, while “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” opens with some hilariously ominous electronics before settling into a moody, bass-driven delivery. A lengthy rendition of “Sleigh Ride” gives all three musicians plenty of room to breathe, and also boasts another fine bass solo by Swanson.
“Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” is a delightful boogie-woogie strut: a heavy two-beat that suggests the corpulent Jolly Red Elf’s impressive size. But while a salsa-hued “Frosty, the Snowman” begins well, it suffers from the sort of monotonous mid-point drum solo that ruins too many Latin arrangements.
Most of the tracks are bouncy and quite engaging trio jazz, very much in the vein of the arrangement of “Jingle Bells” that closes the album: a kick-ass piano solo by Knoettner, which builds to a rocketing tempo as Swanson and Browne join the fun and bring the track home.
The results, then: only three Guaraldi songs (“Christmas Is Coming” is missing, and so only 15 in this category), and only two seasonal carols (“Greensleeves,” “The Christmas Song” and “My Little Drum” are missing, and so only 10 here) and no sign of “Für Elise” (0). The sequence is different (0), and the album title is quite distinct (no penalty). Final score: 25 points.
The Lenny Marcus Trio’s 2009 album, Comfort and Joy, evokes very fond memories of Guaraldi’s long-ago 1965 album. That said, Marcus makes this music his own; his inventive arrangements include echoes of Guaraldi, but then spin into pleasant new directions.
Marcus and his mates get things off to a lively start with a bouncy, attention-grabbing version of “Christmas Is Coming,” and Marcus shows his piano chops with an entirely different bridge in this up-tempo finger-snapper.
Bassist Scott Trayer shines during “O Tannenbaum” and “Little Drum,” the latter demonstrating how Marcus likes to mix things up; both “Little Drum” and “Christmas Time Is Here” open as slow and simple carols, before kicking into gear with midpoint tempo and style changes.
Marcus’ arrangement of “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” digs into the hymn’s wintry mood, and he concludes a charming version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” blended with a few bars of “Jingle Bells.”
Marcus mixes the eight combo numbers with three piano solos: a boogie-woogie reading of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” and two Beethoven classics, “Für Elise” and the Sonata Pathétique. The latter is a bit self-indulgent on a holiday jazz album, but it certainly brings things to a solemn conclusion.
The results: only two Guaraldi songs (“Skating” and “Linus and Lucy” are missing, and so only 10 in this category), and only three seasonal carols (“Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” and “The Christmas Song” are missing, and so only 15 here), but Marcus rebounds with his cover of “Für Elise” (25). The sequence is different, of course (0), and the album title is quite distinct (no penalty). Final score: 50 points.
Pianist Eric Byrd takes his Guaraldi homage quite seriously, and in fact has turned it into a cottage industry. His trio worked a few selections from A Charlie Brown Christmas into a holiday concert back in 2000, and that led to an annual themed show that has become enormously popular ... particularly in Westminster, Maryland where the whole thing began. (Just try to get tickets!)
The show’s success, in turn, led to the 2009 release of Byrd’s self-produced album, A Charlie Brown Christmas. It isn’t a slavish reproduction, and that’s to Byrd’s credit; he and his band mates honor Guaraldi’s arrangements and original themes while still leaving themselves plenty of room to breathe.
The result is both familiar and different, and a great deal of fun.
Byrd opens with a solo piano introduction to “O Tannenbaum,” just as Guaraldi did, but then kicks into gear with a fresh arrangement that grant solos to himself, acoustic bassist Bhagwan Khalsa and drummer Alphonso Young Jr.
That model is followed throughout, and I’m particularly impressed by Byrd’s handling of “My Little Drum” and “Greensleeves,” both of which boast plenty of solid improv work.
Many Christmas songs have simple, often redundant melodies; after all, they were designed to be sung. The trick, when presenting an instrumental arrangement, is to hold the listener’s attention through inventive improv chops. Byrd and his trio do this quite well. Even Guaraldi’s original compositions — “Linus and Lucy,” “Christmas Is Coming” and “Skating” — retain just enough familiar melody line before launching into completely original bridges.
The iconic “Christmas Time Is Here” is presented twice: both as a gentle instrumental — Khalsa’s bowed bass adding a nice touch — and as a vocal, with the singing handled by Byrd’s 6-year-old son, Jason. I’m normally not a fan of little children making guest vocals on jazz albums, but Jason melted my curmudgeonly heart; he has such a sweet little voice that his performance is impossible to resist.
Too bad I live on the West Coast; I’d love to catch these guys live.
The results: all four Guaraldi songs (20), but only three seasonal carols (“Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” and “The Christmas Song” are missing, and so only 15 here), and no sign of “Für Elise” (0). The sequence is different (0), but Marcus loses points (-10) for the album title. Final score: 25 points.
Fairness demands that I also mention another 2009 release, although it barely fits the core parameter ... because it ain’t really jazz. A Peanuts Christmas was Zunior’s 2009 holiday album, an annual project that benefits the Toronto, Canada, Daily Bread Food Bank. Alt-music fans and folks who love to ferret out cutting-edge indie performers will adore this collection, which is heavy on electronics and all sorts of other, ah, inventive touches.
The album art is a smile, with its nightclub scene showing the Peanuts gang’s twentysomething selves: Sally bellying up to the bar, while Linus polishes glasses with his blanket; and waiter Charlie Brown bringing an order to Lucy, who is draped across Schroeder’s piano; while Snoopy snoozes beneath the large Christmas tree. Charles Schulz would have been horrified, of course, but it’s in good seasonal fun.
My occasional wincing aside, Wayne Petti’s handling of “What Child Is This” is quite lovely, and Dave Merritt and the Quiet Revolution have a lot of fun with “Linus and Lucy,” although I could have lived without the infant vocal inflections. The Awkward Stage contributes an unexpectedly moving vocal reading of “Christmas Time Is Here,” and the Violet Archers contribute a sweet reading of “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.”
On the other hand, Mike O’Neill’s handling of “Skating” — a sort of dubba-dubba vocal scat — leaves much to be desired, as does Construction and Destruction’s “Greensleeves”; Ben Gunning rather destroys “Christmas Is Coming”; and Jill Barber’s cover of “The Christmas Song” sounds just fine ... until she begins to sing.
As for Ruth Minnikin’s approach to “Für Elise” ... don’t even ask.
The results: all four Guaraldi songs (20), all five seasonal carols (25) and “Für Elise” (25). Zunior follows Guaraldi’s album sequence precisely (50), and there’s no penalty for the album title. Final score: 120 points (sigh!).
Nashville-based pianist Lori Mechem joined the fun in 2011, with Christmas Is Coming: A Tribute to A Charlie Brown Christmas. Her album skips a few of Guaraldi’s shorter tracks — notably the children’s vocal on “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” — and supplements with one additional Peanuts theme and three more holiday standards. The result works best when Mechem resists the impulse to slavishly copy Guaraldi’s original charts; at times — as with her handling of “O Tannenbaum” and “Skating” — her keyboard flourishes are too close to Guaraldi’s work, down to some of his single-note affectations.
In most cases, though, Mechem’s own personality and style emerge, particularly in the improv-laden bridges for “Linus and Lucy” and “Christmas Is Coming.” And although she once again follows Guaraldi’s piano lead at the beginning of “My Little Drum,” her quartet — bassist Roger Spencer (Mechem’s husband), guitarist Andy Reiss and drummer Chris Brown — lays down a pleasant, samba-hued percussive backdrop that gives the song a fresh atmosphere.
The “extras” include a lovely, lyrical cover of “Snowfall”; a gentle arrangement of “Winter Wonderland,” with percussive sleigh bells elements; and a playful handling of “The Christmas Waltz,” which opens with a piano solo and then blossoms into a swinging toe-tapper that boasts solid work by the entire quartet.
Mechem previously recorded half a dozen of these tunes on her 2005 holiday album, Brazilian Christmas, but the instrumentation and arrangements are new here: more of a traditional jazz combo approach, with (thankfully!) no strings. Very pleasant listening.
The results: all four Guaraldi songs (20), but only four seasonal carols (“Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” is missing, and so only 20 here), and no sign of “Für Elise” (0). Because I’m making up the rules, I’m giving Mechem half-credit for sequence, because her first five tracks are identical to those on side A of Guaraldi’s album (25). And there’s no penalty for the album title. Final score: 65 points.
The Ornaments — Jen Gunderman, piano; James Haggerty, bass; and Martin Lynds, drums — also delivered their own brand of Guaraldiana in 2011: A Vince Guaraldi Christmas: Live at Middletree (Alderman Records), recorded a few days before Christmas in 2010, at Nashville’s Middletree Studio.
The listening experience is strongly familiar but not slavish, thanks to some additional instrumental shading by guests Pete Finney (guitar) and Jimmy Bowland (sax). Indeed, the disc’s best track — a sweet reading of “Christmas Time Is Here” — boasts the full quintet, and includes lovely solos on guitar, sax and bass, all not present in Guaraldi’s original arrangement.
A spirited run at “Skating” also benefits from Bowland’s deft sax bridge and Gunderman’s keyboard solo, and everybody gets a crack at “O Tannenbaum.” “My Little Drum” displays similar instrumental depth, thanks to Finney’s guitar comping.
You’ll smile at the familiar, if subtle echoes from the 1965 album: the gentle cymbal tap that concludes “Linus and Lucy,” and the cute piano filigree at the end of “O Tannenbaum.”
The mimicry isn’t entirely successful, however. “Christmas Is Coming” is a bit stiff, and not nearly as rousing as Guaraldi’s original; and the kid’s-vocal approach to “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” — although authentic to how the song is performed in the TV special —doesn’t ring quite true here.
But these are minor quibbles. Since it’s impossible to catch Guaraldi and his trio at this distant remove, I’d happily book a date with The Ornaments. The group’s Peanuts-themed holiday concerts have become a Nashville tradition for the past several years; here’s one California kid who wishes they’d bring their act to the West Coast.
The results: all four Guaraldi songs (20), all five seasonal carols (25) and the oft-ignored “Für Elise” (25). Best of all, The Ornaments follow Guaraldi’s album sequence precisely (50), and there’s no penalty for the album title. Final score: a whopping 120 points!
Finally, you could be forgiven the assumption that it’s actually alto saxman Dan Lipsitz’s combo, since he gets the lion’s share of attention … which is a serious problem, because his work is passable at best, and downright obnoxious at worst. He’s usually restrained while introducing and concluding a melody, but his so-called improv solos sound more like the bleating of a badly injured animal.
Oh’s willingness to tolerate such dreadful playing is bizarre, since his bass work — alongside that of pianist Anthony Pocetti and drummer John Bishop — is quite tasty. Indeed, they’d be an enjoyable combo if they were simply a trio.
Pocetti’s lively improv solos on “The Christmas Song” and “Charlie Brown Theme” are pleasantly melodic in a way that Lipsitz never gets close to imitating. Oh’s cool walking bass touches highlight “O Christmas Tree” and “Charlie Brown Theme,” while Bishop lays down a sassy bossa nova beat for “Greensleeves” and “Linus and Lucy.” Actually, the latter is a perfect example of what’s wrong with the entire album; Pocetti’s solo on the first bridge is delightful, and then Lipsitz totally butchers the second bridge.
The results: Only two of Guaraldi's originals ("Christmas Is Coming" and "Skating" are missing), for 10 points; and only three of the traditional covers ("My Little Drum" and "Hark the Herald Angels" are missing), for 15 points. "Für Elise" is absent, and the sequence obviously is wrong, but no penalty for the album title. Final score: 25 points.
Jazz pianist Jose “Juicy” Gonzales has presented Charlie Brown Christmas concerts for many years now, in his home town of Seattle, Washington.
Linus and Juicy: A Holiday Album (2016) 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.
The results: all four Guaraldi songs (20), but only four seasonal carols (“Greensleeves”) is missing) (20), and no sign of “Für Elise” (0). The sequence is different (0), but Gonzales also avoids the penalty by supplying a fresh title. Final score: 40 points.
Silverman gets off to a weak start with an uninspired handling of "Linus and Lucy," which is saved a bit by Marienthal's sax improv during the bridge. Silverman's piano chops are stronger on "Christmas Is Coming" and "Skating," and the latter features a cute improv bridge. "What Child Is This" and "Christmas Time Is Here" are soft and sweet, and Marienthal's sax takes the leads on "My Little Drum." "O Christman Tree" opens gently, then develops some actual swing as the EP comes to a close.
The results: All four Guaraldi songs, for 20 point; but only three of the traditional covers ("The Christmas Song" and "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" are missing), so only 15 points here. "Für Elise" is absent, the sequence is different and incomplete (0), and a penalty of minus 10 for the unimaginative title. Final score: 25 points.
Richmond, Virginia, is blessed with a full-blown swing band fronted by bassist/arranger Andrew Randazzo, which performs as the R4nd4zzo Big Band. The 15-piece unit boasts four trumpets, three trombones, four reeds and a rhythm section of keyboards (Jacob Ungerleider), guitar (Alan Parker), bass (Randazzo) and drums (DJ Harrison). The ensemble presented a swinging tribute to Guaraldi’s Charlie Brown Christmas to a packed house at Richmond’s Vagabond on December 18, 2017; the performance was recorded and released as a Bandcamp digital album a month later.
Aside from his inventive arrangements, Randazzo also has a cheeky sense of humor; the classic holiday tunes and Guaraldi originals have been given fresh titles that occasionally require a bit of thought … such as “SK8N,” which features unison brass on the familiar melody, following Randazzo’s tasty solo bass introduction. The pace picks up, with Toby Whitaker and JC Kuhl delivering cool solos on (respectively) bass trombone and baritone sax.
The set actually kicks off with “Tannenbomb,” which begins in gentle Guaraldi fashion; the full band then sets a mid-tempo pace for sleek solos on piano and brass, against Randazzo’s bass comping. The mid-tempo “Drum Closet” (“My Little Drum”) is dominated by groovy rolling percussion, the melody taken by brass against Parker’s guitar comping. Parker similarly dominates the melody in a thoughtful cover of “Black Friday” (“Christmas Time Is Here”), and he also gets plenty of exposure — notably during a lengthy bridge solo — in “Whose Baby Is This!?”
The stand-out track, for exploratory ambition, is “Xmas on a Thursday,” a deconstructed handling of “Christmas Is Coming,” dominated by funky bass and percussion, a barely recognized melody in a minor key, and an acid rock electric guitar solo that soars into outer space … after which the track concludes with a traditional solo piano reading of “Fur Elise.” Far out, man!
The results: all four Guaraldi songs (20), all five seasonal carols (25) and the oft-ignored “Für Elise” (25). Funky track titles notwithstanding, Randazzo follows Guaraldi’s album sequence precisely (50), and there’s no penalty for the album title. Final score: also a whopping 120 points!
For the past several years, Nashville-based jazz pianist Jody Nardone has included holiday tribute concerts to Vince Guaraldi’s iconic music from A Charlie Brown Christmas. 2018’s sold-out show was recorded and released in 2019. Alas, it apparently went out of print very quickly; finding it will be a chore.
Nardone, a veritable keyboard monster, is joined by trio members Jerry Navarro (acoustic bass) and Chris Brown (drums). Although easily capable of replicating Vince’s gentle bossa nova touch — as evidenced by the album’s opening medley of “The Great Pumpkin Waltz” and “Thanksgiving Theme,” and also during “What Child Is This” — Nardone is much more aggressive with his improvisational bridges. He favors ambitious chord structures, whereas Guaraldi leaned toward single-note runs and filigrees.
Nardone’s improv work is playful during “O Tannenbaum” and “The Charlie Brown Theme,” and his “Christmas Time Is Here” is soft, sweet and lyrical, with a lovely keyboard interlude at the bridge. During the quintessential “Linus and Lucy,” Nardone makes the second bridge distinctly his own.
The audience subsequently gets a couple of engaging “his and mine” examples, starting with Nardone’s “Guaraldi version” of a fleeting melody (“Surfin’ Snoopy”) heard in the TV special — during a comic encounter between Schroeder, Lucy and Snoopy — but not included on the original album. Having tickled patrons’ memories, Nardone and trio then launch into their version of “Surfin’ Snoopy”: a double-time blast of energy with jaw-dropping solos by all three musicians.
The cutest interlude comes when Nardone instructs the audience on how to deliver the chanting elements of Guaraldi’s arrangement of “My Little Drum,” and then performs the tune to the Nashville crowd’s impressively accurate unison vocal. Very inspiring.
Other highlights include Nardone’s gentle, achingly sweet solo piano arrangement of “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing”; his great keyboard runs during the lyrical “Skating”; and the ambitious chord work and tempo shifts during the rock-inflected “Christmas Is Coming.”
The results: all four Guaraldi songs (20), all five seasonal carols (25) and the oft-ignored “Für Elise” (25). Allowing for additional songs sprinkled into the mix, Nardone nonetheless follows Guaraldi’s album sequence precisely (50). Alas, he loses 10 points for the duplicated album title. Final score: a nonetheless impressive 110 points.
His 2020 album, It’s a David Benoit Christmas!, also covers both passions. The 18 tracks are a blend of traditional carols and Guaraldi’s many Peanuts themes (not all of them Christmas-related). It’s a solo piano endeavor, which is a mixed blessing. On the one hand, it’s great to hear Benoit in a solo mode; he puts considerable emotional feeling into (as a couple of examples) his covers of “What Child Is This” and “Christmas Time Is Here.”
But a couple of Guaraldi’s bouncier Peanuts tunes — notably “Red Baron” and “Christmas Is Coming” — sound “empty” without the swinging bass and drums that power both, in their original jazz/rock fury.
Benoit favors rapid-fire bridges that showcase either swift chords or lightning-quick keyboard runs in the right hand, sometimes backed by a bouncing stride/ragtime style with the left. His robust handling of Guaraldi’s “Skating,” “Pebble Beach” and “Peppermint Patty” are great examples of this; the latter is particularly ferocious, with Benoit all over the keyboard.
Traditional carols include “O Tannenbaum,” highlighted by a breezy, shuffle-style bridge; a reverential approach to “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (punctuated by another peppy bridge); and a cute, mildly deconstructed handling of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.”
The results: all four of Guaraldi's originals, for 20 points; and all five of the traditional covers, for 25 points. No sign of "Für Elise," and the sequence is wrong and incomplete, but no penalty for the album title. Final score: 45 points.
Byrd opens the album with Guaraldi’s signature solo keyboard introduction to “O Tannenbaum”; the arrangement slides into gentle mid-tempo jazz as the sidemen join the fun. Byrd’s forceful keyboard solo is followed by a contemplative bass solo and a few tasty drum solos, before the trio slides back into the melody; it’s a nice showcase for all three players.
“Linus and Lucy” boasts sassy keyboard work on the first bridge, and a truly wild ride up and down the keyboard during the second; Khalsa’s walking bass comping is equally solid. Noodly solo piano eventually slides into a bold reading of “What Child Is This,” which trades off between the familiar melody and heavy chord improv and hard-hitting drum work. “My Little Drum” opens with a lengthy quote from the hymn “In the Bleak Midwinter,” after which Byrd slides into an upper-octave arrangement of the melody; he pauses for Khalsa’s tasty bass solo, which yields to (of course!) some powerful drum work.
The album closer, “Christmas Is Coming,” is a lot of fun; it opens with a heavy beat, sashays into a swing-time bridge and then a raucous piano solo and equally tasty improv on bass and drums. The tune concludes with some playoff music, as Byrd introduces his band mates: a playful finale to a brief but impressively dynamic set.
The results: All four Guaraldi originals, for 20 points; but only three of the traditional covers ("The Christmas Song" and "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" are missing), for 15 points. "Für Elise" is absent, and the sequence is wrong and imcomplete, but no penalty for the album title. Final score: 35 points.
As with the original soundtrack, this album opens with a lovely reading of “O Tannenbaum”: the one track with strong echoes of Guaraldi’s arrangement. Mich solos the meditative introduction; the tempo picks up as his mates enter after close to a minute. Mich and Nick take cool solos at the bridge, and then bring the tune home. Nick’s thoughtful bass improv highlights the sweetly sensitive reading of “Christmas Time Is Here,” and Mich’s hard-charging improv bridge adds plenty of spice to “Great Pumpkin Waltz.”
Mich’s talent shines on his handling of “Linus and Lucy,” where you’ll notice he simultaneously plays the bass vamp and melody: no small feat! He’s equally adept with the Mount Olympus of Guaraldi challenges: the opening descent of “Skating,” which is every bit as effervescent here (and Mich impishly tosses in a brief quote from “Frosty, the Snowman”).
The trio closes with a traditional reading of “The Christmas Song”: no solos, no improv, just a quietly sentimental blend of guitar and bass, backed by Dave’s soft brushes.
The results: All four Guaraldi originals, for 20 points; but only two of the traditional covers ("What Child Is This," "My Little Drum" and "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" are missing), for 10 points. "Für Elise" is absent, and the sequence is wrong and imcomplete, but no penalty for the album title. Final score: 30 points.
I’m hard-pressed to call most of this album’s 10 tracks jazz, as the often string-enhanced arrangements hue more closely to what you’d expect from the Boston Pops or a lavish Broadway musical. That’s particularly true with mellow readings of “The Christmas Song,” “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” and “Skating,” the latter blended with “The Christmas Waltz” (which gives Watkins a chance to demonstrate his vocal chops).
That said, the exceptions are choice. Watkins opens “Für Elise” with Beethoven-esque solo piano, and then the tune kicks into high gear with Shaw’s jump jazz drums and tasty big band swing. Mike Cottone delivers a sassy trumpet solo, backed by Skaggs’ cool walking bass.
“Linus and Lucy” also opens quietly, before erupting into big band swing; Watkins’ feisty piano bridge yields to unison horns that take the melody, with some cool counterpoint by Cottone’s muted trumpet. “Greensleeves” is slow, reverential and mildly mysterious; it’s highlighted by Jason Goldman’s wistful alto sax bridge, which segues to Watkins’ Guaraldi-esque keyboard finale.
The album concludes with a lively reading of “Christmas Is Coming,” which boasts lovely unison horns and a droll alto sax bridge from Goldman; Skaggs’ walking bass then is backed by Watkins’ tasty keyboard comping, after which the tune builds to a rousing big band finale.
The results: All four Guaraldi originals, for 20 points; and all five traditional covers, for 25 points. A fat 25-point bonus for including "Für Elise," but (alas!) the sequence is different. The album title also is different, so no penalty there. Final total: 70 points.
The album opens (as it should) with “O Tannenbaum”; Hance’s solo introduction hearkens back to Guaraldi’s arrangement, but with a bit more “sauce.” The tune quickly kicks into swing time, and Hance’s lyrical improv bridge is backed by cool walking bass.
Johnson sets up “My Little Drum” with a cute march cadence, backed by Hance’s deft keyboard filigree; the tune gradually becomes more dramatic, at which point Hance includes a brief quote from “Jingle Bells.” Hance nails the opening keyboard cascade in “Skating,” which delivers some feisty, toe-tapping improv work during the bridge. “What Child Is This” begins mysteriously, with Johnson supplying clever syncopation while Hance relies on lovely full chords for the melody; Yanes delivers a nifty bass solo midway through the tune.
The TV special’s iconic tunes are supplemented by several other Peanuts themes. Hance solos on both a slightly deconstructed arrangement of “Peppermint Patty,” and an initially gentle reading of “Schroeder,” which turns majestic as it rolls into an upper-octave finale.
The album concludes with a delightfully funky run at “Linus and Lucy,” which Johnson sets up with a captivating beat. Hance doesn’t mess with the main theme, but his first keyboard bridge is positively sassy; the second is even more ferocious, after which the trio brings the tune home.
The results: All four Guaraldi originals, for 20 points; but only three of the traditional covers ("The Christmas Song" and "Hark, the Herald Angels" are missing), for 15 points. "Für Elise" is absent, and the sequence is wrong and imcomplete, but no penalty for the album title. Final score: 35 points.
Thompson’s approach varies. At times his arrangements definitely evoke Guaraldi’s touch and spirit; other tracks employ brief bits of a familiar melody merely as a springboard for complex jazz more in a hard bop vein.
A propulsive bossa rhythm fuels an atypically muscular handling of “What Child Is This,” with dueling trumpet and sax solos suddenly yielding to double-time rhythm work against another ferocious keyboard bridge, which finally slides into a slightly deconstructed handling of the familiar melody, before everybody joins for a unison finale.
Guaraldi’s lesser-known “Heartburn Waltz” — actually part of the score for 1975’s Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown — is given a delicate reading, with piano and flute trading the melody against gentle percussion. Guaraldi’s rock-inflected “Christmas Is Coming” initially sounds very much like Vince, then blossoms into a burner highlighted by cute percussion and feisty piano bridges; the tune concludes as the combo members clap and cheer.
The melody in “O Christmas Tree” is delivered by Hervey’s muted trumpet, clearly sounding like the wah-wah vocalizing of Charlie Brown’s school teachers. The album concludes with a kick-ass reading of “Linus and Lucy,” which begins as sax handles the core melody, with Thompson adding an ascending four-chord run at the end of each line. The first bridge is a spirited blend of sax and piano; a lengthy sax solo segues to the second bridge, which shifts to swing time and boasts more of Norris’ cool walking bass.
The results: Only three of the Guaraldi originals ("Skating" is missing), for 15 points; and only three of the traditional covers ("My Little Drum" and "Hark, the Herald Angels") are missing, for another 15 points. "Für Elise" is absent, and the sequence is wrong and imcomplete, but no penalty for the album title. Final score: 30 points.
"Linus and Lucy" and "O Tannenbaum" open as classic piano trio arrangements, then expand to features tasty improv bridges on sax, guitar, piano and — in the latter — also Leighton's deft bass work. Tucker's soft voice, backed solely by guitar, opens an initially gentle reading of "What Child Is This"; the tune then blossoms into a finger-tapping, mid-tempo instrumental waltz.
Unfortunately, the album's latter half is self-indulgent. "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" and an original titled "Christmas Is Love," both vocals, are overly sentimental. An aggressive instrumental handling of "Christmas Is Coming" begins well, but then shoots into the stratosphere during its overlong arrangement. Finally, the combo's handling of "Winter Wonderland" doesn't know when to get off the stage; at just shy of 10 minutes, the dull improv solos go on and on and on, complete with false endings.
The results: three of Guaraldi's originals ("Skating" is missing), for 15 points; and four of the traditional covers ("My Little Drum Is Missing"), for 20 points. "Für Elise" is absent, and the sequence is wrong and incomplete, but no penalty for the album title. Final score: 35 points.
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Well. When it comes to delivering a true cover album, we have a tie between Zunior, The Ornaments and the R4nd4zzo Big Band. But when it comes to pleasant listening, Jim Martinez, The Ornaments, Jose Gonzales, Jody Nardone and Nate Hance win, hands down.
For now, anyway. Who knows what the future will bring?
[Note: All these reviews are extracted from my annual coverage of new holiday jazz, an increasingly lengthy feature I've been writing since the 1990s. If you've read this far and would like to have your egg nogged with a lot more swingin' seasonal music, check out the most recent column here.]
2 comments:
Being as you're a completist and all, thought I'd point you in the direction of the interpretation of ACBC by classical piano wunderkind "daigoro789" released a few weeks back. His impressionistic Chopinesque de-/reconstructions of familiar tunes always bring something fresh to the table... and hey, even if it's probably coincidental given as flutes constitute a majority of his non-piano accompaniment anyway, that whole deal lends it a borderline Great Pumpkin vibe too!
Something to keep apprised of for the next update. Might've to dock him some points for formatting issues and all that, but them's the breaks.
Although I thoroughly enjoyed listening to his tracks, he's merely one of hundreds (thousands?) of folks who've uploaded videos of themselves performing one or more tunes from A Charlie Brown Christmas. I'd go mad, trying to chase them all down (and, frankly, most aren't worth the pursuit). Practicality demands that entries here be limited to mainstream albums by established combos with an existing track record, either self-published or through a music label.
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