Plenty of Respect: 2024 update

Three years have passed since I last addressed the topic of other jazz artists doing covers of Guaraldi compositions, back in this post.

To recap, the goal is to compile an ever-expanding list of jazz artists who've recorded a) original tribute compositions honoring Guaraldi; and b) covers of Guaraldi compositions other than "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" and the Charlie Brown Christmas quartet — "Linus and Lucy," "My Little Drum," "Christmas Is Coming" and "Christmas Time Is Here" — because they've long been popular targets.

(As it happens, I didn't find any new original tribute compositions this time.)

Aside from keeping up with albums released since March 2021, I've also been on the prowl for older works. Spotify, iTunes and discogs have been helpful to a degree, but I really needed a database that could do more precise searches. I recently found a really cool one: The Mechanical Licensing Collective's Musical Works Database, which can be accessed here. The advantage is the ability to search by composition and composer: quite useful with respect to some of Guaraldi's more generic titles. (As the most obvious examples, several people have written songs called "Joe Cool," "Peppermint Patty" and "Pebble Beach.")

Thanks to this database, I discovered — as just one example — that former Guaraldi sideman Eddie Duran covered "Ginza" (aka "Ginza Samba") on his 1979 album of the same title.

The following list represents the new entries which have been added to the master list in the aforementioned March 2021 post. "Macedonia" and the title theme to It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown appear for the first time.

I'm intrigued by the fact that "Great Pumpkin Waltz" seems so popular. Might it blossom into a "breakout cover" that'll become another Guaraldi standard? Time will tell!

• Air Music

Ron LeGault Quintet, Charlie Brown Goes to The Nutcracker

• Charlie Brown Theme

Nate Hance Trio, A Charlie Brown Christmas NHanced

Ron LeGault Quintet, Charlie Brown Goes to The Nutcracker

Isaiah J. Thompson Septet, A Guaraldi Holiday

Oliver Mewes Trio, Trio

• Ginza Samba

William Beatty, The Path of Green Stones

Eddie Duran, Ginza

Dick Fregulia Trio, Be There Now!

Claudio Giambruno, Overseas

Giuliano Perin’s Good Vibes Quartet, Sweet Lines

• Great Pumpkin Waltz

Joshua Bowlus, Sleigh Ride

C. Holmes Trio, Christmas & You

Shai Jaschek, First Fall

Luke Carlos O’Reilly, The Perfect Christmas

Mich Shirey Trio, Guitar for Guaraldi

Isaiah J. Thompson Septet, A Guaraldi Holiday

• Happiness Theme

Ron LeGault Quintet, Charlie Brown Goes to The Nutcracker

Harry Skoler, Conversations in the Language of Jazz

• Heartburn Waltz

Isaiah J. Thompson Septet, A Guaraldi Holiday

• It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown

Mark Kross Trio, Cacciatore

• Little Birdie

Clara Plestis (single)

Isaiah J. Thompson Septet, A Guaraldi Holiday

• Macedonia

Guido Pistocchi Quintet, Spring Time

• Oh, Good Grief

Nate Hance Trio, A Charlie Brown Christmas NHanced

• Pebble Beach

Mason Embry Trio, A Song for You

Ron LeGault Quintet, Charlie Brown Goes to The Nutcracker

Roby Perissin and the Latin Jazz Ensemble, Tribute to Latin Jazz

• Peppermint Patty

Nate Hance, A Charlie Brown Christmas NHanced

Oliver Mewes Trio, Trio

• Schroeder

Nate Hance Trio, A Charlie Brown Christmas NHanced

• Thanksgiving Theme

Isaiah J. Thompson Septet, A Guaraldi Holiday