A symphonic surprise!

Back on October 9, 2022, jazz pianist David Benoit, well regarded as the prime torchbearer for Guaraldi’s Peanuts legacy, along with his trio — Roberto Vally, bass; and Dan Schnelle, drums — were joined by the Santa Rosa Symphony for the world premiere of Playing for Peanuts: The Music of Vince Guaraldi. The performance took place at Santa Rosa's Luther Burbank Center for the Arts.

This ambitious project had been a collaborative effort, for the past couple of years, between Benoit, Sean Mendelson and Jason Mendelson. Designing, developing and fine-tuning these new orchestrations of Guaraldi’s music — all arranged by Benoit — kept all three occupied while they were sequestered by Covid.

(A detailed account of that afternoon performance can be found here.)

The song choices, arrangements and sequence were tweaked during the next several years, and then reappeared as Charlie Brown Christmas Live, when performed by the San Francisco Symphony on December 21 and 22, 2025. A few additional tweaks took place when the Seattle Symphony titled it Peanuts 75th Anniversary: A Vince Guaraldi Symphonic Concert, during performances earlier this year, March 27-29. (Benoit didn't perform during either of those.)

All of which leads to a new album titled David Benoit Conducts A Vince Guaraldi Holiday Symphony. This holiday tribute to 75 years of jazz icon and composer Vince Guaraldi’s musical legacy is set for a digital-only release on October 30, followed by physical release on November 20, via Candid Records.

The album will bring Guaraldi’s iconic, timeless melodies to life on a grand scale with full orchestral arrangements, conducted by Benoit and performed by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. 

Guaraldi himself was no stranger to working with larger ensembles. In the summer of 1968, he found time for the first of several meetings with cellist/arranger Lynn Shurtleff and conductor Richard Williams, both with the Saratoga, California-based Amici della Musica Orchestra. Their shared goal: to create what Guaraldi had casually mentioned in a newspaper interview back in mid-1967, and eventually would become known as The Charlie Brown Suite.

“Vince told us that one of his big problems was that he’d often be invited to perform with symphony orchestras, but he never had anything to play with them,” Shurtleff recalled. “So Rich and his wife, Linda, started talking about Vince’s idea of doing something with all the Peanuts tunes. Rich introduced me to Vince, and we agreed to collaborate.”

The resulting Charlie Brown Suite debuted the following May 16 at California's Los Gatos High School. Guaraldi — with Peter Marshall, bass; and Bob Belanski, drums — were joined by the Amici Della Musica orchestra. That performance can be heard on Bluebird/BMG's 2003 album, The Charlie Brown Suite & Other Favorites.

Benoit, long a torchbearer of Guaraldi's Peanuts legacy, debuted his funkified breakout version of “Linus & Lucy” on his 1985 album This Side Up. It became a surprise landmark recording in smooth and contemporary jazz, while also spotlighting Guaraldi’s role as a forebear to those genres. “Linus & Lucy” got the attention of the Peanuts camp, kicking off decades of collaboration and forging transformative relationships with Charles Schulz and Lee Mendelson.

Benoit recalls the time Schulz greeted him with an accolade he’ll never forget: “How is the world’s greatest keyboardist?” Meanwhile, Mendelson, Benoit says, was “the most down-to-earth, fun, amazing guy. We just bonded. He was like a father figure to me.” 

Benoit became a go-to composer for Peanuts TV specials and episodes spanning 1989 to 2006, and he also contributed music to 2015's big-screen The Peanuts Movie. He also paid ongoing homage to Peanuts’ musical legacy with albums that included 40 Years: A Charlie Brown Christmas and the Grammy-nominated Here’s to You, Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years!

David Benoit Conducts A Vince Guaraldi Holiday Symphony — track list:

1. "Christmas Is Coming"

2. "Skating"

3. "What Child Is This"

4. "O Tannenbaum"

5. "Christmas Time Is Here"

6. "My Little Drum"

7. "Just Like Me"

8. "The Christmas Song"

9. "Red Baron"

10. "Good Grief Medley"

11. "Pumpkin Medley"

12. "Linus & Lucy"

13. "Air Music"

14. "Grace and Happiness Medley" ("Theme to Grace" and "Happiness Theme")

The first single, "Christmas Time Is Here," can be heard via YouTube. and similar streaming services.

On a related note, Benoit will kick off his annual Charlie Brown Christmas tour at the end of November, and continue through mid-December. The dates and venues:

November 27-28: Catalina Jazz Club, Hollywood, California

November 30: Plaza Theatre, Palm Springs, California

December 2: Ludlow Garage, Cincinnati, Ohio

December 4-6: Blues Alley, Washington, D.C.

December 7: Iridium, New York, NY

December 8: Jimmy's, Portsmouth, New Hampshire

December 10: Yoshi's, Oakland, California

December 11: Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga, California

December 12: Carpenter Center, Long Beach, California

December 13: The Coach House, San Juan Capistrano, California

December 14: Belly Up, Solana Beach, California

December 15-16: Musical Instrument Phoenix, Arizona 

October Bits 'n' Bobs

As of this morning, Record Store Day announced an exclusive 10-inch vinyl zoetrope release of Charlie Brown's All Stars! The release date is Black Friday, November 27; check it out here. As usual, be sure to encourage your local brick-and-mortar music shop to order it!

The disc pairs the A side All Stars! themes with variations of the same tunes from four other Peanuts soundtrack albums on the B-side. The A Side tracks feature Vince Guaraldi, piano; John Coppola and Frank Snow, trumpets; Eddie Duran, guitar; Eugene "Puzzy" Firth, bass; and Lee Charlton, drums. The B Side tracks feature Guaraldi with various sidemen, as detailed at the link below.

The track list:

A1) "Charlie's Run"

A2) "Charlie Brown's All Stars"

A3) "Baseball Theme (Medley)"

A4) "Oh, Good Grief!"

A5) "Surfin' Snoopy (Air Music)"

A6) "Pebble Beach"

A7) "Rain, Rain, Go Away"

B1) “Charlie Brown’s All Stars” from You’re In Love, Charlie Brown

B2) “Flatten Patten (Baseball Theme)” from It’s Arbor Day, Charlie Brown

B3) “Oh, Good Grief” from It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown

B4) “Oh, Good Grief” from You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown

B5) “Air Music” from It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown

B6) “Pebble Beach” from It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown

B7) “Sassy Sally” from It’s a Mystery, Charlie Brown

B8) “It’s a Mystery, Charlie Brown (Reprise)” from It’s a Mystery, Charlie Brown

B9) “You're In Love Charlie Brown (Reprise Alternate)” from You’re In Love, Charlie Brown

B10) “Rain, Rain, Go Away (Rain, Gentle Rain)” from It’s Arbor Day, Charlie Brown

The original album's full liner notes -- and a few additional helpful items -- can be viewed here. (The limitations of the 10-inch packaging precluded including everything with the album.)

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Speaking of LPs, we have two more Charlie Brown Christmas vinyl variants coming our way soon.

On November 11, Rough Trade will release a special "Festive Eggnog (Cream and Yellow Yolk)" version. It can be pre-ordered here.

(I've gotta say, though ... this probably is the uglist variant I've ever seen. It looks like a flattened egg-over-easy, which isn't very appealing.)

The extensive list of "preview tracks" is completely at odds with the album's actual contents ... which, in fairness, we're warned: "Track listing and audio may differ from physical product." (Ya think?)

As of this morning, Record Store Day also announced a special "Advent Calendar Edition" release of A Charlie Brown Christmas, also available on Black Friday. Check it out here.

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Mich Shirey

On a different and happier note -- quite a few notes, as it happens! -- a few of the combos that annually deliver Charlie Brown Christmas concerts have expanded their repertoire to include shows devoted to the music from both It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.

The Mich Shirey Trio, better known as Guitar for Guaraldi -- Shirey, guitar; Nick Fane, bass; and Dave Brandwein, drums -- got an early start last week. Additional Great Pumpkin dates include the following evening shows in Chicago:

• Wednesday, October 14, at Sleeping Village. Details.

• Friday, October 23, at Lemon Chicago. Details.

• Tuesday, October 27, at the Three Top Lounge. Details.

• Wednesday, October 28, at The Owl. Details.

• Friday, Octobe 30, again at Lemon Chicago. Details.

Against Mich's better judgment, they also accepted a string of morning engagements at Chicago's October Café, on consecutive Fridays: October 16, 23 and 30. Details. (Starting at 9 a.m. is asking a lot of jazz musicians!)

Proving once again that Illinois is the state in which to live, for Guaraldi-themed activities, the Chris White Quartet -- White, piano; Sean Jacobi, bass; Ryan Jacobi, drums; and Greg Dudzienski, flute and saxophone -- has a pair of Pumpkin-themed shows on Wednesday, October 28, at Arlington Heights' Hey Nonny; and Thursday, October 29, at Chicago's Winter's Jazz Club.

They'll later briefly interrupt their busy schedule of Charlie Brown Christmas Shows for one show devoted to A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving: Wednesday, November 25, also at Winter's Jazz Club.

Check White's website for additional details.

The Lake County Symphony Orchestra's Connor Cowart Jazz Combo -- Cowart, piano; Lauren Moldenhaur, flute; Octavio Escamilla, buitar; Karl EH Seigfried, bass; and Calvin Simmers, drums -- will perform the music from It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on Saturday, October 17, at The Barn, in Hawthorn Woods ... again in Illinois! Details.

Finally, the Alex Murphy Trio -- Murphy, piano; Jack Aylor, bass; and Kofi Shepsu, drums -- will perform the music from It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on Wednesday and Friday, October 28 and 30, at Rudy's Jazz Room, in Nashville, Tennessee. Details.

David Guaraldi, R.I.P.

David Anthony Guaraldi, Vince’s first-born child and only son, passed away on September 24.

He was only 71. Much too young.

 

It’s safe to say, that without David’s help and enthusiasm early on, I likely never would have written his father’s biography. I owe David a lot.

 

How that happened is a somewhat complicated story. 

 

Back in 1990, my wife and I learned about the existence of the Peanuts Collector Club (PCC), an international clan devoted to the work of Charles M. Schulz, and which thrives to this day. We became members later that year, possibly in early 1991. At the time — in those prehistoric days — club founder/president Andrea Podley produced four to six club newsletters per year, which were snail-mailed to all members. Having worked as a journalist since 1974, I immediately offered to contribute an occasional article.

 

I already was an avid Guaraldi fan, and had collected many (but not yet all) of the albums that featured him as leader or sideman. It therefore was logical to make one of my first newsletter contributions an article about him.

 

Easier said than done.

 

To my great surprise, there wasn’t much “out there” about Vince. Library research at the time was limited to microfilmed newspaper archives and bound volumes of magazines, the contents of which were tabulated in bulky annual reference guides. Searching under Guaraldi’s name was easy ... but his entries were rare, and usually unhelpful.

 

I finally pieced together an article published in the PCC newsletter’s summer 1993 issue. The content drew mostly from San Francisco Chronicle music columnist Ralph’s Gleason’s lengthy liner notes on many Guaraldi albums; Chronicle columnist John L. Wasserman’s warm tribute article, published March 15, 1976; and the surprisingly limited mention in Ted Gioia’s 1992 book, West Coast Jazz. 

 

Bits & Bobs

Bassist Ron McClure just released a memoir, appropriately titled Bass in Time.

McClure briefly was a member of Guaraldi's trio, from late 1973 through early 1974. 

By the time he came into Guaraldi's orbit, the bassist already had enjoyed a busy career on both coasts. McClure toured California in the mid-1960s with Wes Montgomery, Jimmy Cobb and Wynton Kelly. McClure eventually moved to California in 1969, at which point he joined the jazz quartet The Fourth Way, alongside Eddie Marshall, Mike Nock and Michael White. McClure returned to New York in 1971 and stayed for a year; he then bounced back to California in the summer of ’72. Drummer Mike Clark and McClure had gotten to know each other by this point; when Guaraldi was in need of a bassist, Clark suggested his friend.

During a chat I had with Ron several years ago, he recalled being awed when first introduced to Guaraldi.

"I remember going out to his house; it was beautiful. I had played with Charles Lloyd for four years, and was making less than $10,000 a year. And here Vince was doing the Peanuts gigs, and he had made records, and he was older than I was … and he was famous! Vince looked like God to me; I felt like I was playing with Andre Previn."

My first known timeline citation of Guaraldi, McClure and Clark working together took place during a recording session at San Francisco's Wally Heider Studios, on October 8, 1973, for a future album that never happened. The trio ran through several takes of Charlie Parker's "Billie's Bounce" and one of Vince's longtime favorites, "Autumn Leaves." The second take of the latter eventually wound up on the posthumous 2006 Guaraldi album North Beach, although (shamefully) neither McClure nor Clark was credited. The first take just debuted as a bonus track on Guaraldi's soundtrack to It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown (with proper credits). The takes of "Billie's Bounce" — including an initial five-minute romp that gave McClure plenty of room to stretch — have yet to surface.

McClure also recalled subbing in for at least one night, during the Guaraldi trio's subsequent booking at El Matador, from December 28 to January 5, 1974.

Despite McClure’s desire to work regularly with Guaraldi — the bassist particularly hoped for some of the Peanuts action — the dynamic seemed off. It wasn’t anything tangible; if anything, Guaraldi seemed to fear that McClure, with his East Coast jazz sensibilities, was too good for him.

“He told me, ‘You’ll break my heart and run away with some name band, and I’ll be stuck without a bass player again,’” McClure recalled. “People tend to hire people they feel comfortable with, and feel that they can get. So I understood what he meant.”

At first blush, McClure's book seems quite imposing, at 724 pages (!). But it's actually an easy read, with roughly six dozen short chapters in (more or less) chronological order; each reads like an anecdote, or brief slice of McClure's history. I loved his account of being asked to become Dionne Warwick's bassist, in 1964 — they sat next to each other years earlier, in a theory class at the Hartt College of Music  — and turning her down. The following chapter, citing McClure's first encounter with tempestuous drummer Buddy Rich, took place during a six-week gig at Las Vegas' Thunderbird Hotel lounge, every night from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m. (Yikes!) Given that I came of age in the 1970s, I was particularly captivated by how McClure wound up joining Blood, Sweat & Tears in January 1974 (thus proving that Guaraldi's instincts had been accurate!), and staying with that group for a couple of years.

There's much, much more — Ron has led a charmed life! — but I don't want to spoil the fun. And since this is a blog devoted to Guaraldi, I'll conclude with McClure's concluding comments about Vince:

"Most people don’t realize what a good jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi was. He had tremendous chops on the piano, and could swing his ass off like Wynton Kelly, one of his greatest influences. He was a great jazz improviser as well as a very imaginative composer."

The book is available directly from McClure, at rondixmcclure@gmail.com

The price is $20. Message Ron directly, and send payment via Venmo, Zelle or PayPal.

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It's variant season again...

We can look forward to two new Charlie Brown Thanksgiving vinyl variants. The first is a Record Store Day exclusive: a pink jelly bean variant, at left, scheduled for release on October 2, which can be pre-ordered here, or, better yet, buy it from your local brick and mortar music store.

The second is a new picture disc, available from Barnes & Noble, scheduled for release on October 9. It can be pre-ordered here. (Be advised: The Barnes & Noble website also still has listings for the 2024 and 2025 Charlie Brown Thanksgiving picture discs, so don't mistakenly order one of those again!)

And, looking a bit further ahead...

On January 22, 2027, Record Store Day will release another heart-shaped vinyl version of "Selections from Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown." The shape of the vinyl will be identical to the red version released earlier this year, but this new one will be "hot pink." It can be pre-ordered here or, again, purchased from your favorite brick and mortar music store.

The Greatest Of All Time!

I knew it was coming.

I knew we were close.

By the end of last year, the rumblings were getting louder.

And now ... it has happened.

Break out the champagne!

As of today — August 13, 2026 — the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has officially certified Vince Guaraldi's 1965 soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas as sextuple platinum, meaning six million units of sales...

...making it the best-selling jazz album of all time: finally, officially, surpassing Miles Davis' Kind of Blue. (Sorry, Miles.)

Let me emphasize that again.

Not merely the best-selling Christmas album of all time, or the best-selling soundtrack album of all time.

The best-selling jazz album of all time.

Like, wow.

A quick primer: Back in the day, such a count would have been tabulated solely by physical album sales: LPs and CDs. The RIAA included streams beginning in February 2016, so this Charlie Brown Christmas milestone is based on more than 6 million "equivalent album units" purchased over various formats, and more than 1.1 billion streams. The formula for "equivalent album units" is 1,500 on-demand audio and/or video song streams = 10 track sales = 1 album sale.

As a further indication of this album's enduring popularity, with the exception of the three weeks between this past April 11 and May 9, A Charlie Brown Christmas appeared on one or more of the four key Billboard charts — Traditional Jazz, Jazz Albums, Top Album Sales and the Billboard 200 — every week since last September 13. That's an astonishing feat by any album, let alone a jazz album, let alone a holiday jazz album!

Needless to say, the album's label isn't letting this milestone go unheralded.

To celebrate this feat, Craft Recordings will offer an array of limited-edition pressings, full details of which can be read via their official press release. 

The rollout begins on August 28, with a Silver Emerald pressing available exclusively at Walmart. Two more exclusives will arrive on September 25: a picture disc from Barnes & Noble, replicating the iconic album artwork; and an Iridescent Snow-colored LP from Target, including an exclusive poster. Urban Outfitters follows on October 2, with an exclusive Sapphire-colored pressing. On November 6, Craft will cap off the collection with its most limited edition: a liquid-filled “Snow Globe” LP, complete with floating snowflakes, and limited to just 300 copies (pictured above). 

"Liquid filled?" I hear you query, wondering precisely what I wondered: Would such a thing actually play? Answer: yes. It's two LPs glued together, with the liquid inside. It doth indeed play.

The Walmart, Target and Urban Outfitters pressings will be housed in a special blue foil jacket. All formats are available for pre-order today.

 

For those seeking an audiophile experience, Craft’s Original Jazz Classic series will reissue the album on 180-gram vinyl, with lacquers cut from the original master tapes (AAA) by Matthew Lutthans, pressed at QRP and housed in a Stoughton tip-on jacket, available on October 9. Additionally, the collectible zoetrope LP, originally released for the 2025 holiday season, has been re-pressed after selling out multiple times (no surprise there!), and once again is available via Craft Recordings. 

Next stop: septuple platinum!

Additional "Mystery" Details

Lee Mendelson Film Productions just issued its official press release concerning the debut release of Vince Guaraldi's soundtrack for the 11th animated Peanuts TV special, It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown.

It can be viewed here.

It includes quite a few more details than I had in my initial post, back on May 19, and in the June 11 follow-up. Most importantly, some of the release dates have changed, so take note.

To recap and update:

• The Record Store Day Indie Exclusive Magnifying Glass Clear Vinyl, available September 11, can be pre-ordered at this Record Store Day page, but bear in mind that not all stores get listed; if you don't see your local favorite, give 'em a call.

• The Mystifying Teal Vinyl, exclusive to Barnes & Noble, also will be available September 11. It can be pre-ordered here.

• The Mysterious Magenta Vinyl, exclusive to Urban Outfitters, also will be available September 11. It can be pre-ordered here.

• Finally, standard black vinyl, CDs and digital downloads will be available September 18, and can be pre-ordered here.

The biggest surprise?

This unique release invites customers to solve several mysteries! Can you find all the tiny Peppermint Patty robbers, with the aid of the included Snoopy Holmes magnifying glass sheet? (All vinyl and CD releases include this special treat.) The packaging includes several other secrets, where the listener/reader is challenged to search for clues, and solve puzzles, that will lead to even more surprises!

(Having just received an advance copy — one of the privileges of writing liner notes — I can attest to the originality and deviousness that went into this release. You thought the Zoetrope and Easter Eggs were ground-breaking? Wait until you get your hands on this one!)

Plenty of Respect: 2026 Update

Two years and change have passed since I last addressed the topic of other jazz artists doing covers of Guaraldi compositions, back in this original 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.

Once again, the Mechanical Licensing Collective's Musical Works Database, which can be accessed here, has been the most help. 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.")

The following list represents new entries since the previous February 2024 update, which also have been added to the master list in the aforementioned March 2021 post. I've also turned this ongoing post into a section of my permanent Guaraldi informational web pages, for easier access.

And I'm pleased to note that "Great Pumpkin Waltz" continues to gain in popularity!

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• Air Music (Surfin’ Snoopy)

The Mich Shirey Trio, Guitar for Guaraldi

• Blue Charlie Brown

The Liberty Junior School 8th Grade Jazz Band, Lakota Schools 2019 Winter Jazz Festival

• Charlie Brown Theme

Fred Cantu and his Big Band, M.F.G.

• Great Pumpkin Waltz

Jonathan Danis, A Jonathan Danis Christmas

The Hit Crew, Kids Halloween Movie Themes

Lee Shapiro, Somewhere (mistitled as "Rain, Rain, Go Away" ... oopsie!)

Trisha Wolf, Pop and Classical Ballet Class: Songs of Autumn

Lior Yekutieli, Recent Memories

• Happiness Theme

Amanda Whiting, A Christmas Cwtch

• Oh, Good Grief

Vint, Versace & Black, A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live at the Century Room

• Star Song

Tim Dueñas Latin Jazz Trio, Originals: 9 + 3

• Thanksgiving Theme

Jonathan Danis, A Jonathan Danis Christmas

A touch of Thai, jazz-style

July 17 was Vince Guaraldi’s 98th birthday, and — since his first publicized gig was an April 1951 booking at San Francisco’s Cable Car Village, as a member of tenor saxman Chuck Travis’ quartet — this year marks the 75th anniversary of Vince’s professional career.

That was two excellent excuses for the sensational all-Guaraldi set presented Sunday evening, July 19, by pianist Jim Martinez’s Quartet, accompanied by his son, James Martinez, on guitar; Kerry Kashiwagi, on bass; and Scott Gordon, on drums.

 

Jim’s fondness for Guaraldi’s music became evident when his 1994 album — Good Grief! It’s Jim Martinez, complete with a cover image of Snoopy pounding the ivories — included a sassy cover of “Linus and Lucy.” He upped the ante with his 2004 holiday release, A Jim Martinez Jazzy Christmas, which included covers of numerous Guaraldi originals and arrangements from his soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas. Jim and I got to know each other shortly thereafter, and quickly became fast friends (which shouldn’t surprise anybody).

 

One of our most treasured memories came on the evening of June 30, 2012, when I arranged for him to play piano in a quartet that included former Guaraldi sidemen Eddie Duran (guitar), Dean Reilly (bass) and Colin Bailey (drums), during a private concert for the Peanuts Collectors Club. (Full details are here.) Another high point came three years later — August 15, 2015 — when Martinez was joined by bassist Brian Clark and drummer Tim Metz, for a 50th anniversary concert re-enactment of Guaraldi’s Jazz Mass, at San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral, the venue where it debuted back on May 21, 1965. (Full details of that magnificent day can be read here.)

 

Jim and I have collaborated many times since then, and many times Constant Companion and I have simply reveled in watching him perform, either as a soloist or with a combo.

 

Even by those aforementioned previous events, Jim was on fire Sunday evening.

 

But before getting to that, the venue deserves special mention: Twin Lotus Thai, a darling little restaurant plunked to one side of an unassuming shopping center in Sacramento’s College Glen neighborhood, just east of Sacramento State University. It opened in 2022 as a dream project by veteran jazz pianist Joe Gilman and his wife, Kai. Gilman’s four-decade career teaching jazz studies — at Sacramento State, American River College and University of the Pacific’s Brubeck Institute — occasionally was interrupted by tours with vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, and as part of the Kennedy Center/USIA Jazz Ambassador Program. Call all of that his day job; the restaurant became his nighttime side hustle.

Jim and Joe — the latter a couple years older — have known each other since both took classical piano lessons from Yuriy Oliynyk, before they were teenagers.

It's variant season!

Summer is almost here, which means — among other things — that it's vinyl variant season.

Craft Recordings will celebrate the upcoming 60th anniversary of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown with an impressive variety of new releases. The centerpiece is an eye-catching 45 RPM zoetrope LP, arriving August 7, which will feature memorable scenes from the special on each side, along with a new essay from Sean Mendelson.

Additional pumpkin-shaped color options will be available on August 21 from Barnes & Noble ("electric pumpkin patch"), Walmart ("pumpkin spice"), Target ("ghost white"), Craft Recordings ("candy corn") and Target (a 4-inch tiny vinyl, available July 17, and previously mentioned in an earlier post). Additionally, the conventional "orange pumpkin" pressing once again will be available at all major retailers. All of these options can be pre-ordered here.

Recorded on October 4, 1966, at Desilu's Gower Street Studio in Hollywood, just weeks ahead of its October 27 television debut, the Halloween special marked a new era in Peanuts scores, with the participation of seasoned composer, arranger and conductor John Scott Trotter. While music for the first two specials was managed entirely by Guaraldi, Trotter — best known for his three-decade run as Bing Crosby’s music director — brought a sense of order to the sessions, helping the jazz musician better tailor his music into short, TV-friendly cues. Joining Guaraldi were his trio members (bassist Monty Budwig and drummer Colin Bailey), plus Emmanuel “Mannie” Klein (trumpet), John Gray (guitar), and Ronald Lang (woodwinds), who added warm textures to the autumnal score.

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But wait ... that's not all!

It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown also is getting two more vinyl variants:

• A "mysterious magenta" from Urban Outfitters, available August 21, which can be pre-ordered here; and

• A "mystifying teal" from Barnes & Noble, available August 20, which can be pre-ordered here.

Later in the year, new vinyl variants for A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and A Charlie Brown Christmas are anticipated, but details haven't yet been announced ... so watch this spot!

Grab your deerstalkers!

The 75th anniversary celebration of Guaraldi's professional career continues with the debut soundtrack release of It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown: the 11th Peanuts TV special, which debuted February 1, 1974.

The show was written by Charles Schulz, produced by Bill Melendez and Lee Mendelson, and directed by Phil Roman. 

Guaraldi is joined by Tom Harrell, trumpet; Seward McCain, bass; and Mike Clark and Eliot Zigmund, drums. The combo took its time laying down this score, with six sessions at San Francisco's Wally Heider Studios: December 14 and 16-19, 1973; and January 23, 1974.

The 15 soundtrack cues are accompanied by four bonus tracks from the Mystery recording session, along with two jazz standards recorded around the same time, featuring Ron McClure on bass.

The album was mixed by Terry Carleton at Bones, and Knives Studio, and restored and mastered by Vinson Hudson. Sean and Jason Mendelson produced the album, which includes a four-page insert with art from the special, extensive liner notes by Sean and Jason Mendelson, and an historical essay by my own self.

The special "clear magnifying glass" biovinyl Record Store Day LP will debut on September 18, at your local brick-and-mortar music shop. It will be packaged with a magnifying glass, designed to help solve some of this release's "Easter egg" mysteries. 

CD, digital and additional vinyl information will be released at a later date.

The album can be pre-ordered at this Record Store Day page. (Bear in mind that not all stores get listed; if you don't see your local favorite, give 'em a call.)

TRACK LIST

1. Little Birdie

2. Mystery Theme/Mystery Theme [Reprise]

3. It's A Mystery, Charlie Brown

4. Sassy Sally/It's A Mystery, Charlie Brown [Reprise]

5. Mystery Theme [2nd Reprise]

6. Cops And Robbers

7. It's A Mystery, Charlie Brown [2nd Reprise]

8. Mystery Theme [3rd Reprise]

9. It's A Mystery, Charlie Brown [3rd Reprise]

10. Sally's Blues

11. Mystery Interlude #1

12. Joe Cool

13. It's A Mystery, Charlie Brown [4th Reprise]

14. Mystery Theme [4th Reprise]

15. Mystery Theme [5th Reprise]

BONUS TRACKS

16. It's A Mystery, Charlie Brown [2nd Reprise - Alternative Take]

17. Snoopy Holmes

18. Mystery Theme [Viberslap Mix/Studio Banter]

19. Little Birdie [Alternate Vince Whistle]

20. Cops And Robbers [Rhythm Section Mix]

21. Joe Cool [Just Vince Mix]

22. Autumn Leaves [Take 1]

23. Billie's Bounce [Take 2]

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But wait, there's more!

Target has just announced an exclusive, "tiny vinyl" edition of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, which will debut July 17.

Side A features "The Great Pumpkin Waltz," and "Graveyard Theme" is on side B.

Time to once again break out your tiny record players!

The Trident: Rest in peace

This publicity photo of the Vince Guaraldi Trio — with Monty Budwig, bass; and Colin
Bailey, drums — likely was taken during the combo's early 1962 booking at The Trident.

Alas, another link to Guaraldi’s past has disappeared. I just learned that the newest incarnation of The Trident closed on December 31, thanks to this San Francisco Chronicle article.

Back in July 2020, I wrote an extensive post about the history of this Sausalito venue, which was intertwined with Guaraldi’s early career for many years.

 

As a brief recap — with a few fresh details — in late May 1960, the owner of Sausalito’s French restaurant, Ondine, opened a second dining establishment on the ground floor of their building, at 558 Bridgeway Street. The new supper club was called The Yacht Dock, reflecting the fact that customers could arrive by boat, if so desired. (Which, you must admit, is pretty cool!)

 

Guaraldi and his trio are known to have played that venue at least once, from June 9 through mid-July, 1961. After that booking concluded, the Yacht Dock closed for renovation by new owners Brad McNutt, the Kingston Trio and their manager, Frank Werber. The venue reopened on August 8, newly christened as The Trident. Arriving by boat remained a popular option.

 

Guaraldi and his second “classic trio” — alongside Monty Budwig, bass; and Colin Bailey, drums — played there six nights a week, until December 3. They returned on January 7, 1962, and remained the headliners until July 1.

 

Monty Budwig had moved on when Guaraldi got his next Trident gig, from November 6 through January 6, 1963, and was replaced by Fred Marshall. Guaraldi’s live album, In Person, was recorded midway through that run, on December 4.

Portions of Woody Allen's 1972 film, Play It Again, Sam, were filed at The Trident (but, alas,
Guaraldi wasn't around during shooting).

Subsequent known Trident bookings included:

• April 16-May 12, 1963, with Marshall and Jerry Granelli, drums;

 

• June 25-September 14, 1963, with Marshall and Granelli;

 

• February 4 and 11, 1967, sidemen unknown;

 

• April 11-May 7, with Kelly Ryan, bass, and John Rae, drums;

 

• July 9-21, with Guaraldi’s new Electric Umbrella Quartet, alongside Jimmy Stewart, electric guitar, Bob Maize, electric bass, and Bob Dominguez, drums;

 

• August 13-18, with the Electric Umbrella Quartet; and

 

• October 23, 1972, sidemen unknown, sharing the bill with the Cal Tjader Quintet, in a benefit for South Dakota Sen. George McGovern’s bid to become U.S. President.

 

By then, the Trident was several years into its re-invention as a free-spirited rock joint. It closed on November 21, 1976 (not in 1980, as the Chronicle article incorrectly reported, no doubt having sourced that date from the Trident’s own occasionally inaccurate web site history).

 

The building reopened in 1980 as a tourist venue dubbed Horizons, which closed in 2012. The owners of San Francisco’s Buena Vista Café bought the property in 1997, with the eventual goal of reviving The Trident, and it reopened under that name in October 2012. So, that second incarnation lasted just over 13 years … which isn’t bad for a restaurant, in these tough times.

 

The Marin Independent Journal ran a nice story about the Trident’s history, last Friday; it goes into considerable detail about the numerous musicians and film stars who frequented the venue … although, oddly, the final paragraph encourages readers to “stop by to pay homage,” which would be a challenge at this point!

 

Will the building be transformed into something else?

Stay tuned… 

A bittersweet anniversary ... and an amazing treat

Fifty years ago today, likely in the late afternoon, Vince Guaraldi would have smiled in satisfaction.

He and his trio members — Seward McCain, bass; and Jim Zimmerman, drums — had just completed the third and final recording session for the 15th Peanuts TV special, It’s Arbor Day, Charlie Brown, at San Francisco’s Wally Heider Studio. They probably had dinner together: either somewhere in the city, or en route to Menlo Park, where they then took the stage for the first set of their ongoing Friday evening performances at Butterfield’s, the supper club where Guaraldi’s trio had been in residence since the spring of 1974.

 

“We played to a pretty full house the first set, and it was quite good,” McCain recalled. “The last song we played was ‘Eleanor Rigby,’ and Vince had a nice, exciting version.”

 

After the set concluded, Zimmerman followed Guaraldi into the adjacent Red Cottage Inn, where they had a regular “green room” in which to kick back between sets.

 

“Vince was feeling sick to his stomach,” Zimmerman recalled, speaking with the precision of one who has carried every little detail in his head, during all the intervening years. “He got up, maybe to go to the bathroom … and went down.”

 

And died. That quickly.

 

I cannot imagine the overwhelming grief in that moment, or during the next days, weeks and months, as his family, friends and colleagues mourned his passing. He was a force of nature who could suck all the air out of a room, who delighted in becoming the center of attention. 

 

But I certainly understand the sense of loss — of what his ensuing career could have been — from this distant remove.

 

It also hit me personally, at the time. I was in my third year at UC Davis, already many years into being an avid Guaraldi fan. I knew he performed regularly in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, but — key detail — I didn’t have a car. I figured that didn’t matter; what was the rush? Guaraldi was only 47; surely there was plenty of time.

 

But no.

 

The somber gravity of this day — 50 years later — has been assuaged, to a degree, by the folks at Lee Mendelson Film Productions. Today they’ve debuted two special items.

 

The first is a sweetly edited series of interviews with McCain, Zimmerman, drummer Lee Charlton and Lee Mendelson, sharing their memories of Vince’s passing, and his influence, and the loss to the jazz world. Be warned: It’s quite sad, in spots.

 

The second, however, will bring a smile to your face. Indeed, you just might let out a cheer.

 

I refer you to this earlier post, when I explained what brought Guaraldi, guitarist Bola Sete, bassist Tom Beeson and drummer John Rae to San Francisco’s KQED Channel 9 studios on August 21, 1964, to record a series of short music “fills” that would air at the end of each episode of the imported British series Stories of Guy de Maupassant. Sete did two solo numbers, then joined Guaraldi’s trio for a quartet reading of “Star Song.” That concluded Sete’s participation, after which Guaraldi’s trio played three songs; the session finished when Guaraldi soloed on two takes of “Treat Street.”

 

Thanks to months of negotiations, Lee Mendelson Film Productions was able to obtain permission to share one of the trio numbers.

 

This is the only known video recording of Guaraldi and his trio performing his iconic Peanuts theme, “Linus and Lucy.” And take note of the aforementioned date: August 21, 1964. Months before jazz fans would be able to hear the tune on the album Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown, and well over a year before the nation at large would hear “Linus and Lucy” while watching A Charlie Brown Christmas.

So: This is both a sad day, and a happy day. Guaraldi still is very much with us, and — as I’ve been saying, during the past few years — some of us are doing our best to ensure that he’ll become an American “evergreen” composer, like George Gershwin and Cole Porter. Heck, why stop there? Assuming Schroeder doesn’t mind, let’s make Vince an American Beethoven.

Blessings to the folks at Lee Mendelson Film Productions!

Plant a tree ... and batter up! (plus a few more notable items)

Vince Guaraldi's first known gig, on my timeline, was at San Francisco's Cable Car Village, as part of saxman Chuck Travis' Quartet. The booking began on April 12, 1951, and ran for an unknown number of days, or weeks.

That makes this year — 2026 — the diamond anniversary of the world's initial exposure to Dr. Funk's popular and immediately recognizable music.

Bearing that in mind, the folks at Lee Mendelson Film Productions are getting the year off to a roaring start, with the debut of full scores to 1976's It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown and 1966's Charlie Brown's All Stars! — the 15th and second Peanuts TV specials, respectively — packaged together on a single release.

I must confess, though, the moment is bittersweet. My obvious delight in this album's arrival is compromised by the knowledge that Arbor Day was the last Peanuts score Guaraldi completed, before his untimely death (about which, a bit more below). 

The album features 24 tracks: 17 from Arbor Day, including two bonus alternate tracks; followed by the music from Charlie Brown’s All Stars!, mixed into seven tracks. Both scores include "Rain, Rain, Go Away,” one of Guaraldi's most soulful compositions. Their book-ended presence here allows listeners to see how Dr. Funk's approach to the tune evolved during the intervening decade.

The version for Arbor Day was one of the final songs Guaraldi recorded. He and his combo laid it down on the afternoon of February 6, 1976, at San Francisco's Wally Heider Studio. That same evening, he unexpectedly passed away while performing at Butterfield’s, in Menlo Park. Guaraldi was only 47. 

All Stars! features a sextet: Guaraldi is joined by John Coppola and Frank Snow, trumpet; Eddie Duran, guitar; Eugene “Puzzy” Firth, bass; and Lee Charlton, drums. Guaraldi returned to his trio roots for Arbor Day, performing alongside Seward McCain, bass; and Jim Zimmerman, drums.

(Note: The tracks for All Stars! were pulled from a 35mm negative soundtrack tape, because the original studio session tapes haven't yet been found.)  

The 34-minute album will be available March 20, on a 12-inch 33 RPM black or "Forest Green" BioVinyl LP in a Gatefold Jacket, and on CD and digitally.

They can be preordered here.

Physical releases feature liner notes by album producers Sean and Jason Mendelson; and an historical essay by Mine Own Self. The liner notes also feature rare photographs and images from the specials.

Lee Mendelson Film Productions also is partnering with the Arbor Day Foundation: For every physical copy of this album purchased in 2026, LMFP will plant one tree in a forest of need, with a minimum annual support of 12,000 trees. 

Read the full LMFP press release here, where you can hear brief samples from five tracks.

Three full tracks can be streamed as digital singles:

Young Man's Fancy

Sprinkle Your Bird

Rain, Rain, Go Away (Gentle Rain)

Track Listing:

It’s Arbor Day, Charlie Brown 

1. Rerun’s Lament

2. Rerun’s Lament (Reprise)

3. Ships Sailinto Arbor

4. Laughter in the Library

5. Flatten Patten (Baseball Theme)

6. Young Man's Fancy

7. Jay Sterling Morton Jazz

8. We're the Visiting Team

9. Seeds for Thought (Joe Cool)

10. Don't Forget the Shovel

11. Sprinkle Your Bird

12. Snoopy at Bat

13. Lucy's Home Run

14. Rain, Rain, Go Away (Rain, Gentle Rain)

15. Happy Arbor Day, Charlie Brown

16. Jay Sterling Morton Jazz (Bonus Alternate Take)

17. Happy Arbor Day, Charlie Brown (Bonus Alternate Take)

Charlie Brown’s All Stars!

18. Charlie's Run

19. Charlie Brown's All Stars!

20. Baseball Theme (Medley)

21. Oh, Good Grief!

22. Surfin' Snoopy (Air Music)

23. Pebble Beach

24. Rain, Rain, Go Away

But wait ... that's not all!

On April 18, participating Record Store Day brick-and-mortar outlets will feature a special version of these scores, on two discs in a single package: a 10-inch "Clear Baseball" 45 RPM LP of It’s Arbor Day, Charlie Brown, and a 12-inch, die-cut glove-shaped 45 RPM LP of Charlie Brown’s All Stars! The first disc will feature all but the two bonus tracks from Arbor Day, and the second disc will feature the full score from All Stars! 

The LMFP press release for this special item can be read here.

The RSD exclusive will be available solely at participating Record Store Day stores, in limited quantities; you'll need to visit a store in person, to buy a copy. The RSD Store Finder page can be found here, or you can contact your local brick-and-mortar shop to see if they're participating, and expecting copies.

Better get in line early!

********

Not to be outdone, Craft Recordings has just announced a new edition of 1965's From All Sides, the second of three album collaborations between Guaraldi and guitarist Bola Sete. The set list features eight tunes delivered in a cool bossa nova style; highlights include "The Girl from Ipanema," "A Taste of Honey," a sassy Guaraldi original titled "Ballad of Pancho Villa," and "Menino Pequeno da Bateria." Listeners will immediately recognize the latter is an early incarnation of "My Little Drum" ("Little Drummer Boy"), soon to find its way into the soundtrack for A Charlie Brown Christmas.

This new edition of the album is released as part of the Original Jazz Classics Series, on 180-gram vinyl pressed at RTI, with all-analog mastering by Kevin Gray, from the original stereo tapes (AAA) at Cohearent Audio, and a Stoughton Tip-On Jacket.

It will be available on both vinyl and as high-res digital, released on February 27. (No CD version.)

********

To add more fun to this year's 75th anniversary celebration of Guaraldi's music, check out this playlist of Vince Guaraldi Peanuts tracks, with occasional commentary by Sean Mendelson, originally created for a Record Store Day listening party in October 2025, and now avaialble on YouTube. It's a nice selection of tracks, pulled from the albums released thus far.