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.)

********

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.

********

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.