A Jolly Guaraldi Holiday 2016

The schedule gets busier every year ... and isn't that marvelous?

The holiday season returns anew, and it's once again time to investigate the many Guaraldi-themed concerts taking place, most of which (of course!) are tied in to his music from A Charlie Brown Christmas.

I traced the history and growth of this delightful tradition back in 2012, with a modest schedule that now seems quaint. This new post will serve as a clearinghouse for any and all late 2016 concerts that come to my attention. As always, I'll add to this schedule as new information becomes available, so do check back on occasion.

As has been the case for several years now, the most ambitious tour news comes from Concord recording artist David Benoit, who once again is taking his Christmas Tribute to Charlie Brown on the road. He's touring this time with special guest Sara Gazarek. Their schedule kicks off November 26 in Brea, California, and concludes December 19 in Livermore, California, with stops along the way in Washington, Alaska, North Carolina and Arizona. We caught Benoit's  performance in 2011 and 2015, and I can report that it's a great show. It's also tremendously sweet, since Benoit and his team work with a children's choir that is local to each stop. Check his website for details.

Benoit may be grabbing the lion's share of headlines in the States, but our Canadian neighbors will enjoy the return of the season's most historic booking. Drummer Jerry Granelli, who worked as a member of Guaraldi's trio in the 1960s, will headline Tales from A Charlie Brown Christmas with his own trio. The tour kicks off November 26 in Calgary, and concludes December 10 in Victoria. Alas, they're still all Canadian venues; he has yet to bring this show to the States. Granelli began this annual celebration with a few shows in 2013, and the results were quite popular (no surprise there). He'll again be joined by Simon Fisk (bass) and Chris Gestrin (piano). Check his website for details.