A Jolly Guaraldi Holiday 2025

Vince would be so gob-smacked.

By mid-December of 2023, this annual round-up of Guaraldi-themed concerts had grown to an astonishing 171 entries — several of which cited multiple bookings for the given group — which was a massive jump over 2022. It covered 37 American states, four Canadian provinces and two venues in the UK (London and Dublin).

Last December was a bit more modest, with "only" 142 entries ... but that's still stunning.

Will this year break that total?

Too soon to tell, since fresh bookings will continue to be announced throughout the first half of December.

Thus far, these 148 listings cover 37 American states, five Canadian provinces and one UK venue.

And here's a new aspect to this trend: A few groups each year also have scheduled Charlie Brown Thanksgiving shows. Assuming those prove equally popular, we can expect more of them, moving forward.

I first traced the history and growth of this delightful annual tradition back in 2012, with a modest schedule that now seems quaint. This year's post will serve as a clearinghouse for any and all 2025 concerts that come to my attention. As always, I'll add to this schedule as new information becomes available, so you'll want to check back frequently. New entries and listings will be tagged as UPDATES. 

Anybody with information about a show (or shows) not listed here, is encouraged to submit the information in a comment; please be as detailed as possible. Such comments will not be published, but the show(s) will be added to the roster.

Let's start with mainstay groups with busy touring schedules:

• Popular jazz pianist David Benoit traditionally headlines a concert tour of his Christmas Tribute to Charlie Brown each December. This year's schedule kicks off Friday, November 28, in Hollywood, California, with subsequent stops in New York, New Jersey, and additional California venues. Check his website for details.

• UPDATE: Drummer Glen Paul and his trio have 16 performances of Guaraldi's music from A Charlie Brown Christmas scheduled from November 28 through December 21 at numerous venues throughout Ontario, Canada. Details.

• The Teri Parker Trio — Parker, piano, Christopher Kettlewell, bass; and Kyle Sullivan, drums — will present the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas at numerous Canadian venues in Ontario, starting November 30 and continuing through December 23. Details.

• The Ocean Avenue Stompers — Joe Gullace, trumpet; Ian Gray, trombone; Mark Masefield and Jeff Kazee, alternating on piano, Cody McCorry, bass; and Cameron Lockwood, drums — have a busy schedule of Charlie Brown Christmas performances beginning on Sunday, November 30 (three shows), at the Alternate Ending Beer Co. in Aberdeen, New Jersey; and concluding Sunday, December 21, at the Sperlak Sculpture Gardens in Cape May, New Jersey, with stops in between in Massachusetts and other New Jersey venues. Details.

• The Ornaments — Jen Gunderman, piano; Martin Lynds, bass; and James Haggaerty, drums — will be joined by special guest soloists for their 20th anniversary performances of music from A Charlie Brown Christmas during a busy schedule that runs from December 7-22: one show Sunday, December 7, at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee; one show Wednesday, December 10, at the Bend Theater in West Bend, Wisconsin; two shows Saturday, December 13, at the Temple Theater in Portland, Tennesee; and and 13 shows December 17-22, at the Eastside Bowl, in Nashville, Tennesee. Details. And do check out their 2011 live album.

• Doc Watkins and his Orchestra will begin their month-long Christmas in Jazz tributes to the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas at San Antonio's JazzTX, Texas, on Friday, November 28. Additional shows include November 30 and December 7 and 16-20. Details. They also scheduled a December 13 performance at the Majestic Theater, also in San Antonio. Details. The icing on the cake: Watkins' terrific 2022 album, The Music of A Charlie Brown Christmas; do check it out!

• The Eric Byrd Trio — Byrd, piano and vocals; Will Hazel, bass; and Alphonso Young Jr., drums and percussion — has made a cottage industry of Guaraldi's Charlie Brown Christmas music, having thus far released two cover albums: a 2009 studio project, and a 2021 live performance. Byrd's combo begins its annual run on Sunday, November 30, in Washington, D.C., with subsequent performances in that Maryland and Pennsylvania, concluding Saturday, December 20. Details.

A Jolly Guaraldi Holiday 2024

As Charlie Brown would say, Good grief!

Talk about a growth industry...

By mid-December last year, this annual round-up of Guaraldi-themed concerts had grown to an astonishing length, with a whopping 171 entries — several of which cited multiple bookings for the given group — which was a massive jump over 2022. I expected some increase, given that Covid fears had eased ... but I sure wasn't prepared for an explosion of such magnitude.

Will it happen again this year?

Too soon to tell, since fresh bookings continue to be announced throughout the first half of December.

Call this a good start, then; we've already covered 37 American states, four Canadian provinces and two venues in the UK (London and Dublin). And I'm sure groups in some of the remaining 13 states are joining in the fun; I simply haven't heard about them yet.

I first traced the history and growth of this delightful annual tradition back in 2012, with a modest schedule that now seems quaint. This year's post will serve as a clearinghouse for any and all 2024 concerts that come to my attention. As always, I'll add to this schedule as new information becomes available, so you'll want to check back frequently. New entries and listings will be tagged as UPDATES. 

Anybody with information about a show (or shows) not listed here, is encouraged to submit the information in a comment; please be as detailed as possible. Such comments will not be published, but the show(s) will be added to the roster.

Let's start with mainstay groups with busy touring schedules:

• The Chris White Trio has become quite serious about honoring Guaraldi's holiday-themed Peanuts music. During the next month, White (on piano) will work with bassists Sean Jacobi, Mike Benning, Joe Policastro and Alex Austin; and drummers Ryan Jacobi, Kurt Lubbe, Dave Williams, Darren Scorza and Joe Adamik. The trio began this season back on Sunday, October 29, with the first of two performances of the music from It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, at jazz clubs in Chicago, Illinois. One of those, Winter's Jazz Club, will host the trio's one-night tribute to the music from A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on Wednesday, November 27. The group's full-schedule Charlie Brown Christmas shows (dozens!) will kick off Saturday, November 30, in Arlington, Illinois, with additional performances at numerous Illinois venues — and one night in Michigan — concluding Sunday, December 22, once again at Winter's. Details.

• Popular jazz pianist David Benoit traditionally headlines a concert tour of his Christmas Tribute to Charlie Brown each December. This year's schedule — which again features vocalist Courtney Fortune — kicks off Friday, November 29, in Hollywood, California, with subsequent stops in New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Arizona, additional California venues, and concludes December 19-22, at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley in Seattle, Washington. Check his website for details.

• The Ornaments — Jen Gunderman, piano; Martin Lynds, bass; and James Haggaerty, drums — will be joined by special guest soloists for their 19th annual performances of music from A Charlie Brown Christmas during a busy schedule that runs from December 14-22: two shows Saturday, December 14, at the Temple Theatre in Portland, Tennessee; and 12 shows Tuesday through Sunday, December 17-22, at the Eastside Bowl, in Nashville, Tennesee. Details. And do check out their 2011 live album.

• Doc Watkins and his Orchestra will begin their month-long Christmas in Jazz tributes to the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas at San Antonio's JazzTX, Texas, on Friday, November 29. Upcoming shows include November 30 and December 5-8, 10, 12-14 and 20-22. Details. They also scheduled a December 19 performance at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, also in San Antonio. Details. The icing on the cake: Watkins' terrific 2022 album, The Music of A Charlie Brown Christmas; do check it out!

• The Eric Byrd Trio — Byrd, piano and vocals; Bhagwan Khalsa, acoustic bass; and Alphonso Young Jr., drums and percussion — has made a cottage industry of Guaraldi's Charlie Brown Christmas music, having thus far released two cover albums: a 2009 studio project, and a 2021 live performance. Both are available here. Byrd's combo begins its annual run on Saturday, November 30, in Maryland, with numerous subsequent performances in that state and Virginia, concluding Saturday, December 21. Details.

• The Heather Pierson Trio — Pierson, piano; Shawn Nadeau, bass; and Craig Bryan, drums — will began an ambition Charlie Brown Christmas tour on Saturday, November 30, in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. Subsequent stops will include venues in that state, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Maine, concluding on Sunday, December 22, in Waldoboro, Maine. Details.

Pumpkin Jazz

Thanks to the long-awaited 2022 release of Guaraldi's soundtrack to It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, a few of the groups that mount annual Charlie Brown Christmas holiday shows have added similar performances to celebrate that Halloween album. It's a small list thus far, but they certainly deserve the same sort of shout-out ... and I'm sure more bands will follow in the future.

If I learn of any others in a timely fashion, I'll add them as an UPDATE, so you might want to check back every few days.

(I expect to post the annual Christmas performance list in mid-November.)

As for this debut Great Pumpkin list ... I gotta say, if you live in Illinois, you're about to have a great week!

• The Mich Shirey Trio, also known as Guitar for Guaraldi — Shirey, guitar; Nick Fane, bass; and Joey Buttlar, drums — will perform the music from It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, along with other Guaraldi treats, on Thursday, October 24, at the Tack Room in Chicago, Illinois. Details.

• The Doug Ferdinand Quartet — Ferdinand, keyboards; Patrick Keelan, vibraphone; Colin O'Malley, bass; and Brendan Mack, drums — will perform the music from It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on Sunday, October 27, at the Blue Island Beer Company in Blue Island, Illinois. Details.

• The Chris White Quartet — White, piano; Greg Dudzienski, sax and flute; Sean Jacobi, bass; and Ryan Jacobi, drums — will perform the music from It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on Tuesday, October 29, at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Details.

• The Mich Shirey Trio, also known as Guitar for Guaraldi — Shirey, guitar; Nick Fane, bass; and David Kuchera drums — will perform the music from It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, along with other Guaraldi treats, on Wednesday, October 30, at The Whistler in Chicago, Illinois. Details.

• The Chris White Quartet — White, piano; Greg Dudzienski, sax and flute; Sean Jacobi, bass; and Ryan Jacobi, drums — will perform the music from It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on Wednesday, October 30, at The Winters Jazz Club in Chicago, Illinois. Details.

A Jolly Guaraldi Holiday 2023

It's time once again for this annual round-up of Guaraldi-themed concerts taking place between now and the end of the year, most of which (of course!) are tied in to his music from A Charlie Brown Christmas.

The 2020 and '21 post-Covid slow-down definitely is behind us, since last year's impressive roster of performances matched pre-pandemic numbers. Some patrons and musicians remain cautious, and likely will be masked; we must respect folks wary of what seems to have become an annual "holiday infection bump." That said, the shows will go on. Some groups are "fighting back" with impressively lengthy schedules. Indeed, this year's list is much longer than ever before: We've covered 32 American states, five Canadian provinces and one venue in the UK. (And I'm sure groups in the remaining 18 states are joining in the fun; I simply haven't heard about them.)

All that said, schedules still are more fluid than they were, prior to 2020. It's best to keep an eye on the web site(s) of any artist and/or venue that catches your fancy, to learn of any last-minute changes.

I first traced the history and growth of this delightful annual tradition back in 2012, with a modest schedule that now seems quaint. This year's post will serve as a clearinghouse for any and all 2023 concerts that come to my attention. As always, I'll add to this schedule as new information becomes available, so you'll want to check back frequently. New entries and listings will be tagged as UPDATES. 

Let's start with mainstay groups with busy touring schedules:

• The Chris White Trio has become quite serious about honoring Guaraldi's holiday-themed Peanuts music. During the next month, Chris (on piano) will work with bassists Sean Jacobi, Mike Benning and Joe Policastro; and drummers Ryan Jacobi, Kurt Lubbe and Joe Adamik. The trio began this season back on Sunday, October 29, with a one-off performance of the music from It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, at Winter's Jazz Club, in Chicago, Illinois. The same venue will host the trio's one-night tribute to the music from A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on Wednesday, November 22. The group's full-schedule Charlie Brown Christmas shows will kick off Saturday, December 2, in Berwyn, Illinois, with additional performances at numerous Illinois venues, concluding Monday, December 18, at Evanston's MSpace. Details. 

• Doc Watkins and his Orchestra began their month-long Christmas in Jazz tributes to the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas at San Antonio's JazzTX, Texas, on Friday, November 24. Upcoming shows include November 25, November 30-December 2, and December 5, 8-9, 14-16, 19 and 23. Details. They also scheduled a December 22 performance at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, also in San Antonio. Details. The icing on the cake: Watkins' terrific 2022 album, The Music of A Charlie Brown Christmas; do check it out!

• The Eric Byrd Trio — Byrd, piano and vocals; Bhagwan Khalsa, acoustic bass; and Alphonso Young Jr., drums and percussion — has made a cottage industry of Guaraldi's Charlie Brown Christmas music, having thus far released two cover albums: a 2009 studio project, and a 2021 live performance. Both are available here. Byrd's combo began its annual run on Sunday, November 26, in Washington, D.C., with subsequent performances in Virginia and Maryland, concluding Saturday, December 23, at the Weinberg Center for the Arts, in Frederick, Maryland. Details.

• The Heather Pierson Trio — Pierson, piano; Shawn Nadeau, bass; and Craig Bryan, drums — will began an ambition Charlie Brown Christmas tour on Sunday, November 26, in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. Subsequent stops will include venues in New Hampshire and Maine, concluding on Sunday, December 24, in Bethel, Maine. Details.

• The Eric Mintel Quartet — Mintel, piano; Nelson Hill, sax; Jack Hegyi, bass; and Dave Mohn, drums — also has a busy schedule of Charlie Brown Holiday Jazz shows starting Wednesday, November 29, in Worcester, Massachusetts, with additional shows throughout New Jersey, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, concluding Thursday, December 21, in Clinton, New Jersey. Details.

• The Cartoon Christmas Trio — Jeff Knoettner, piano; Rob Swanson, double bass; and Larry Marshall, drums — performs music from A Charlie Brown Christmas, along with tunes from other animated holiday shows, such as Frosty the Snowman and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. (Their 2008 album is a kick; check it out.) They have an extremely busy schedule that kicks off November 30 in Wilmington, Delaware, with subsequent stops through December 23 in Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Details.

• Popular jazz pianist David Benoit traditionally headlines a concert tour of his Christmas Tribute to Charlie Brown each December. This year's schedule — which again features vocalist Courtney Fortune — kicks off Sunday, December 3, in Saratoga, California, with subsequent stops in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Arizona and additional California venues, and concludes Thursday-Saturday, December 21-23, at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley in Seattle, Washington. Check his website for details.

• The Ornaments — Jen Gunderman, piano; Martin Lynds, bass; and James Haggaerty, drums — will be joined by special guest soloists for their 18th annual performances of music from A Charlie Brown Christmas during a busy schedule that runs from December 16-23: two shows Saturday, December 16, at the Temple Theatre in Portland, Tennessee; and 13 shows (!) Monday through Saturday, December 18-23, at the Eastside Bowl, in Nashville, Tennesee. Details.

• The Annie Booth Trio — Booth, piano; Patrick McDevitt, bass; and Alejandro Castaño, drums — will be joined by guest vocalists Bailey Hinkley Grogan, Jenna McLean and Marion Powers, for their 10th annual Charlie Brown Christmas concerts during 13 shows (!) Monday through Sunday, December 18-24, at Dazzle, in Denver, Colorado. Details.

Pass the drumstick!

With copies of Guaraldi's score for A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving finally landing in the hands of eager fans who've literally waited — in some cases — half a century for this treasure, Sean and Jason Mendelson have been hitting the publicity trail.

Check out the following:

• Sean and Jason's impressively enthusiastic, 35-minutes October 12 visit to the Cereal at Midnight podcast;

• A brief October 13 album plug at Jazz Weekly;

• The New York Times' reader-submitted "Ultimate Fall Playlist," published October 13, with Guaraldi's "Great Pumpkin Waltz" first on the 14-track result (where it's the only instrumental);

• Sean Mendelson's lengthy, 40-minute focus on the vinyl edition, during this October 18 chat with WCB: Jazz Vinyl Collector; 

• This nifty CNN video plug, citing the album alongside new releases from the Rolling Stones and Nancy Sinatra ... a gathering of 1960s icons!

• Sean Mendelson's 25-minute interview about the album, during this November 8 Neon Jazz Interviews chat;

• The official Lee Mendelson Film Productions Inc. YouTube album playlist.

And a couple blasts from the past:

• Good Housekeepings's "50 Best Thanksgiving Songs for Your Turkey Day Playlist," updated back in November 2021, with Guaraldi's "Thanksgiving Theme" nicely slotted at No. 19; and

• Entertainment Weekly's "15 Essential Songs for Your Thanksgiving Playlist," published in November 2022. The last-place entry goes to Guaraldi's "Thanksgiving Theme." (Hey, it still made the list, right?) In both these cases, the tune now can be heard on its own soundtrack album.

Finally, for those who eschew physical media, links to four different sources that offer digital purchase/downloads of the Thanksgiving tracks. (Qobuz is a reliable seller of lossless downloads; Presto Music is known mostly as a shop for classical music, but they also offer soundtracks and jazz.)

(This isn't a definitive list, merely the most common sources.)

• Amazon (MP3) (click on "Purchase Options")

• Apple/iTunes (M4A) (may open automatically in Music app, or you may need to click the "open in Music" button)

• Qobuz (lossless download, high-res download)

• Presto Music (lossless or MP3 download)

********

Finally, a brief acknowledgment of the holiday that comes before Thanksgiving...

Folks living in or near Chicago won't want to miss the Chris White Quartet's October 29 concerts at Winter's Jazz Club. Chris has been among the most ambitious of Guaraldi's torch-bearers; in addition to a busy annual schedule of Charlie Brown Christmas-themed shows — 23 this year! — in recent years he has branched out to include Great Pumpkin and Charlie Brown Thanksgiving gigs ... along with a Latin-themed Guaraldi set in July 2022.

We love this guy!

A jolly Guaraldi holiday 2022

It's time once again for this annual round-up of Guaraldi-themed concerts taking place between now and the end of the year, most of which (of course!) are tied in to his music from A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Following 2020's much smaller list of streaming-only performances, things initially looked more promising last year. Numerous artists and groups optimistically scheduled live performances, most of which took place as planned. Some, alas, were derailed by Covid's mid- to late December "winter bounce." 

Although we definitely aren't out of the woods yet — with hospitals and caregivers currently getting slammed by the terrible trio of Covid, annual flu and RSV — we seem to have decided, to borrow that wonderful phrase from the British, to keep calm and carry on. This year's roster of performances already is approaching the impressive pre-pandemic numbers. Some musicians no doubt will be masked; some clubs likely will insist that patrons take similar precautions. That said — to borrow yet another famous phrase — the shows will go on. Indeed, some groups have booked impressively lengthy schedules.

Even so, it'll be best to keep an eye on the web site(s) of any artist and/or venue that catches your fancy, to determine if the schedule has shifted.

I first traced the history and growth of this delightful annual tradition back in 2012, with a modest schedule that now seems quaint. This year's post will serve as a clearinghouse for any and all 2022 concerts that come to my attention. As always, I'll add to this schedule as new information becomes available, so you'll want to check back frequently. New entries and listings will be tagged as UPDATES. 

Let's dig in!

• The Eric Byrd Trio — Byrd, piano and vocals; Bhagwan Khalsa, acoustic bass; and Alphonso Young Jr., drums and percussion — has made a cottage industry of Guaraldi's Charlie Brown Christmas music, having thus far released two cover albums: a 2009 studio project, and a 2021 live performance. Both are available here. Byrd's combo began its 10-show run on November 26, with upcoming performances in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., concluding Friday, December 23, at the Weinberg Center for the Arts, in Frederick, Maryland. Details.

• Doc Watkins and his Orchestra began their month-long Christmas in Jazz tributes to the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas at San Antonio's JazzTX, Texas, on November 25. Upcoming shows include December 1-4, 8-11, 15-18 and 20-22. Details. They also scheduled a December 14 performance at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, also in San Antonio. Details. The icing on the cake: Watkins just released a terrific new album, The Music of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Check it out!

A Jolly Guaraldi Holiday 2021

It's time once again for this annual round-up of Guaraldi-themed concerts taking place between now and the end of the year, most of which (of course!) are tied in to his music from A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Last year's schedule proved incredibly fluid, as rising Covid concerns and restrictions constantly changed schedules, sometimes with very little notice. Almost all of the brave souls who attempted to present live, at-venue performances, were forced to pivot to streaming options. While that was disappointing for each group's local fans, the result proved awesome for the rest of us. I was able to watch performances by many, many groups — 24 of them! — that have always been too geographically distant for me to catch in person.

Things are equally up in the air this year. While numerous artists and groups already have optimistically scheduled live performances, we don't yet know whether a Covid "winter bounce" will strike for a second year. As was the case last year, it'll be best to keep an eye on the artist and/or venue web site, to determine if a live presentation has shifted to streaming-only ... or (I hope not!) canceled entirely.

I traced the history and growth of this delightful tradition back in 2012, with a modest schedule that now seems quaint. This year's post will serve as a clearinghouse for any and all 2021 concerts that come to my attention. As always, I'll add to this schedule as new information becomes available, so you'll want to check back frequently. New entries and listings will be tagged as UPDATES.

Let's dig in!

• The Eric Byrd Trio — Byrd, piano and vocals; Bhagwan Khalsa, acoustic bass; Alphonso Young Jr., drums and percussion — has made a cottage industry of Guaraldi's Christmas music, going so far as to cover most of the album in a 2009 CD. Best of all, the trio just released a new album: a live performance recorded during one of their gigs in Westminster, Maryland. Both are available here.  Byrd's combo is booked for 10 shows this year, starting Saturday, November 20, at the Blackrock Center for the Arts in Germantown, Maryland; and concluding Saturday, December 18, at the Carroll Art Center in Westminster, Maryland. Check his web site for details.

• The Chris White Trio — White, piano; Sean Jacobi, bass; and Ryan Jacobi, drums — will kick off a busy schedule with a tribute to the music of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on Wednesday, November 24, at Winter's Jazz Club in Chicago, Illinois. Subsequent Charlie Brown Christmas tribute concerts will begin Saturday and Sunday, December 4 and 5, at Hey Nonny, also in Chicago. Details. Information about additional Charlie Brown Christmas concerts can be found at Chris' website.

• The Steve Myerson Trio — Myerson, piano; Mike Boone, bass; and George Coleman Jr., drums — will present a Vince Guaraldi Holiday Special on Wednesday, November 24, at Shanghai Jazz in Madison, New Jersey. Details.

• Doc Watkins and His Orchestra will present "Christmas in Jazz," featuring music from A Charlie Brown Christmas during 16 (!) live performances every Friday and Saturday, from November 26 through December 18, at JazzTX in San Antonio, Texas. Details. He'll also present Big Band Jazz arrangements of Guaraldi's iconic music on Thursday, December 16, at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, also in San Antonio. Details.

• The Eric Mintel Quartet — Mintel, piano; Nelson Hill, sax; Jack Hegyi, bass; and Dave Mohn, drums — also has a busy schedule planned, beginning with Vince Guaraldi & The Holidays on Saturday, November 27, at Shanghai Jazz, Madison, New Jersey; and concluding on Monday, December 20, at Artefact, Furlong, Pennsylvania; with plenty of dates in between. Details at their website.

• UPDATE: The Cartoon Christmas Trio — Jeff Knoettner, piano; Rob Swanson, bass; Jimmy Coleman, drums — performs music from A Charlie Brown Christmas and tunes from other animated holiday shows, such as Frosty the Snowman and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. (Their album is a kick; give it a listen.) They have a busy schedule, starting Wednesday, December 1, at Winterthur Estates and Gardens in Winterthur, Delaware, and concluding Wednesday, December 22, at The Pines, in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Check their calendar for details.

• UPDATE: The Mich Shirey Duo — Shirey, guitar; and Nick Fane, upright bass — will present Guitar for Guaraldi: A Charlie Brown Christmas Tribute on Wednesday, December 1, at the Whistler in Chicago, Illinois. Details.

• Popular jazz pianist David Benoit traditionally headlines a busy concert tour of his Christmas Tribute to Charlie Brown each December; alas, his schedule was limited to just two performances last year. He's returning with a vengeance this year, with a 15-stop tour that begins Thursday, December 2, in Natick, Massachusetts; and concludes Thursday, December 23, in San Juan Capistrano, California; with stops along the way in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Nebraska, Washington and more. Check his website for details.

• Pianist Keith Byrd and his Frynz combo will present a Charlie Brown Christmas concert on Thursday, December 2, at the Centennial Station Arts Center in High Point, North Carolina. Details.

• The Heather Pierson Acoustic Trio — Pierson, piano; Shawn Nadeau, bass; and Davy Sturtevant, guitar, mandolin, dobro, fiddle, cornet — will begin an ambitious Charlie Brown Christmas tour on Friday, December 3, at the Bangor Arts Exchange in Bangor, Maine. Subsequent stops will includes venues in Vermont and New Hampshire, concluding on Saturday, December 18, at Atac: Downtown Arts + Music in Framingham, Massachusetts. Full details are available at her website calendar.

• The Ed Croft Trio — Croft, bass; Jake Malone Brancato, piano; and Candice Simone Thomas, drums — will present a concert titled "Charlie Brown Is in Town" on Friday and Saturday, December 3 and 4, at the Pausa Art House in Buffalo, New York. Details. They'll follow this with another performance on Sunday, December 5, at the Seneca One Tower, also in Buffalo. Details.

• UPDATE: The Donovan Johnson Band — Johnson, piano; Ed Archibald, sax/flute; Kevin Kerwin, guitar; Steve Gomez, bass; William Nanson, drums; and Kent Barnes, percussion — will be joined by vocalist Stephen Sheehan for The Music of Vince Guaraldi and Peanuts, on Saturday, December 4, at the Omaha Conservatory of Music, Omaha, Nebraska. Details.

• The Ron LeGault Trio will present Charlie Brown Goes to the Nutcracker — Guaraldi's music from the holiday special, blended with jazz versions of music from the Nutcracker Ballet — on three consecutive Saturdays, December 4, 11 and 18, at the St. Julien Hotel & Spa in Boulder, Colorado. Details.

• The Joey Nardone Trio — Nardone, piano; Brian Allen, bass; and Chris Brown, drums — will present their sixth annual tribute to the music of Vince Guaraldi's A Charlie Brown Christmas on Sunday, December 5, at City Winery Nashville, Nashville, Tennessee. Details.

• The John Sherwood Trio — Sherwood, piano; Scott Alexander, bass; and Brian Barlow, drums — will perform the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas on Sunday, December 5, at the Empire Theatre, Belleville, Ontario, Canada. Details.

• UPDATE: The Mich Shirey Trio — Shirey, guitar; Nick Fane, upright bass; and Dave Brandwein, drums — will present Guitar for Guaraldi: A Charlie Brown Christmas Tribute on Sunday, December 5, at the Montrose Saloon in Chicago, Illinois. Details.

• Saxophonist Patrick Lamb and his Quartet — Dan Gaynor, piano; Dan Balmer, guitar; and Adam Carlson, drums — will perform the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas on Monday, December 6, at the Tower Theater in Bend, Oregon. Details.

• UPDATE: The Ed Vezinho and Jim Ward Big Band — featuring some of Atlantic City's finest showroom musicians — will perform the score from A Charlie Brown Christmas on Monday, December 6, at the Stockton Studies in the Arts' Campus Center Theatre, in Galloway, New Jersey. Details.

• The Peter Roberts Band will perform the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas on three consecutive Tuesdays — December 7, 14 and 21 — at Noce, Des Moines, Iowa. Details.

• UPDATE: The Commercialists — Anthony Deutsch, piano; Clay Schaub, bass; and Patrick Morrow, drums — will perform the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas nightly, two or three shows per evening, from Friday, December 10, through Tuesday, December 21, at the Jazz Estate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Details.

• The Jim Martinez Jazz Quartet — Arlyn Anderson, guitar; Matt Robinson, bass; and Tim Metz, drums — and guest vocalist Lauren Ross will present the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas on Friday, December 10, at the Fair Oaks Church in Fair Oaks, California. Details.

• UPDATE: The Ed Croft Trio — Croft, bass; Jake Malone Brancato, piano; and Candice Simone Thomas, drums — will present the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas on Friday, December 10, at the 1891 Fredonia Opera House in Fredonia, New York. Details. 

• The Stanford Jazz Workshop will host The Glen Pearson Trio — Pearson, piano; Ruth Davies, bass; and Lorca Hart, drums — in three performances of the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas, Friday through Sunday, December 10-12, at the Campbell Recital Hall, Stanford, California. Details.

• TT Mahony and Jeffrey Butzer will present their annual tribute to A Charlie Brown Christmas for three nights — Friday through Sunday, December 10-12 — at The Earl, in Atlanta, Georgia. Details. 

• The Cliff Habian Quartet — Habian, piano; Pete Cavano, guitar; Jeff Slater, bass; and Eric Everett, drums — will present A Tribute to the Music of Vince Guaraldi on Saturday, December 11, at The Fine Arts Association in Willoughby, Ohio. Details.

• UPDATE: The Vince Guaraldi Trio-bute — Alan Zemaitis, piano; Christopher Kettlewell, bass guitar; and Kyle Sullivan, drums — will perform the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas on Saturday, December 11, at The Dakota Tavern, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Details.

• The Taurey Butler Trio — Butler, piano; Frédéric Alarie, bass; and Wali Muhammad, drums — will present the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas on Saturday, December 11, at Théâtre Beaubois in Pierrefonds-Roxboro, Montreal, Quebec. Details.

• The Konrad Paszkudzki Trio, along with guest vocalist Olivia Chindamo, will celebrate the season with The Music of Vince Guaraldi on Sunday, December 12, at Saint Joseph's Arts Society, San Francisco, California. Details.

• UPDATE: The Mich Shirey Trio — Shirey, guitar; Nick Fane, upright bass; and Dave Brandwein, drums — will present a "Yule Log" special video devoted to his new Guaraldi tribute album, Guitar for Guaraldi, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time, via YouTube, on Sunday, December 12. Mich promises to be present via the live chat. Check it out here!.

• UPDATE: The Jim Connerley Trio — Connerley, piano; Eric Sayer, bass; and Ben Bratton, drums — will present their annual tribute to A Charlie Brown Christmas on Sunday, December 12, at the Mansion Hill Sanctuary in Newport, Kentucky. Details.

• UPDATE: The Malcolm Granger Trio — Granger, piano; Rich Hill, bass; and Michael Dunford, percussion — will perform the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas on Sunday, December 12, at the Cotuit Center for the Arts in Cotuit, Massachusetts. Details.

• The Michelle Schumann Trio — Schumann, piano; Utah Hamrick, bass; and David Sierra, drums — will be joined by special guests for a performance of Vince Guaraldi's music from A Charlie Brown Christmas on Sunday, December 12, at the Paramount Theatre, Austin, Texas. Details.

• The Jose "Juicy" Gonzales Trio — Gonzales, piano and vocals; Michael Marcus, bass; and Matt Jorgensen, drums — will present its 10th annual tribute to the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas on Sunday, December 12, at the Cornish Playhouse in Seattle, Washington. Details.

• UPDATE: The Mich Shirey Trio — Shirey, guitar; Nick Fane, upright bass; and Dave Brandwein, drums — will present Guitar for Guaraldi: A Charlie Brown Christmas Tribute on Monday, December 13, at the aptly named Café Mustache in Chicago, Illinois. Details.

• TT Mahony and Jeffrey Butzer will perform the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas Tuesday, December 14, at MadLife Stage & Studios, Woodstock, Georgia. Details. 

• The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra will present Vince Guaraldi's music during a special presentation of A Charlie Brown Christmas — narrated by Quinn Greene, and featuring vocalist Jayme Giesbrecht — on Wednesday, December 15, at the West End Cultural Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Details.

• The Taurey Butler Trio — Butler, piano; Frédéric Alarie, bass; and Wali Muhammad, drums — will be joined by vocalist Marie-Christine Depestre for a performance the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas, on Wednesday and Thursday, December 11-12, at Salle Bourgie in Montreal, Quebec. Details.

• UPDATE: David Ellington's Peanut Gallery will perform the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas on Tuesday through Thursday, December 14-16; Sunday, December 19; and Tuesday through Thursday, December 21-23; at Venkman's in Atlanta, Georgia. Details. 

• UPDATE: The Good Grief Trio — Greg Hankins, piano; Luca Lombardi, bass; and Seth Hendershot, drums — will present a tribute to Vince Guaraldi's A Charlie Brown Christmas Wednesday, December 15, at the High Cotton Music Hall in Hartwell, Georgia. Details.

• The Michelle Schumann Trio — Schumann, piano; Utah Hamrick, bass; and David Sierra, drums — will present their annual concert of music from A Charlie Brown Christmas during afternoon and evening performances Thursday, December 16, at Stateside at the Paramount, in the Austin Chamber Music Center, Austin, Texas. A virtual option will be available for those unable to attend in person. Details.

• TT Mahony and Jeffrey Butzer will perform the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas Thursday, December 16, at the 40 Watt Club, Athens, Georgia. Details. 

• UPDATE: The Aidan Scrimgeour Trio — Scrimgeour, piano; Matt Estabrook, bass; and PJ Holaday, drums — will perform the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas on Thursday, December 16, at Tufts University's Granoff Music Center, in Medford, Massachusetts. Details.

• The Good Grief Trio — Greg Hankins, piano; Luca Lombardi, bass; and Seth Hendershot, drums — will be joined by the Peanuts Choir (SJ Ursrey, William Kissane, Matthew Lawing and Sarah Lawing) for a tribute to Vince Guaraldi's A Charlie Brown Christmas Thursday through Saturday, December 16-18, at Hendershot's Coffee Bar in Athens, Georgia. Details.

• UPDATE: The Sean Drabitt Trio — Drabitt, bass; Brent Jarvis, piano; and Joe Poole, drums — will perform the music from Guaraldi's A Charlie Brown Christmas Thursday through Saturday, December 16-18, at Hermann's Jazz Club in Victoria, British Columbia. Details.

• The Joe Cool Trio — John Milham, drums; Chris Spies, piano; and Chris Severin, bass — will once again present their 12th annual Charlie Brown Jazz Christmas concert on Friday, December 17, at the Laurel Little Theatre in Laurel, Mississippi. Details.

• UPDATE: The Aidan Scrimgeour Trio — Scrimgeour, piano; Matt Estabrook, bass; and PJ Holaday, drums — will perform the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas on Friday, December 17, at Studio FOLI in Salem, Massachusetts. Details.

• UPDATE: The Donovan Johnson Band — Johnson, piano; Ed Archibald, sax/flute; Kevin Kerwin, guitar; Steve Gomez, bass; William Nanson, drums; and Kent Barnes, percussion — will be joined by vocalist Stephen Sheehan for The Music of Vince Guaraldi and Peanuts, on Friday, December 17, at the Omaha Conservatory of Music, Omaha, Nebraska. Details.

• UPDATE: The Nate Hance Trio, along with the vocal stylings of Kijana, will present a tribute to A Charlie Brown Christmas, along with many other favorite holiday tunes, on Friday, December 17, at the Aster Café in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Details.

• The Jason Frederick Cinematic Trio — Frederick, piano; Scott Wheeler, double bass; and Dan Mullins, drums — will present The Music of Vince Guaraldi on Friday, December 17, at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England. Details.

• The David Gleason Sextet — Gleason, piano; Chris Pasin, trumpet; Ben O'Shea, trombone; Brian Patneaude, sax; Michael Lawrence, bass; and Pete Sweeney, drums — will present It's a Jazzy Christmas: Celebrating the Holiday Music of Vince Guaraldi on Friday, December 17, at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady, New York. Details.

• The Adam Shulman Trio — Shulman, piano; John Wiitala, bass; and James Gallagher, drums — has performed the music from Vince Guaraldi's A Charlie Brown Christmas at SFJazz Center's Miner Auditorium, San Francisco, for the past several years. Last year was solely virtual, but this year they're back to live and in person: Friday and Saturday, December 17-18. (The Friday evening performance also will be streamed, but only to SFJazz members.) Details.

• UPDATE: The Ornaments — Jen Gunderman, piano; Martin Lynds, bass; and James Haggerty, drums — will be joined by numerous special guests for their 16th annual performance of music from A Charlie Brown Christmas Friday through Sunday, December 17-19, at The Wash at Eastside Bowl in Madison, Tennessee. Details.

• UPDATE: The Commercialists — Anthony Deutsch, piano; Clay Schaub, bass; and Patrick Morrow, drums — will perform the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas nightly, two or three shows per evening, through Tuesday, December 21, at the Jazz Estate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Details.

• The Jason Frederick Cinematic Trio —Frederick, piano; Scott Wheeler, double bass; and Dan Mullins, drums — will present a concert titled A Charlie Brown Christmas and the Music of Vince Guaraldi on Saturday, December 18, at the Colchester Arts Centre in Colchester, Essex, England. Details.

• UPDATE: The Jose "Juicy" Gonzales Trio — Gonzales, piano and vocals; Michael Marcus, bass; and Matt Jorgensen, drums — will present its 10th annual tribute to the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas on Saturday, December 18, at JazzClubs Northwest in North Bend, Washington. Details.

• UPDATE: The Aidan Scrimgeour Trio — Scrimgeour, piano; Matt Estabrook, bass; and PJ Holaday, drums — will perform the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas on Saturday and Sunday, December 18-19, at the Parish Center for the Arts in Westford, Massachusetts. Details.

• The Taurey Butler Trio — Butler, piano; Frédéric Alarie, bass; and Wali Muhammad, drums — will be joined by vocalist Marie-Christine Depestre for a performance the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas, on Saturday, December 18, at Le Café culturel de la Chasse-galerie in Lavaltrie, Quebec. Details.

• The Joe Cool Trio — John Milham, drums; Chris Spies, piano; and Chris Severin, bass — will once again present their 12th annual Charlie Brown Jazz Christmas concert on Saturday, December 18, at the Saenger Theatre in Mobile, Alabama. Details.

• The Ed Croft Trio — Croft, bass; Jake Malone Brancato, piano; and Candice Simone Thomas, drums — will perform the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas on Saturday and Sunday, December 18 and 19, at the Revolution Gallery in Buffalo, New York. Details.

• The Joe Cool Trio — John Milham, drums; Chris Spies, piano; and Chris Severin, bass — will once again present their 12th annual Charlie Brown Jazz Christmas concert on Sunday, December 19, at the Frog Pond in Silverhilll, Alabama. Details.

• UPDATE: Flautist Bill McBirnie and vocalist Shannon Butcher will lead a Charlie Brown Jazz Vespers on Sunday, December 19, at St. Paul's Anglican Church in Hamilton, Ontario. Details.

• UPDATE: The Jose "Juicy" Gonzales Trio — Gonzales, piano and vocals; Michael Marcus, bass; and Matt Jorgensen, drums — will present its 10th annual tribute to the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas on Sunday, December 19, at Tim Noah's Thumbnail Theater in Snohomish, Washington. Details.

• UPDATE: The Mahogany Hall Jazz Ensemble — Patrick Courtin, piano; Andrew Cullen, bass; James McRae, drums; and Simon Paterson, vocals — will perform the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas, along with holiday classics by Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and others, on Sunday, December 19, at Knox United Church, Parksville, British Columbia. Details.

• UPDATE: Jazz pianist Patrick Carr will be joined by "friends" for a tribute to A Charlie Brown Christmas and other Guaraldi compositions, on Monday, December 20, at Wild Birds in Brooklyn, New York. Details.

• The Jeremy Baum Quartet — Baum, piano; Chris Vitarello, guitar; Sue Williams, upright bass; and David Tedeschi, drums — will present Vince Guaraldi's music from A Charlie Brown Christmas on Tuesday, December 21, at the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, New York. (Note: This event is solely for guests spending the night.) Details.

• Pianists Alex Guilbert and Chris McCarthy will be joined by other keyboardists for a celebration of the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas on Tuesday, December 21, at the Royal Room in Seattle, Washington. Details.

• The Annie Booth Trio — Booth, pianist; Patrick McDevitt, bass; and Alejandro Castaño, drums — will present their annual Charlie Brown Christmas tribute concerts Tuesday through Friday, December 21-24 — with multiple performances each day — at Dazzle, in Denver, Colorado. Details.

• UPDATE: Pianist Clifford Cameron will perform the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas on Wednesday, December 22, at Blue, in Portland, Maine. Details.

• UPDATE: The Vince Guaraldi Trio-bute — Alan Zemaitis, piano; Christopher Kettlewell, bass guitar; and Kyle Sullivan, drums — will perform the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas on Wednesday, December 22, at The Edmund Burke in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Details.

• The Jazz Troubadours — Tom Rickard, vibes; Guy Cantonwine, upright bass; and Steve Davis, drums — will perform the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas on Wednesday, December 22, at Evangeline's Bistro in St. Louis, Missouri. Details.

• UPDATE: Veteran session trumpeter Mike Lewis will be joined by his jazz friends for their fifth annual celebration of A Charlie Brown Christmas on Wednesday, December 22, at the Blue Note in Honolulu, Hawaii. Details.

• The Sean Mason Trio — Mason, piano; Butler Knowles, bass; and Malcolm Charles, drums — will be joined by vocalist Tyra Scott for a quartet of Charlie Brown Christmas concerts Wednesday and Thursday, December 22-23, at Middle C Jazz in Charlotte, North Carolina. Details. 

• The Commercialists — Anthony Deutsch, piano; Clay Schaub, bass; and Patrick Morrow, drums — will perform the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas during a pair of concerts on Thursday, December 23, at the Turner Hall Ballroom in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Details.

• UPDATE: The George Caldwell Trio will present A Vince Guaraldi Christmas on Thursday, December 23, at Tappo Pizza in Buffalo, New York. Details.

• UPDATE: The Jeremy Baum Trio — Baum, piano; Sue Williams, acoustic bass; and Peter O'Brien, drums — will present Vince Guaraldi's music from A Charlie Brown Christmas on Thursday, December 23, at Colony in Woodstock, New York. Details.

• The Duck Soup Trio — Adam Bravo, piano; Anthony Shadduck, bass; and Sam Webster, drums — will present a tribute to A Charlie Brown Christmas and the music of Vince Guaraldi on Thursday, December 23, at Campus Jax in Newport Beach, California. Details.

• UPDATED UPDATE: The Cliff Habian Quartet concert announced for Thursday, December 30, at The Market Garden Brewery in Cleveland, Ohio, has (alas!) been canceled. Details.

A Jolly Guaraldi Holiday 2020

It's time once again for this annual round-up of Guaraldi-themed concerts taking place between now and the end of the year, most of which (of course!) are tied in to his music from A Charlie Brown Christmas.

I've been concerned about this year's schedule, for obvious reasons. With the options for live performance venues -- and audiences willing to attend -- so limited, I feared this would prove to be a woefully short list. But the news isn't all bad; numerous individuals have pivoted by offering streaming concerts or YouTube options ... along with, to my surprise, a fair number of actual in-person performances. So while the expanding momentum established during the past few years has stalled, you'll still find a respectable number of groups and individuals below, all keeping Guaraldi's musical torch aloft. And we can hope that things return to normal next year.

I traced the history and growth of this delightful tradition back in 2012, with a modest schedule that now seems quaint. This year's post will serve as a clearinghouse for any and all 2020 concerts that come to my attention. Bear in mind that some of these listings are likely to be fluid; it's best to keep an eye on the artist and/or venue web site, to determine if a hoped-for live presentation has shifted to streaming-only. 

It's also highly likely that some of these live events will be canceled, perhaps even at the last moment; be sure to keep checking with the venue.

As always, I'll add to this schedule as new information becomes available, so you'll want to check back frequently. Additionally, some of the streaming performances will be available after the fact, so keep an eye on older entries, as the month proceeds.

• Let's start with something quite different: Jazz pianist Jody Nardone will present a three-week course on the life, compositions and piano stylings of Vince Guaraldi, on behalf of the Nashville Jazz Workshop; he'll draw anecdotes and other material from my very own Guaraldi biography (and thanks for the shout-out, Jody!). Sessions will take place on three consecutive Mondays: November 30, December 7 and 14. Details. He and his trio also will present their fifth annual Charlie Brown Christmas: A Tribute to Vince Guaraldi concert on Sunday, December 13, at the Music City Wine Garden, in Nashville, Tennessee. Details. Finally, he'll perform some of Guaraldi's holiday hits during a virtual "Jazz from Home" show, which will go live on December 16, and remain available through the 25. Details.

• The Malcolm Granger Trio — Granger, piano; Rich Hill, bass; and Michael Dunford, drums — recorded a selection of highlights from A Charlie Brown Christmas, traditionally performed at the Cotuit Center for the Arts, Cotuit, Massachusetts. This mini-concert can be viewed via YouTube.