Vince Guaraldi Trio
A Charlie Brown Christmas OST
(Fantasy; 1965)
On Dec. 9, 1965, CBS aired A Charlie Brown Christmas, an iconic holiday special that has marked the beginning of the most joyous time of year ever since. The special won an Emmy and a Peabody, but the most remarkable feature of the annual tradition is the smooth jazz soundtrack arranged by Vice Guaraldi.
The rambling piano that kicks off “Linus and Lucy” is the most likely to tug at any memories of Christmas long past. As the song progress it slowly breaks down to become a slight twinkle of keys with a thick upright bass riff. While most remember the album as a holiday soundtrack there are plenty of moments where the jazzier side of the Vince Guaraldi Trio shine.
It would be impossible not to mention the signature track of A Charlie Brown Christmas, “Christmas Time is Here.” The Trio drop the jazz to a minimum and let the piano draw out a simply beautiful, and somewhat lonesome, tune fit for the first snowfall.
It’s that time of the season and without A Charlie Brown Christmas it wouldn’t be the same.
Trial Track: “Christmas Time is Here”
