A Charlie Brown Christmas — The Vince Guaraldi Trio

by G. Jack Urso

A Charlie Brown Christmas — The Vince Guaraldi Trio (1965) on the Ae13U Sounds YouTube channel. Individual tracks linked below.

The soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) by the Vince Guaraldi Trio (Vince Guaraldi, piano; Monty Budwig, bass; and Colin Bailey, drums) is one of the most acclaimed Christmas albums of all time and probably one of the most sophisticated children’s albums ever. Just getting the special to air, with its recitation of Luke 2:8-20, the Annunciation to the Shepherds of the coming of the Christ Child, proved a challenge, one which the producers compounded by insisting on, of all things, a jazz soundtrack.

Yet, it worked. The special’s message with its critique of the commercialization of Christmas is underscored by Guaraldi’s light touch on the ivories which are not unlike the snowflakes that fall on the ground. It sounds not unlike the music one hears in stores during the Christmas season, and, indeed, tracks off the album have become ubiquitous during the holiday season. 

Nevertheless, there is a more substantial subtext than the typical department store Muzak. Guaraldi plays with us. One track may seem like a seasonal retail store riff (“The Christmas Song”), another, a somber, downbeat reflection of the holiday (“Christmas Time Is Here”). The change in tone mirrors our often-mixed feelings about the season (like Charlie Brown’s) reminding us that maybe we aren’t all that different from the baldheaded little kid, or that unwanted Christmas Tree in the special that blooms with just a little attention and love.

Additionally, A Charlie Brown Christmas ranks second behind Miles Davis' Kind of Blue (1959) as the best-selling jazz album of all time, it is in the Grammy Hall of Fame and the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress and is certified five times for platinum sales of five million copies.

A Charlie Brown Christmas — The Vince Guaraldi Trio (1965)

1. “O Tannenbaum” (5:08)

2. “What Child Is This” (2:25)

3. “My Little Drum” (3:12)

4. “Linus and Lucy” (3:06)

5. “Christmas Time Is Here” (instrumental) (6:05)

6. “Christmas Time Is Here” (vocal) (2:47)

7. “Skating” (2:27)

8. “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (1:55)

9. “Christmas Is Coming” (3:25)

10. “Für Elise” (1:06)

11. “The Christmas Song” (3:17)

12. “Greensleeves” (5:29)

Total Time:  40:23

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