It is Christmas Eve and thus a perfect day to feature jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi (1928-1976). Those wonderful tunes used in Peanuts TV specials in the 1960s are forever associated with the holiday. Vince's music had a lyrical touch which few people can duplicate.
On another subject, I'm having some trouble getting into the Holiday Spirit. This has been a very rough year for me and my family. I'm sure it wasn't the best year for many of you either. Good music cheers me up. Always has. But it won't bring back my 20-year-old nephew, who was killed while riding his bicycle back in February. (He was in a brain-dead coma for months thereafter.)
Although Guaraldi is famous for those Peanuts soundtracks, those songs are actually a small part of his entire body of work. Today I've split the difference. Here's the playlist.
- Star Song — live on television, with Brazilian guitarist Bola Sete
- Cast Your Fate To The Wind — outside the Peanuts soundtracks, Vince's best known tune
- Skating — jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut's longer version of Vince's Peanuts song
- Linus And Lucy — everyone's heard this one!
- Christmastime Is Here — simply the best
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