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No modern artist has made such an impression on the holidays as Vince Guaraldi. With the airing of the televised special A Charlie Brown Christmas--one of the most popular Christmas shows of my generation--Guaraldi began a dynasty of holiday music. Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits, newly released by Fantasy Jazz, includes Guaraldi's greatest compositions from the holiday specials, most of them released for the first time.

Aside from A Charlie Brown Christmas, which I consider one of the essential Christmas records for collectors, my favorite show was It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. And for the first time since watching the TV special, I have the opportunity to listen to The Great Pumpkin Waltz, a classic Guaraldi piece. Somehow, Guaraldi always seemed to capture the peculiar blend of holiday emotions that I always feel--eager expectation mixed with anxiety, happiness and sadness, joy and reverence. Nowhere does he capture this mood better than in The Great Pumpkin Waltz. The Thanksgiving Theme is another highlight of this record. And the instrumental version of Christmas Time Is Here is one of my very favorite Christmas songs.

And don't forget Linus and Lucy, Guaraldi's towering contribution to popular american culture. Everyone who grew up in the 1960s will remember this tune. Guaraldi had a way of capturing the spirit of childhood in his music. Linus and Lucy is one of those songs that, by its association with two of the ubiquitous Peanuts icons along with its simple, unforgettable melody, became one of the greatest songs of the 1960s.

--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 1998)

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Vince Guaraldi Trio

Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits

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Track List