Vince Guaraldi Charlie Brown

As Vince Guaraldi is honoured with the American Eagle Award by the National Music Council, Craft Recordings is celebrating Guaraldi’s 91st birthday by the definite edition of his iconic music for It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. What you will hear on most tracks of this new and improved “best” version of the soundtrack are the musical cues as recorded by Vince and crew before they were edited for the television special, in show order, as well as a selection of alternate takes.

Vince Guaraldi was a well-respected jazz pianist whose greatest success came from avenues usually closed to contemporary jazz artists: he enjoyed a hit single at a time when jazz had largely been exiled from the pop charts, and he scored a series of very successful animated television specials (namely the Charlie Brown seasonal specials scores and soundtracks for which his name has become synonymous), a medium where cookie-cutter pop music was traditionally the order of the day.

The first time you listen to this disc you will undoubtedly be transported directly back to your childhood. Charles Schulz's Peanuts characters will go toe-tapping and funky-dancing through your mind's eye. Play it a few more times, though (ignoring the dialogue snippets, if you can), and you will begin to truly revel in Guaraldi's wonderful, humorous, deep piano playing. You'll hear why he's such an influence on new age ivory tickler George Winston, but you'll also realize that Winston's holiday music never quite sparkles with the underlying passion, and humor, that twinkles in these grooves. Buy it for the nostalgia–keep it because it will remain one of the most enchanting albums in your holiday collection.

As Vince Guaraldi is honoured with the American Eagle Award by the National Music Council, Craft Recordings is celebrating Guaraldi’s 91st birthday by the definite edition of his iconic music for It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

This super deluxe digital set features a NEW stereo mix remastered from the original 3-track and 2-track sources, plus the ORIGINAL stereo mix, along with a trove of unheard outtakes from five recording sessions and place listeners in the studio as the musicians work through their arrangements.

As Vince Guaraldi is honoured with the American Eagle Award by the National Music Council, Craft Recordings is celebrating Guaraldi’s 91st birthday by the definite edition of his iconic music for It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

Vince Guaraldi's name will forever be inextricably linked to Charlie Brown's, thanks to the iconic piano jazz music Guaraldi composed and performed with his trio for 17 Peanuts television specials and a feature film. It all started in 1964, with A Boy Named Charlie Brown, a never-aired documentary on Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz that first brought Snoopy and the gang to life. Producers wanted a jazz soundtrack and approached Guaraldi after Dave Brubeck said he was too busy. In two weeks Guaraldi came up with Linus And Lucy, the freshness of the music perfectly enhancing the simplicity of the animation.

Available on CD & LP for the FIRST TIME! THE 50th Anniversary COLLECTORS EDITION! We are proud to announce, for the first time ever, the release of the complete soundtrack to "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving." Just in time for the 50th anniversary of the celebrated animated holiday television special, written and created by Charles Schulz, directed by Bill Melendez and Phil Roman and produced by Melendez and Lee Mendelson, this is the complete Vince Guaraldi score along with never-before-heard bonus material. Newly re-discovered in our vaults, the original recording sessions for Vince Guaraldi's beloved soundtrack have been remixed and remastered for audiophiles and Peanuts® fans everywhere. Includes many previously unreleased tracks, several never heard since the Vince Guaraldi Quintet laid them down for the recording session in 1973. All remastered from the original 2" 16 track source tapes.

Newly re-discovered in our vaults, the original recording sessions for Vince Guaraldi's soundtrack for "You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown" now remastered for audiophiles and Peanuts® fans and election lovers everywhere. All versions of this release include the original 15 tracks of cues from the special - with extended performances available for the first time ever - plus 10 extra bonus tracks never before heard since their recording in 1972.