Poor Charlie Brown never managed to kick the football. He never got the little red-haired girl or a boisterous Christmas tree. But one thing the Peanuts character did get — and this nearly makes up for all those losses — is one of the all-time best soundtracks. The 1965 album A Charlie Brown Christmas, by composer Vince Guaraldi, elevates holiday songs to high art. Cool jazz tracks balance coziness with nostalgia. The record is part of both the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry. Atlanta-based musicians Jeffrey Bützer (drums) and T.T. Mahony (piano) mark the 50th anniversary of the “A Charlie Brown Christmas” TV special by taking their live re-creation of Guaraldi’s score on tour. Joined by female singers and an upright bassist, they’ll perform at The Grey Eagle Thursday, Dec. 10, at 8 p.m. $12 advance/$15 day of show. thegreyeagle.com. Photo by Ken Lackner
Smart bets: Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.