A Charlie Brown Christmas

A masterpiece in Christmas cheer. Vince Guaraldi and his band perfectly capture the warm nostalgia of holidays, making this a delightful listen each year. His subdued cool jazz compositions makes the music feel like it's not trying to take center stage while also avoiding relegating itself to background music, unlike many carols and modern pop attempts at Christmas music. Listen to the radio long enough over December and you begin to get tired of the in-your-face selections of Christmas songs, either attempting to rehash the classics (Santa Clause Is Coming to Town) or trying to be the next big hit (summiting the likes of Last Christmas or All I Want For Christmas). Guaraldi is satisfied with putting a jazzy spin on a few old favorites while throwing his own originals in for good measure. And man are his originals stellar: Skating twinkles and prances about like a flurry of energetic children on the ice, Christmas Is Coming has the joyous excitement of the nearing holidays, and Christmas Time Is Here takes a step back to appreciate the simpler ways of the season. You don't get Christmas albums like this anymore. Or maybe you do and they just don't have a platform like Vince Guaraldi had. Either way, A Charlie Brown Christmas is seemingly immortal to me: Christmas music for all time. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: 100%

Pure Christmas nostalgia.

As far as Christmas music goes, this is actually quite tolerable, with the notable exception of when you get children singing. As jazz, it's pretty nice. The sort of thing you could get away with playing to people who hate jazz but say they want Christmas music, just as well as you could play it to people who say they hate Christmas music but want some jazz.

Happy Holidays from a "cool jazz" (the genre) album better than any "cool jazz" album on the main list.

As classic as they come. And actually with a lot of chops, not overly saccharine. Good shit.

Hell yes. As it turns out the fam and I had already listened to this twice this (Xmas) morning before I refreshed this page. For a North American kid at least there can't be any more nostalgic album of good vibes. Straight 10/10 5 stars - all time album. IMO: Belonged in the book? Yes.

What a treat for Christmas Day! The perfect smooth jazz album to pop on while hosting Christmas dinner. This album is fantastic. Favorite songs: Linus and Lucy, "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing", O Tannenbaum, The Christmas Song, Greensleeves, Christmas Time is Here Least favorite songs: What Child Is This 5/5

A Charlie Brown Christmas is a nice jazz interpretation of Christmas classics. A such it is a classic by itself. The jazzy songs are never very exciting and certainly not brave. It's happy, comforting, but will not rock your world.

How nice. What a lovely gift from Alexander and the Patreon community! Smooth jazz with a Christmas theme, evoking nostalgic childhood memories... At least I suppose that's how reviewers from the English-speaking world will receive this thing. Didn't know the first thing about Vince Guaraldi before today, you see... I guess American audiences are indeed more familiar with him because of his work for that Charlie Brown cartoon... I grew up in continental Europe, where Snoopy the dog is actually more famous than the Peanuts character kids, maybe because, for him, there were no specifically *American* features that didn't always speak to French or German audiences... Anyway, this soundtrack work is absolutely lovely. Beyond the themes dedicated to the cartoon characters ("Linus And Lucy"), or the more obvious Christmas-related tracks, you have small jewels like "My Little Drum", with its repeated vocal pattern. And most of all, you have two wonderful renditions of "What Child Is This? / Greensleeves". The introductory piano riff on the first version is stellar, enough said. Not exactly up to the level of the John Coltrane version, but still displaying sweet assets even that other great version is devoid of. I'll file this next to Dave Brubeck's *Take Five* on my very popular jazz releases shelves (yes, I have already bought myself a secondhand copy of this nice little record -- it's Xmas, after all...). Coltrane, Mingus and Davis are still a notch more relevant on a musical and cultural standpoint, but that doesn't mean this sort of smooth jazz album can't be excellent as well, as proven here. Merry Christmas to you all, wonderful users and reviewers! 🎁🌲🧑‍🎄🥂🎄☃️🧑‍🎄🌲🧑‍🎄🎄☃️ 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 4. 8.5/10 for more general purposes (5 + 3.5) ---- Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465 Albums from the original list I *might* include in mine later on: 288 Albums from the original list I won't include in mine: 336 ---- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 64 Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 83 (including this one) Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 158 ---- Emile... Je viens de lire ta dernière réponse. Je vais essayer de trouver le temps de rédiger la mienne pendant la période des fêtes. D'ici-là, ben joyeux Noël et bonne année aussi !

Probably as good as Christmas music is ever going to get, but it's still Christmas music. Thankfully this one put me to sleep rather than irritate the shit out of me.

Not for me thanks, maybe more of an American tradition? At face value, the music is bland piano ballads, some of which have a vaguely festive feel.

Ok, so Trigger Warning - if you love Charlie Brown then move on, don’t read this review. I don’t have any strong opinions about Charlie Brown and Peanuts. I think I remember watching it a couple of times and not really getting it, but I didn’t hate it. Then came Hits Radio by Apple Music this Christmas. “Christmas Time is Here” would go straight through me. Such a depressing, drone of a song. It made me want to hurt people. When this album landed on Christmas Day for me I was happy, but wary. Would all songs have the same vibe? Yes. Yes they would. The whole album made me cry want to tear my ears off because of that one song. Thanks, it nearly ruined Christmas.

"The doctor is in" for anyone who gave less than 5 for this album

This album brings a feeling of such innocent bliss. This is childhood, discovering great universal truth type of greatness

Baseline Christmas album and key piece of influential music that introduces younger listeners to Jazz and Classical. 5/5

we are skating

Mwa mwa mwa mwa mwa mwah

My fave Christmas album, for sure - listen to it most years! It gets me in the seasonal mood without aggravating me with played-to-death songs. Fave tracks - "Linus and Lucy" and "Christmas Time Is Here"

Iconic. Classic. Perfect christmas album. Best.

Appropriate album. Big Peanuts fan, and this album just works. It doesn't sound dated, and every song fits well. Classic cartoon, classic album.

One of the great pop-culture artifacts of the latter half of the 20th century. A bonafide reimagining of Christmas classics, beautifully composed, beautifully performed. As an unironic lover of Christmas this is always heavy in my seasonal rotation.

Classic

Whoever added this ...genius. a 2nd Christmas classic

Merry Christmas fellow album listeners! Some nostalgia is super welcome right about now. Much easier to look back than forward.

A masterpiece.

Perfect holiday album, such lovely melancholia, with or without the broadcast.

Not in the original list either ? Crazy…

A classic Christmas album! Love it!

I don't care for holiday music in the slightest, but there is something timeless about Peanuts and this record that hits all the best nostalgic points, while at the same time being incredible on it's own merits rather than just measuring up to other holiday music. This album is a classic and I love it so.

Give this a few more years or so and I'm sure it will outstrip Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" for best selling jazz album of all time. It's ubiquitous and beloved and probably many children's first exposure to jazz. Had this not been attached to a children's holiday special, I believe much of the music herein would still have made a lasting cultural impact in much the same way as "Cast Your Fate To The Wind."

It’s literally insane that this isn’t on the official list

Accidentally listened to this on this day without knowing it was the album. All time classic

THE best Christmas album

Classic!

I'm pretty sure that my great love for this TV special as a child had a lot to do with the music. Snoopy dancing joyfully on the piano and the skating in the snow were magical and fun because of the music. It was only as an adult that I became aware of it as coming from a jazz musician. I was very happy to find the CD as a young adult, and this music has been part of my holiday season ever since. I am so thrilled every time I hear "Christmastime is Hear" sung by yet another singer as it becomes a timeless standard.

It’s the best Christmas album

A Charlie Brown Christmas gets 5/5 because it's lovely Christmas/festive/seasonal songs in jazz form, a background soundtrack to wonderful times.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS ALBUM OF ALL TIME

It is my favourite Xmas song and the best Xmas vibe. Is the entire album classic? Naw, but it’s probably the best Xmas album on this list.

I’m not into Christmas music but I’ll make an exception for this.

It's my favorite Christmas album! Vince Guaraldi is such an incredible piano player, and he gives this album such a distinctive feel. If nothing else. Linus and Lucy is a bop and a half 4/5

A nice Christmas album if jazz fun.

Classic. Better than I anticipated 4/5

4.5

The best Christmas album of all time by orders of magnitude. And I say that as a non-American with absolutely zero nostalgic connection or knowledge of anything related to Peanuts.

This is a great Christmas record because there is very little singing about Christmas on it. A timeless and cool Christmas record, imo.

This is the perfect Christmas album. You can put this on at the party and have no trouble with the music for thirty five minutes. If no one pays attention, it can be easily tuned out. If they do pay attention, you can comment on how lovely it all sounds. The immaculate production, the genius of how just a trio can make all those delightful noises, how it’s experimental, yet still an undeniable classic. This checks all the boxes for me. If it weren’t a Christmas album it’d get a ten out of ten. 4/5

Coincidentally I listened to a programme about this show, with Schultz’ son, and about the album oy last week on BBC 6 music. Some solemn beauty in this

It’s Christmas. I’ve listened to these songs for over 40 years. Can’t go wrong.

It’s amazing how this album very much isn’t a Christmas album – there are plenty of quotations of Christmas classics, but for the most part this is just an incredibly well done Jazz LP that perfectly embodies the holiday feeling. The trio operates in a pocket so tight and expressive that you’d have to be dead not to feel something, and the tempo range gives amazing upbeat shakers and downbeat ballads alike. It’s a shame most of the tracks here are ignored in favor of the 2-3 big ones, just another symptom of Christmas song saturation. I’m coming up on my 30s and feel there really haven’t been any additions to the classic Christmas canon in that entire time, and am getting sick of hearing the same 20 songs year in and year out. Rant aside, this is a much welcome addition and a beautifully human album at the end of the day. Merry Christmas!

“What’s cooler than being cool?” “Vince Guaraldi”

This truly is a beautiful piece of music. Not just great holiday music but really good jazz too. Always impressive how this lists can pull out certain albums for holidays or after musicians pass. This was a great listen and deserves all of the air time it gets every holiday season. 8.5/10

Not Christmas without it.

Perfect for the day.

Great Xmas album, if we need two Xmas albums on the list I agree with this one.

Charlie Brow isn't a cultural staple here like it is in other countries but I'm a bit familiar. This was really nice and perfect in the spirit of Christmas. To all tidings of joy!

I didn't grow up with the Charlie Brown Christmas special, so ultimately this music doesn't mean much to me. It's fine and I suspected when I saw this had been added what purpose it would serve. Still doesn't change my general dislike for Christmas music, but at least the jazzy arrangements make up for that. My personal rating: 4/5 My rating relative to the list: 4/5 Should this have been included on the original list? No.

Gold standard of Christmas tunes, which is maybe damning with faint praise a bit. Very nice arrangements, though, with the exception of Christmas Time is Here, which is a terrible song and a miserable slog. The Peanuts cartoon was a little while before my time, so the only exposure I really had was the holiday specials. I remember the music always being the notable highlight of those.

Strangely I've just come from listening to Japanese Noise Rock and this is a slight difference in mood. What struck me was the professionalsm of the playing. Then again I guess that's what Jazz is about? It's soothing and makes me feel good.

This is the one Christmas album I will listen to. Very good.

Rogivande och bra.

I've never understood the hype around this album. It's good, but it's never inspired me the way it does others. Solid jazz though.

Very cosy christmas music.

Jazz: Cool Jazz, Holiday, Soundtrack. Bonito, pero si lo hubiera escuchado en Navidad, supongo que me hubiera gustado más :D.

Christmas, jazz, soundtrack. Agradable. Un 4, venga.

Christmas, jazz, soundtrack. Agradable. Un 4, venga.

Very nostalgic. Although - the children singing in Christmas Time is Here always sounded so depressing to me

Festive fun

I appreciate that this was the Christmas Day album, bravo. It's a nice relaxing listen.

Nice

The cutest ever

I get it now

High ratings everywhere for this album, which is surprising for a Christmas album. But attach the jazz label and suddenly it gets prestige. Strip that away and you're still left with "O Christmas Tree" and holiday standards, just with better chord voicings. That being said, Guaraldi's playing is superb. Clear influences from Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans. Fred Marshall on bass and Jerry Granelli on drums make this a pleasant listening experience. This could belong on a 1001 albums list because of its cultural impact, not just the music. The Charlie Brown Christmas special is iconic, and this soundtrack introduced jazz to millions of kids. Not something I listen to, even at Christmas, but I respect what it is and what it represents. 2 stars for personal enjoyment, 4.5 stars for impact and importance. Lands at 3.5 overall.

A solid, traditional holiday album

Sad Christmas music is still Christmas music. But it's not as bad as some others.

A classic and also not one that represents my particular cultural heritage.

The worst kind of American cheese..... ....apart maybe from that disgusting stuff that comes in spray cans.