Here's to You, Charlie Brown!: 50 Great Years! | List Price: $18.98
Discount Price: $7.25
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Binding: Audio CD
Release Date: 2000-05-09
Heard it and Had to Have it [Posted on 2001-06-06]
I was sitting in a cafe in Seoul, S. Korea and heard this CD...liked it so much that I asked to see the CD case. I did not recognize the tunes as Charlie Brown standards, even though I grew up on the TV specials in the US. Just thought it was an outstanding jazz album....great dinner music, too. I have now added it to my collection.
I lied....and I MUST confess my sin! [Posted on 2001-06-25]
I purchased this CD under the "lie" of telling my wife that I wanted it for our 3 year old daughter...secretly though, it was for me! LOL.... I get the feeling that the fact that I listen to it so much has given my sin away to her, but yet she still says nothing! I have to admit though, if I was going to use a 3 year old to GET a CD...this was the one to use that on. In all seriousness, this CD is fully enjoyable and as far as tributes go, this is one of the best I've heard. This one takes you back to your childhood if "Peanuts" was a part of that! Great one!
Nostalgic Kitsch on a Theme of Guaraldi [Posted on 2001-11-30]
...or, how to make a quick buck on someone elses stuff. Or, to summarize with a trite phrase, "Can't Beat the Real Thing". The legendary Guaraldi wrote jazz that is akin to American culture, and is loved by all. This translation takes something that was perfect and takes it down the other side of the peak. Isn't it enough to enjoy the original works without embellishing it with some popular anecdotes? Would you buy Steely Dan from anyone but Fagen? It just misses the mark, and screws up a good thing.
Cheesy-looking, but a truly great album [Posted on 2003-04-30]
Being a long-time fan of Charles Schulz's "Peanuts" strip and of jazz, I was very happy to receive this CD as a gift. I had never heard of David Benoit, but after listening to this album over and over, I can say that he is a wonderful, wonderful piano player. While this album, while looking at it, looks cheesy and very much like it's children's music, Benoit's piano trio (with Christian McBride on bass and Peter Erskine on drums, in case you have any doubts of the swinging-ness of this record) really has created a great jazz album and a fitting tribute to Vince Guaraldi and his music. Many of the cuts have special guests, too. The album opens with (what else?) the always-recognized "Linus and Lucy," played beautifully by the trio and with Guaraldi's original piano track dubbed in. The trio also adds in a new, funky backbeat-style section in the middle. "Charlie Brown Theme" is lesser-known, a medium-tempo song. While it is not my favorite, I still enjoy the calmness of it and Benoit's solo is pretty swinging. "Pebble Beach" is an up-tempo bossa nova number with Marc Antoine joining the group on guitar. The tune is very catchy and it's fun to listen to. Good solos by Benoit and Antoine. "Linus Tells Charlie," a slower tune, is given a beautiful texture with the addition of the muted trumpet sounds of Chris Botti. A very relaxing tune. "Frieda" is one of my favorites, and it features Michael Brecker on tenor sax (he's pretty good, don't you think?). Killer solo by Brecker and the amazing chops of Benoit are featured here on this fun tune. The gospel vocal group Take 6 is featured on Guaraldi's (and Lee Mendelson's) classic Christmas ode, "Christmastime is Here." A beautiful arrangement that makes you wish for winter. "Getting Ready," the seventh cut, is the only song on the CD written by Benoit. It's a pretty straightforward tune that's more rock-ish than the rest. It grooves really hard, though, a fine example of the togetherness of this trio. "Blue Charlie Brown" is a simple blues in F with Russell Malone on guitar. This is also the only tune where Erskine takes a solo (1 chorus before the out-head). "Red Baron" is another one of my favorites. Marc Antoine reappears on guitar on this beautiful straight-8ths song. Great solos by all, and this song will stay with you forever, which is not a bad thing. Thanks to Guaraldi for a beautiful tune. The closer, Clark Gesner's "Happiness" from the musical "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown!" is punctuated with the soothing, swooning voice of Al Jarreau. A beautiful song and a beautiful arrangement to end a beautiful album with. Whether you are 3 or 103 years old (or anywhere in between and beyond), this CD is for you. Peanuts fan, jazz fan, music fan...it's all here. A wonderful tribute to the memory of Vince Guaraldi--and great background music for reading the daily strip.
Some of the greatest musicians make a not-so-great album [Posted on 2005-10-24]
It's always strange for me to hear reproductions of a work where the original needs no improvement. I have tremendous respect for these musicians, and yes, they play some great solos over the changes, but the album is basically just a recreation of tracks from the EXCELLENT Vince Guaraldi Trio records. My personal favorite is "Linus tells Charlie" which features some very sensitive trumpet from Chris Botti, but otherwise this records is just a little off, and I find myself listening only to the originals these days. The original band with Vince on piano just grooves better, and although from a recording perspective is sonically slightly inferior (they were probably mixing for TV) something about those original performances seem more emotional...is it just nostalgia?
If you are looking for some FANTASTIC recreations of old TV music (e.g. little rascals, looney tunes, etc...) by newer bands, check out the Beau Hunks' material. Superb playing and excellent attention to classic details and nuances of the original scores.
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