It was sixty years ago next month that Vince Guaraldi’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas” was released into the world. Since then, it has delighted generations of listeners, selling over five million copies and inspiring many to delve deeper into jazz.

 

I was just a child when I first heard the album’s swinging opener “O Tannenbaum,” and to this day I have it on repeat during the holiday season, both on my playlists and in my setlists as a performer. It’s the kind of song that signals the arrival of winter and all the good things that accompany it.

 

When I was in late teens, my jazz trio got our first paying gig at a steakhouse down the street from my home. And the first songs we played were from “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Years later, I was hired as a sophomore in music school to play a Christmas party at a fraternity house. And what did they want to hear?

 

You guessed it. “A Charlie Brown Christmas!”

 

Renowned artists like David Benoit, Courtney Fortune, and countless others have put their own spins on Guaraldi’s timeless tracks, owing a debt of gratitude to the album’s place in their musical history.  Even jazz legend Wynton Marsalis once said, “When I was a boy the only time you would hear jazz on television was when Charlie Brown came to town.”

 

It’s true. Many of us got our start in jazz by first hearing Vince Guaraldi’s music. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why we are still so fascinated and affected by it. It taught us about jazz, yes, but also about group interplay and empathy. In essence, it taught us about life.

 

So the next time you hear “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” remember you are part of a worldwide community of like-minded fans. There’s a little bit of Charlie Brown in all of us!

 

Here’s Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy and Jazzy Holiday Season!

 

Jon Regen
Entertainment Director, GrandLife Hotels