Vince Guaraldi's soundtrack to the timeless 1973 holiday classic
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is finally available for the 50th anniversary of the television special. The vinyl LP includes
Guaraldi hits mastered from the original session tapes (recently rediscovered), like the funky brass-filled "Linus and Lucy," "Thanksgiving Theme," and the soulful "Little Birdie." This album reveals the full musical performance previously buried in the special's mix. Furthermore, there are bonus tracks for "Thanksgiving Interlude" demonstrating how
Guaraldi crafted his score for the special; an additional keyboard on "Linus and Lucy;" and
Guaraldi whistling the melody for "Is It James or Charlie?"
Beyond the composer's piano playing, the quintet is made up of
Mike Clark on drums;
Seward McCain (longest touring bassist with
Guaraldi -- holding down the electric bass); the iconic
Tom Harrell on trumpet to class up the album; and
Chuck Bennett on trombone. This is some of the funkiest
Guaraldi you'll hear as his quintet leaned into the East Bay Sound, a type of funk that
Mike Clark helped pioneer in the early '70s.
Guaraldi even lends his bluesy voice to introduce Woodstock with "Little Birdie."
The album was remixed by
Terry Carleton at Bones and Knives, restored and mastered by
Vinson Hudson, and produced by
Sean and
Jason Mendelson. The record includes 21 tracks (38 minutes), liner notes by producer
Sean Mendelson, and art from the special. This Barnes & Noble Exclusive pressing comes in a limited two-sided picture disc vinyl variant.