Recently, an old friend and I were talking about what we think are the most popular jazz albums.
My friend put forward the “usual suspects:”
Kind of Blue
A Love Supreme
Time Out
This gave me pause.
“What? he said: “What else could be more popular?”
My reply: “I think we are assuming that everyone else likes jazz to the same extent that we do… Which we know is very much not the case.”
“Good point. Meaning…?”
“I think there are more people with a Nora Jones record than Time Out. Or how about that Charlie Brown Christmas record?”
“It may very well be the only jazz record that my wife’s family listens to.”
My friend nodded and the topic of conversation shifted to – what else in Canada:
Hockey.
As a child, I loved A Charlie Brown Christmas by the Vince Guaraldi Trio.
Of course, it was the soundtrack to a beloved Christmas special – among a roster of other cartoons that were on TV only once a year. As I grew older, I lost touch with it.
But it re-emerged when my wife and I started dating.
My in-laws and her uncle and aunt always play it during this time of year.
Especially while hosting Christmas Eve.
Not only do I now associate that record with great memories, but also it goes to my earlier point: they all have a copy of that record (on green vinyl, no less, for my wife’s uncle and aunt.)
With Kind of Blue and Time Out… nowhere to be found.
Funny enough, this past week, when I had some free time, I sat down at the piano and analyzed the album.
It’s a masterpiece.
I mean that. The playing is incredible. More importantly, however, the range of emotions on the record is awe-inspiring.
Truth be told: I am grateful for A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Its beautiful music continues to be the soundtrack to memories made with family.
And it’s the perfect antidote to avoiding yours truly becoming a monocle-wearing, hair-splitting, “that’s not jazz” curmudgeon.
But on that note, here are a few tracks to compliment your listening this Holiday season. Enjoy!
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
– Bill Evans
It’s Bill Evans. ‘Nuff said.
Reclamation
– Brandee Younger
Let’s hear it for the harp. This is a gorgeous track.
Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
– Charles Mingus
I know that the holidays also become a time for us to remember the departed.
My grandmother passed away this year. It’s sad to think that this will be the first Christmas without her.
This tune is one of the most poignant laments in jazz.
Prayer Meetin’
– Jimmy Smith.
If you are looking for something uptempo and bluesy.
Moonlight in Vermont
– Johnny Smith.
The perfect soundtrack to snow falling.
Tributary
– Julian Lage
…only because I wanted to include something from my favorite album of the year.
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Great job! I must admit, I just started listening to holiday music yesterday, and when the Guaraldi version of “O Tannenbaum” came on, I thought, now it feels like the holidays.
Amen, cstolliver.
Yesterday, we visited the uncle & aunt I mention in the post. One guess what the first record was that they put on.
I will admit that I have been somewhat of a Scrooge as of late. Simply put: there has been far too much going on at work. But those opening chords ignited the feeling of the holidays. I am a better man for it, as my wife and son now have the husband and father they deserve.
Such a nice compilation. It made for a relaxing and meditative commute this morning.
Much appreciation for the article and thoughtful curation.
As always, mt. Everything looks great! Thank you so very much.
. 🙏
Excellent! I’ll have to check out the selections here I haven’t heard.
As far as Christmas jazz goes, it’s hard to compete with Vince Guaraldi. I have a Christmas for Lovers compilation that’s mostly quite good, from which I first learned of Yusef Lateef via his inviting take on Duke Ellington’s “Warm Fire.” It’s now a Christmas staple for me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3bYMux3Fic
Hi Phylum,
Consider this a gift from you to me. I got to check this track out. Thank you!
My jazz fandom doesn’t extend too far beyond the classics… throw in some McCoy Tyner, a dash of Ahmad Jamal and even a touch of Ron Holloway. But for me, Kind of Blue will always be the yardstick against which all other jazz albums are measured (and fail to measure up).
Vince Guaraldi definitely has space in this little room. I don’t often consume jazz as comfort food… I usually expect it to challenging and demand my attention. But the Charlie Brown tunes scratch that itch for jazz that goes down easy without being boring (i.e. everything in the “smooth jazz” realm).
Hey Pauly,
You’re hitting on part of why I treasure the Christmas season so much. Why else would any (normal) person under 60 years old ever play a Nat King Cole song or Frank Sinatra or Perry Como or…jazz, as you say. Vince Guaraldi’s album is the one weak bridge that a lot of folks have to jazz music.
As a whole the album is great. The only song I’m not much of a fan of is his reading of “Greensleeves”. But the rest of it is very good to perfect. Those first few bars of the instrumental version of “Christmastime Is Here” are the sounds of heaven.
I’ve thought about writing a column here about the song “Linus and Lucy”. I’m not sure if there’s enough to say about it or not, but I’m still thinking….
“Those first few bars of the instrumental version of “Christmastime Is Here” are the sounds of heaven.”
Be still my beating heart, Link. You said it perfectly.
I am always astounded at how people can continue to listen to new music as they age. Some just love listening to new songs by new artists. I cannot do that. Only a little at a time. Except with the more ambient genres like easy listening or lounge or classical or jazz. I can enjoy listening to new stuff like that any day. Does that mean I’m actually more of a fan of jazz music than pop music? Or maybe those genres are just easier to digest casually than pop music.
I am at a place right now, Link (and have been for some time) where, for whatever reason, I feel the same way.
I think it has to do, in part, to what You Tuber Rick Beato has highlighted: today’s pop music sounds completely different than anything before, considering the industry-standard of Pro Tools, pitch correction, and almost every song being in perfect 4/4 time/”on the grid”.” Production aside, when it comes to composition, gone are songs with key changes, a bridge, and complex chords. Everyone has moved the “hook” up to the first 30 seconds.
No value judgment here. As I enter middle age, I acknowledge that today’s pop music just sounds different to these ears–and that’s OK. After all, we were young and made our own noise.
I laughed at “…we were young and made our own noise.”
All,
I would like to wish you all a happy Holiday season and all the best in the New Year.
I understand that I have not been active on the site, nor at the Mothership, for some time. The sole reason is that, since Labor Day, work has essentially dominated almost every waking hour–not to mention fatherhood and marriage (for which I am trying my best, despite the prevailing imposter syndrome).
This is an amazing community. Thank you.
(Parenthetically, gang: we need to get this man an avatar…)
I suggest…
(oops that was supposed to be a response to mt58’s suggestion for an avatar for our author.)
Funny, I was going to suggest this:
I am going to go with this one. While I appreciate the notation on the staff, I should incorporate a homage to the guitar, as it is my primary instrument.
^
Done. And you’re lookin’ quite spiffy, I’d say.
It’s good to read you again m2 7th, like I’ve said before, jazz isn’t my genre at all, but I’ll try to listen to a couple of your suggestions.
And best wishes for you too.
Thanks Edith.
Masterpiece is right. It’s a shame we only listen to it in December.
Well done, minor major.
I’m a novice when it comes to jazz, I don’t actively choose to listen to Christmas songs (just stepping into any store or turning on the radio in the car means being swamped by them and that’s enough for me) and although Charlie Brown is reasonably well-known here I don’t think its anything like the cultural touchstone I imagine it is for you guys therefore I wasn’t even aware there is a Charlie Brown Christmas album.
Based on the commendation of its status as a masterpiece though I intend to broaden my horizons and give it a go before the week is through.
Let us know what you think, JJ.
Tangentially, I discovered Bob’s Christmas Ska Radio over the weekend. It’s all ska versions of Christmas songs, and I love it. If you want holiday music but are tired of the same old versions, give it a shot.
Thanks, Bill. I got to check this out. Should make for a good soundtrack at work during the run up to the holiday break.
Vince Guaraldi does not get the “jazz master’ respect he deserves. I frequent many a record store and there are a number of these where he does not have his own name card in the jazz section (found in “G Misc” instead). The man introduced more people to jazz, albeit straight forward jazz, than any other. If it were not for him, my exploration of the genre would have been limited and occured later in life.
I scored the Deluxe vinyl Charlie Brown Christmas album directly from Craft Records and am loving it. Nothing compares to the original, but it is a joy to hear alternate takes of beloved tracks and the banter between the musicians in these takes. Craft has some excellent vinyl pressings. Peanuts, Schulz, and Guaraldi FOREVER! Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!
You can never go wrong with anything from Craft. Everything they produce is gold.
I agree with your point, R.S. Unfortunately, the jazz community (both online and at my local record store) is populated by those “purists” who would scoff at Vince Guaraldi. I’ve let it go. Let them have their snobbery. We know they are only depriving themselves of beautiful music.
I recently bought Vijay Iyer’s Uneasy. There’s a song about malevolent tap water. We have our own issues. I went to my first demonstration of any kind last Saturday. I was nervous. I needed something to calm my nerves. I like Iyer. I’ll be buying more of his albums.
I have no idea if Infinity is a major work of John Coltraine’s, but I found jazz that is my jam.
I was always aware of this genre blind spot. But your series of articles made me pro-active, minor major 7th.
Thanks, cappie. It is music to my ears when I hear that any recommendation assists in guiding someone to the genre.
Infinity is a, shall we say, controversial album in the Coltrane catalogue. It is criticized for Alice Coltrane’s decision to overdub strings. To my mind, I don’t care. It’s a nice record–and is all the more rewarding when you think of it as a collaboration (and not just a John Coltrane record). In other words, it rewards thinking about it as part of Alice’s spiritual journey.
Vijay is an incredible player. I caught one of his gigs at the Village Vanguard, when my wife and I visited NYC with another couple. The entire set was electric. Reactions were as follows:
my wife: crazy. Nowhere near the Bill Evans stuff you play that I like. But I do like how they all pushed the boundaries of their instruments.
friend 1: that was…interesting.
friend 2: so…essentially, jazz is the musical equivalent of watching [cant remember the sports team he mentioned] at the peak of their powers.
[to which I nodded in agreement].
mM7!!! Good to see you again, been awhile. And agreed, the Charlie Brown Christmas album is terrific – it totally works like a warm blanket in front of the fireplace to give you immediate warm fuzzies.
It’s funny, I actually don’t associate any music with Christmas Family memories. We were always too busy having epic board game competitions and watching football and playing in the snow. (Thanks to that reliable lake effect snow, grandma’s house always had a good foot of snow come Christmas day in Northern PA). She’d have about 20 of us crammed into her kitchen for dinner, so putting a radio on was kind of pointless over all that noise, lol.
Funny enough, dutch, we have a similar experience.
While my wife’s family plays music, like you, I have no memories of music on my side of the family during Christmas. The reason being: if Ms. mM7’s family is a small band, my family is a brood. Papa mM7 is 1 of 9 siblings; cousins that span three generations; Italian. To put it nicely, there was always so much (shall we say) loud conversation among the 40-50 people crammed in my Aunt’s basement that no one bothered with music. 🙂
Ok, dude, you just wrote the outline to your next article – I would LOVE to read about one of those Christmas get-togethers!!