Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown

Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown
Original 1964 release
Soundtrack album by Vince Guaraldi
Released	December 1964
Recorded	October 1964
Studio	Fantasy Recording Studios, San Francisco, California
Genre	Jazz Soundtrack
Length	40:25
Label	Fantasy
Vince Guaraldi chronology
The Latin Side of Vince Guaraldi (1964) Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1964) From All Sides (1965)
Singles from Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown
"Oh, Good Grief"/"Linus and Lucy" Released: 1964
Alternate cover
1972 re-release, 2014 CD remaster

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
All About Jazz
Five Cents Please

Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown is the sixth studio album by American jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi (credited to the Vince Guaraldi Trio), released in the U.S. by Fantasy Records in December 1964. It is the soundtrack to the unreleased television documentary film entitled A Boy Named Charlie Brown.

Background

Guaraldi was contacted by television producer Lee Mendelson to compose music for a documentary on the comic strip Peanuts and its creator, Charles M. Schulz. Although the special went unaired due Mendelson's failure to secure a sponsor, Guaraldi's selections were released in 1964 as Jazz Impressions of "A Boy Named Charlie Brown". Most of the tracks were designed to introduce and accompany specific characters. Although never aired on television, the 30-minute documentary was instrumental in garnering commercial support and the creative teamwork that resulted in A Charlie Brown Christmas in 1965 and Guaraldi's accompanying soundtrack, which has been a perennial holiday favorite.

The album is notable for including the first recording of the Peanuts franchise signature tune, "Linus and Lucy". The version included on Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown would be re-released on future Guaraldi albums over the next five decades.

Bassist Monty Budwig and drummer Colin Bailey were credited as performing on the album.

Reception

Upon its initial release, Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown was a hit and has remained so well into the 21st century. Guaraldi historian Derrick Bang noted that the album "represents one of the very few times a soundtrack was issued for a program that people never saw."

Chart performance

The album peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Soundtracks chart on the week ending March 13, 2015.

Track listing

The following track listing is for the original 1964 vinyl release. All tracks written by Vince Guaraldi, except where noted.

Side One

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Oh, Good Grief"	Guaraldi, Lee Mendelson	2:21
2.	"Pebble Beach"		2:47
3.	"Happiness Is"		3:37
4.	"Schroeder"		1:51
5.	"Charlie Brown Theme"	Guaraldi, Mendelson	4:20

Side Two

No.	Title	Length
6.	"Linus and Lucy"	3:03
7.	"Blue Charlie Brown"	7:26
8.	"Baseball Theme"	3:13
9.	"Frieda (With the Naturally Curly Hair)"	4:31

Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown was released on CD in 1989 under the title A Boy Named Charlie Brown and featured a live bonus track of "Fly Me to the Moon". Fantasy Records also inserted a new cover image featuring Charlie Brown in a red shirt and baseball cap and rolling his eyes.

A Boy Named Charlie Brown – 1989 CD release

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
10.	"Fly Me to the Moon" (live)	Bart Howard	8:55

The 2014 remaster was retitled A Boy Named Charlie Brown (The Original Sound Track Recording) and also contained an alternate take of "Baseball Theme." The cover art also reverted to the 1964 second printing release.

A Boy Named Charlie Brown (The Original Sound Track Recording) – 2014 remaster release

No.	Title	Length
11.	"Baseball Theme" (alternate take)	1:56

Personnel

The Vince Guaraldi Trio

• Vince Guaraldi – piano
• Monty Budwig – bass
• Colin Bailey – drums

External links

• Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown at Discogs (list of releases)