Jazz for Peanuts - A Retrospective of the Charlie Brown Television Themes

They Say...

Review by Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

This is an odd duck of an album, but one that is all the better for it. Pianist and composer David Benoit has worn many hats over the course of his long career. One of them, and one not normally mentioned in his bio, is that he succeeded the late Vince Guaraldi as the musical director for the Peanuts television specials, meaning that his 50th anniversary recording of Guaraldi's music wasn't a simple tribute, but a nod to his predecessor. As such, Benoit has composed loads of music for the Peanuts television programs, always with a clear sense that it was Guaraldi's music that helped to inspire him to play the piano in the first place. Jazz for Peanuts is a collection of music by Benoit and other artists who have recorded pieces for the Peanuts productions. His own selections, and three of four themes by Guaraldi were newly recorded live in the studio, lending them their timeless lyric quality and immediacy of presence. Other artists included here are the Wynton Marsalis Septet. His stellar "The Buggy Ride" was featured in the miniseries This Is America, Charlie Brown, for an episode on the Wright Brothers. Likewise, Dave Brubeck's "Benjamin" came from the same miniseries that centered on space exploration. The final track comes from the special A Charlie Brown Christmas: right, it'sGuaraldi's "Linus and Lucy." It is performed by the late pianist with bassist Fred Marshall and drummer Jerry Granelli. Benoit performs most of the rest with various combos. His opener here is a gorgeous reading of Guaraldi's "You're in Love, Charlie Brown" from the special of the same name, and three other themes by the late composer. Most of Benoit's own pieces and arrangements are seamless in the way they reflect on the first 17 specials. Particularly wonderful are "Wild Kids" from the This Is America, Charlie Brown miniseries -- the episode on the great inventors -- where he and pianist Taylor Eigsti front a rhythmic trio that simply allows melodic invention to spiral to the margin of the flavor of the Charlie Brown music, but simply extends its boundaries and has the good taste -- and sense -- never to cross over. Tunes like the stellar, organically funky "Rollerblading" and the shimmering "Re-Run's Theme" walk a line that reflects much of the jazz Benoit would release with Dave Gruisin's GRP label in the '80s and '90s. Nonetheless, these cues capture the flavor, spirit, and integrity of the Peanuts brand. The only track that doesn't quite work here is "Breadline Blues" composed by Gruisin. It's not the composition so much as the performance by a band that employs cheesy synths played by Walter Afanasieff, and Kenny G.'s awful sense of time on the melody and the improvisation. In all, however, Jazz for Peanuts is a terrific album of cues and new readings of Peanuts selections that should be not only in every Benoit library, but in every one containing music by Guaraldi/Peanuts too.