Linus Saves Christmas!

 

Can we stop saying that “Christmas is under attack” or being wiped off the map by the left-wing media?  Really, can we just shut up?

 

Christmas is Christmas and there have been 2,000 of them (give or take) to prove the point.  Does calling a giant evergreen tree lit up with lights in the front lawn of The White House or in Rockefeller Center really change the fact that everyone knows it is a Christmas Tree?  Does suggesting that one religious tradition shouldn’t dominate others in public spaces really change the fact that our calendar year and system of holidays are predicated around the one named for the birth of Jesus Christ?

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One of the best things about Christmas—and this is just my personal opinion—is being able to play the music of Vince Guaraldi.  For those who don’t know, Guaraldi is the iconic jazz pianist and composer whose work flavors “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”  In fact, the music is so integral to the story that one cannot hear his music without thinking of Snoopy dancing his weird little happy dance.

Over the month of December, I’ve been sneaking in different Guaraldi interpretations into every gig—at a solo piano restaurant gig, the corporate Christmas party I gigged last week with my trio, the recent TV appearance I did with Bob Kilpatrick, and even Christmas Eve services at my church.  I love the quirky chord changes and sparse voicings and joyous feel to the music.  And I also love how children’s faces light up when I begin the “Linus and Lucy” theme.  His music has been covered by several notable artists, including George Winston, David Benoit, and my friend and jazz recording artist, Jim Martinez.

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