George Winston’s “Linus and Lucy: The Music of Vince Guaraldi” is an Album I Want to Be Buried With

Pianist par excellence George Winston is performing at the Egg tonight.  Years ago, I listed Winston’s seminal piano album December as part of my afterlife playlist – the songs and albums I would take with me on my next journey.  Today, I want to add a second album to that collection.

In 1996, Winston took the music of jazz legend Vince Guaraldi and interpreted it with his piano.  Most of the music for the Linus and Lucy album came from Guaraldi’s work on “Peanuts” TV specials, but the first track on the LP was Guaraldi’s “Cast Your Fate to the Wind,” a track from Guaraldi’s Jazz Interpretations of Black Orpheus.  Here’s George Winston’s version of that track.

And I’m certain you remember the blessed glissando of the “Skating” song from A Charlie Brown Christmas, that was a Guaraldi track that Winston added to this album.

And of course you all know “Linus and Lucy,” the seminal Peanuts theme song.  Yep, of course it’s on this album as well.

But Linus and Lucy isn’t just a Peanuts music retrospective.  There are other tracks on this LP that show Winston’s appreciation and love of Guaraldi’s genius.  Such as tracks like “Monterey” that sounds almost like it should be played alongside a Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood episode…

And the album finishes with the track “Theme to Grace / Lament,” and if you don’t feel your emotions swelling to tears by the end of this song, then you truly have no soul.

So yes, a copy of Linus and Lucy will find a home in my afterlife playlist.

As it should.

George Winston is performing at the Egg tonight at 7:00 p.m.  The concert is also a fundraiser for the local food bank, so bring a non-perishable item if you are able.