Vince Guaraldi will forever be associated with the 1965 TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas. His song “Linus and Lucy” (often referred to a The Peanuts Theme song) has become a de facto Christmas song and his 1966 album, A Charlie Brown Christmas, a Christmas staple. Generations have thrilled to watching the Peanuts Christmas Special on TV as a kid and even as adults the hardest people have a hard time holding back a tear when Linus explains the true meaning of Christmas.

The song “Christmas Time Is Here” is found in two versions, an instrumental one by Vince Guaraldi, Colin Bailey and Monty Budwig (the Trio) and a vocal version as sung by the cast of the television special backed by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. This song works on so many levels for me, its lilting beauty and touch of melancholia subtly underpins the wonder of Christmas from a child’s eyes. It is gentle, warm and fuzzy, just hearing it makes memories of Christmases past come flooding back while helping to create new memories to be relived for years to come.