As much as I love all things "Peanuts" (and especially "A Charlie Brown Christmas"), it startled me, at first, to realize that I never programmed a Vince Guaraldi/Charlie Brown Christmas tribute at the Mainstay until this year: 225 (or so) shows in. But it was worth the wait. You'll get the sense, in the above video of the encore, how much we connected with the audience, as well as how much we (Tom Baldwin, Greg Burrows and I) connected with the music itself. It was quite a special evening. How blessed and privileged am I to continue to curate and perform show on an ongoing basis at the Mainstay   :)   

It made sense to use "Hark the Herald Angels sing for an encore,  given that this is the last song heard on the television special (we gave it an "O Tannenbaum" treatment after the first chorus). Joining me were Tom Baldwin (bass) and Greg Burrows (drums). This selection wasn't rehearsed or scripted; just sitting there for us to pick up and run with if an encore was called for (which it was). If I can say so, it seems to me that the three of us gave this a genuine Vince Guaraldi treatment; in the moment, and in the pocket. It was pretty much that way the entire show. You can watch the video of the Mainstay archive here. Enjoy, and Merry Christmas (Charlie Brown)!