14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown", 26 Nov 2000
By D. Merk - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Charlie Brown Christmas (Audio CD)
I regard Guaraldi's original "A Charlie Brown Christmas" album as rather sacred material. I listen to it regularly year-round and it represents some of my fondest memories, old and new. In spite of that high measure, I find Chestnut's revisitation an outstanding recording which is both original and somehow respectful to its namesake. Chestnut has made the piece his own, and he does so as someone with reverence for both the musical form and the spirit of Guaraldi's album. The playing is expert, but appropriately loose. Although the album explores different styles and instrumentation (the harmonica adds great character to "Skating"), it remains comfortingly coherent. I often find modern holiday recordings to be mundanely homogenous or so eclectic you can't listen from beginning to end. If you are attached to the original album and program, simply listen to the Chestnut's new composition, "Me and Charlie Brown". You will hear that it comes from the hands of a great musician who, if flipping through channels came across a Charlie Brown special on TV, would stop and watch it through to the end.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great CD, but the original is still the greatest., 24 Dec 2000
By Mark Mangie - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Charlie Brown Christmas (Audio CD)
Cyrus Chestnut and Friends have done a great job recreating the old Charlie Brown X-Mas music and including some new music not presently on the original. I think the music has been put together in a fun and jazzy way, and I would reccommend it to any Cyrus Chestnut and Friends enthusiasts. But although it is this good, there is still something about Vince Guaraldi's Charlie Brown Christmas I like better. Even so, I would reccommend Cyrus's music to anyone out there looking for fun and exciting Christmas music.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An "old chestnut" revisited----, 1 Dec 2000
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Charlie Brown Christmas (Audio CD)
This stylish re-working of the Charlie Brown Christmas music is particularly poignant considering the recent death of Charles Schulz. In fact, I've heard that this was the last project that he approved prior to his death. It's just fun to sit back, relax, and let the memories of Christmases past wash over one. Watching the "Charlie Brown Christmas" special was a favorite holiday family event. Enjoy-----