Once upon a time, more than 50 years ago, Jerry Granelli stepped into the studio to record music with the Vince Guaraldi Trio.
He couldn’t have guessed in 1965 that the jazz music, composed by Guaraldi, they were to record that day would become one of the Christmas classics of the modern era.
Granelli is bringing his show Tales of a Charlie Brown Christmas to the stage at Shadbolt Centre for the Arts on Wednesday, Dec. 11 and Thursday, Dec. 12. The show is presented by Cellar Music Group, Cory Weeds and the Shadbolt Centre.
Granelli is bringing his own trio - including Chris Gestrin on piano and Simon Fisk on double bass, with Granelli on drums - to the stage to play the now-famous music from the classic television special and to tell the story of how a three-hour recording session in 1965 created the timeless Christmas classic.
The show will include some visuals from the TV special - but, at its heart, the show is all about the music made famous by the Vince Guaraldi Trio: with Guaraldi on piano, Granelli on drums and Fred Marshall on bass.
“In just a three-hour session, the trio recorded the soundtrack for a scrappy little animated Christmas special featuring the Peanuts gang,” says a press release. “The magic of the music, of Charlie Brown and the vision of Vince Guaraldi persevered – ensuring generations of families could enjoy the Peanuts production for years to come.”
Granelli will be joined by singers from Marlborough Elementary School for the occasion.
The Jerry Granelli Trio is onstage at the Shadbolt’s James Cowan Theatre, 6450 Deer Lake Ave., at 8 p.m. both nights. Tickets are $36 regular, or $15 for youth (18 and younger), available through tickets.shadboltcentre.com or 604-205-3000.
