Editing Vince Guaraldi (section)

==Compositions for Charles Schulz's ''Peanuts''==
[[File:Peanuts gang.png|thumb|250px|left|Guaraldi composed music scores for the first sixteen ''Peanuts'' television specials plus one feature film, and was responsible for their signature theme, "[[Linus and Lucy]]".]]

===''A Boy Named Charlie Brown'' and ''A Charlie Brown Christmas''=== 
The genesis of Guaraldi's association with the ''Peanuts'' franchise began in 1963 when television producer [[Lee Mendelson]], searching for music for a planned ''Peanuts'' documentary titled ''[[A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1963 film)|A Boy Named Charlie Brown]]'', heard "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" on the radio.{{sfn|Bang|2012|p=172}}<ref name="Schudel">{{cite news |last1=Schudel |first1=Matt |title=Charlie Brown, an Evergreen Treat |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/08/AR2006120800317.html |access-date=21 December 2019 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=10 December 2006}}</ref> Recognizing its potential, Mendelson sought out Guaraldi, who enthusiastically accepted the offer to compose the documentary's score.<ref name="BangLiner">Bang, Derrick. [http://www.kritzerland.com/KR_Charlie_Brown_Notes.pdf Liner notes for ''A Boy Named Charlie Brown: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' (2017); Kritzerland, Inc.] Retrieved May 7, 2018</ref> Soon after, Guaraldi excitedly played an untitled composition over the phone for Mendelson, unable to contain his excitement. That piece, "[[Linus and Lucy]]", would become the defining musical theme of the ''Peanuts'' franchise.<ref name="BangLiner" /> Reflecting on the moment, Mendelson remarked in 2008, "It just blew me away. It was so right, and so perfect, for Charlie Brown and the other characters. I have no idea why, but I knew that song would affect my entire life. There was a sense, even before it was put to animation, that there was something very, very special about that music."{{sfn|Bang|2012|p=172}}

Although the documentary was never aired due to Mendelson’s inability to secure sponsorship, the music was recorded and released in 1964 as ''[[Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown]]''. Encouraged by Guaraldi's work, Mendelson and Schulz retained him for the upcoming ''Peanuts'' holiday special, ''[[A Charlie Brown Christmas]]'' (1965). The [[A Charlie Brown Christmas (soundtrack)|soundtrack]], recorded with the Vince Guaraldi Trio, featured enduring compositions such as "[[Christmas Time Is Here]]", "Skating", "Christmas Is Coming", and "Linus and Lucy". Both the television special and its soundtrack were immensely successful, establishing Guaraldi as an integral part of the ''Peanuts'' legacy.<ref name="linerPumpkin" />  

Guaraldi historian Derrick Bang underscored Guaraldi’s impact, stating, "Rarely has an entertainment icon been so quickly — and firmly — welded to a musical composition...Guaraldi defined the ''Peanuts'' sound, and it's just as true today as it was in the 1960s. The compositions themselves are uniformly sparkling; it's as if the jazz pianist and his trio were waiting for this precise inspiration".<ref name="Bang" /> Mendelson concurred, highlighting Guaraldi's jazz score as essential to ''A Charlie Brown Christmas'''s widespread appeal. "There's no doubt in my mind that if we hadn't had that Guaraldi score, we wouldn’t have had the franchise we later enjoyed."{{sfn|Bang|2012|p=172}} Despite Guaraldi's inexperience in scoring and Mendelson’s documentary background, their shared affinity for jazz facilitated a meticulous, iterative process of reviewing and refining each cue—a method they applied across sixteen specials. While some material was repurposed or omitted, most of Guaraldi's compositions remained integral to the final productions.<ref name="liner" />

===''It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown''=== 
Following the unexpected success of ''A Charlie Brown Christmas'', the creative team produced another special, ''[[Charlie Brown's All Stars!]]'' (1966), which was also well received. With confidence in their ability to replicate their initial success, Schulz, Mendelson, and animator [[Bill Melendez]] set their sights on another holiday-themed special, ''[[It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown]]'' (1966).<ref name="linerPumpkin" />  

Guaraldi composed the score throughout the summer of 1966, advocating for "Linus and Lucy" to become the franchise's unofficial theme. Recognizing this oversight in ''Charlie Brown's All Stars!'', he ensured that the piece was featured prominently in ''It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown''. Melendez responded by structuring the special's opening sequence around a dialogue-free montage, accompanied solely by Guaraldi's music. This version of "Linus and Lucy", recorded with a sextet that included bassist [[Monty Budwig]], drummer [[Colin Bailey (drummer)|Colin Bailey]], trumpeter [[Mannie Klein|Emmanuel Klein]], guitarist John Gray, and flautist [[Ronnie Lang]], became the definitive rendition of the piece and solidified its place as the ''Peanuts'' musical identity.<ref name="linerPumpkin">Bang, Derrick; Liner notes from ''[[It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: Music from the Soundtrack]]'' (2018)</ref>

Guaraldi continued composing for ''Peanuts'', scoring twelve additional animated television specials, as well as the feature film ''[[A Boy Named Charlie Brown]]'' and the documentary ''[[Charlie Brown and Charles Schulz]]'' (both 1969).{{sfn|Bang|2012|p=253}}