By this point, you know the drill with these records. Guaraldi is a sublime pianist, near the Ahmad Jamal end of the spectrum. Both of them have a startling gift for combining deep and intense lyricism and love of melody with a nimble lightness of touch.

The Charlie Brown theme is famous but in this particular reading it sounds heavier than usual, with more shadowy tones.

And the familiar trio has been enhanced with Herb Ellis on guitar, who blends seamlessly with Guaraldi's piano, so much so that it sounds like a separated at birth scenario. Also on hand are the Candoli brothers on trumpet and Victor Feldman on vibes. Frank Rosolino is on trombone, Peter Christlieb and William Hood on reeds, Monty Budwig (Shelly Manne's first call) on bass and Jack Sperling on drums.

The theme for this particular outing is swinging and swirling and also has a tinge of melancholy—or perhaps I'm just projecting. It's a brilliant piece and over in less than a minute but should leave you thinking that Guaraldi is under-rated.

Most of the cues are quite short. "You're in Love, Charlie Brown" is a delightful waltz but only 23 seconds long. "Bus Blues" is a little over a minute, in 6/8, and has some unusually edgy piano flourishes from Guaraldi.

The "Peppermint Patty" cue has a rock feel to it, with some tough saxophone playing, Feldman featured on vibes and Ellis letting a bit of grit into his tone.

"Love Will Come (Nova Bossa)" is definitely a piece with a line of sadness running through it. It's also quite beautiful, with unison saxophone lines and a perfect feel from the rest of the band.

The famous Charlie Brown theme gets as bit on an inversion in "Pebble Beach", which features a flute solo, while "Air Music" is almost like a pre-bebop jazz tune.

There are alternate takes of many of these tunes on the album. It's all wonderful.