Isaiah J. Thompson Quartet presents ‘A Guaraldi Holiday’

If you like the “Peanuts” specialties’ cartoon music, don’t miss Isaiah J. Thompson Quartet’s “A Guaraldi Holiday” at the Vilar Performing Arts Center, presented in partnership with Vail Jazz. Two shows on Monday celebrate Vince Guaraldi’s jazz through acclaimed pianist and composer Isaiah J. Thompson, tenor saxophone player Julian Lee, Lee’s younger brother, drummer Matthew Lee, and upright bassist Sebastian Rios.

Thompson returns to Vail after studying at the 2014 Vail Jazz Workshop, which Anneliese Swift, executive director of Vail Jazz, noted shaped his musicianship, confidence and creativity. Since then, the Juilliard graduate has become a leader in contemporary jazz, garnering a reputation for his expressive playing, thoughtful compositions and ability to bridge generations by honoring jazz masters, while also furthering the genre with freshness and clarity.

“He embodies exactly what the Vail Jazz Workshop is about: nurturing young artists, supporting their growth and welcoming them back to inspire our community when their voices reach the world stage,” Swift said.

Just as Thompson inspires new generations of jazz lovers, Guaraldi introduced countless kids and adults to the genre through “Peanuts” television cartoons, specifically Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentine’s Day specials. Thompson and his trio reimagine these cherished holiday classics in a blend of nostalgia, joy and sophisticated improvisation on stage. Thompson paid tribute to Guaraldi two years ago through his album, “A Guaraldi Holiday,” backed by a spirited, full band.

“A lot of people say they don’t like jazz, but they love Charlie Brown — they love Vince Guaraldi — so I would beg them to reconsider that opinion,” he said. “A lot of our introduction (to jazz) was ‘Peanuts’ — we heard the great music behind it (and wondered): ‘Why is that so good? What is that?’ It became a thesis for the recording.”

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For as long as he can remember, he always loved Guaraldi and knew of the composer’s Charlie Brown tunes, and he still loves listening to them in context, along with the cartoon, to see how the characters helped inspire the music. He also enjoys seeing the impact Guaraldi has had on people of all ages.

“You might not think ‘Peanuts’ is jazz, but he made it palatable (for general audiences),” he said. “What’s amazing about Vince Guaraldi is, I don’t find that he changed the way he played for the cartoon.”

In fact, producers of Charlie Brown specials saw the value of his jazz playing and didn’t want him to dumb it down, so to speak.

“I think it’s just super special around this time of year, and it’s a pleasure to get to play (his music),” he said, adding that the other three musicians, whom he’s known since they were kids and grew up with at Juilliard, are “just incredible, and we’ve been having a great time playing together.”

“We’re advocates for modern jazz, meaning that if we’re playing modern, that means playing in the now, in real time. That’s what jazz means, that’s what modern jazz is, and also within jazz, there’s not only swing, there’s not only blues, but there’s improvisation, so improvisation makes it very active — makes you an active participant. I see the instruments as vessels, so really understanding where they’re coming from is super important, really listening to each other, that’s what we try to do as an ensemble.”

During the Vilar concerts, they’ll evoke the spirit in which Guaraldi wrote his music, even though some of the arrangements will differ a bit.

“But like I said, it should have that spirit, and I hope the audience has a great time and really gets into the spirit of the holidays, as well,” he said. “Vail is such a serious place about the music. Jazz is not appreciated as a part of the common culture as I believe it should be. When you’re in an environment like Vail, you feel the music is treasured.”