Some weeks, I struggle with what record to recommend in these pages, either struck with indecision in the face of too many choices or not knowing which one would quite fit the moment. For this Christmas recommendation, I had no such challenge as – however unpredictably it might sound – the soundtrack for Charlie Brown’s Christmas Special is unquestionably the record to have for the yuletide season, as it’s also one of the greatest jazz albums of all time.

There’s no reason it should sound this good. A Charlie Brown Christmas was a Coco-Cola commissioned Christmas special that the CBS didn’t like; and recently Grammy-winning jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi was neither the first nor second choice to write the music. However, Guaraldi had been commissioned to write music for an earlier documentary special on Charlie Brown, titled A Boy Named Charlie Brown, which networks hadn’t been interested in either, and some of its most notable tracks were carried across — namely, “Linus and Lucy.” He was an easy, reliable choice for a rushed special that the network literally couldn’t refuse to air; and the music, composed with his trio of drummer Jerry Granelli and bassist Fred Marshall, became a Christmas and jazz classic.

The resulting album isn’t what you’d expect from a Christmas special. It’s an album that channels seasonal cheer but quiet contentment and the pathos that many experience during the season. Whereas most Christmas music is bright and saccharine, with smiles all around and everything perfect, this album — the soundtrack to a children’s cartoon, no less — captures all the season’s feelings. Because of this, you’ll never hear it playing in a mall — meaning it hasn’t been dreadfully overplayed as so much other Christmas music has — and it’s beautifully performed.

Given the fame of the record, there have been an almost endless number of vinyl releases, so I recommend not going for the first you find. In 2022, Craft Records released a series of deluxe editions with new mixes and a more stylish presentation, and they all sell for within a few dollars of the standard version. If you want top quality, go for the heavyweight vinyl — which will last better and play better — or one with a style you particularly like, like the semi-translucent green version I went for.

If you’re going to listen to one album today, it’s this one.

Merry Christmas.