Written for The Argo by Emily Hamilton

As Christmas is approaching in the next few weeks, Stockton University is kicking off some end of the semester festivities with Ed Vezinho and the Jim Ward Big Band performing the soundtrack from “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. A well-established group of men with exceptional talent in music performed in harmony 

The Dec. 6 performance started with “Christmas Time is Here”, and was greeted with a warm audience eager to listen. Adding his own touch to the original work of Vince Guaraldi’s, “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, Vezinho melded each song into the next. Adding strong jazz components to the original songs adored over the decades, Vezinho carefully highlighted each musician’s talent in each song. 

Following along with the movie, each song the band played had their own special soloists that were highlighted. This jazzy twist on the original Charlie Brown Christmas music really encaptured the audience and the beauty of the lessons in the movie. The night rounded off with some jazzy Christmas classics, like “Silent Night” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”. Ed Vezinho and the Jim Ward Big Band produced a magical night of beautifully orchestrated music for the Stockton students, staff, and visitors for the evening.