Gerald John Granelli (December 30, 1940 – July 20, 2021) was an American-born Canadian jazz drummer. Jerry Granelli was the last surviving member of the original group led by Vince Guaraldi that played the the soundtrack for the iconic television broadcast A Charlie Brown Christmas back in 1969. In He was best known for playing drums on the soundtrack A Charlie Brown Christmas with the Vince Guaraldi Trio. Granelli recorded and toured with the Vince Guaraldi Trio during the 1960s, appearing on Vince Guaraldi, Bola Sete and Friends and A Charlie Brown Christmas. Granelli was only paid $120 for the recording session of A Charlie Brown Christmas, and never received any royalties from the television special or its soundtrack. The soundtrack went on to become a triple-platinum award winning album. Granelli toured jazz festivals and holiday venues with his one-man show Tales of a Charlie Brown Christmas, which retells the three-hour recording session in 1965 that culminated in the timeless Christmas classic.

Artist: Jerry Granelli Trio
Song: "Skating"
2014

Jerry Granelli - Drums
Chris Gestrin - Piano
Simon Fisk - Bass





Jerry also played with the eccentric singer/pianist Mose Allison, whose wry twists on the blues Granelli had the pleasure of accompanying for nearly 40 years:



He got to play with two of the absolute all-time modern jazz greats. Well-done.