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Eric Mintel Quartet Presents the Music of Vince Guaraldi at the Hayes Center in Blowing Rock, NC

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Pianist and composer Vince Guaraldi has never been given the credit that he deserves for introducing an entire generation of music lovers to the joys of jazz music. Jazz purists probably hate to think about the huge number of listeners who first got hooked on jazz while watching Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus and Lucy dancing merrily by a sad little Christmas tree...but it's true.

42 years after the television debut of the holiday special A Charlie Brown Christmas, Vince Guaraldi's piano-driven soundtrack for the half-hour cartoon evokes a feeling of nostalgic comfort similar to sitting in front of a fireplace while watching the snow fall outside the window.

The Eric Mintel Quartet will present a concert titled A Jazz Holiday at the Mariam and Robert Hayes Center for the Performing Arts in Blowing Rock on Saturday, November 24th starting at 7:30 p.m. The concert will feature the music of Vince Guaraldi's soundtrack for A Charlie Brown Christmas plus other holiday and jazz favorites. Tickets are on sale now.

“We put our own stamp on all of those Vince Guaraldi favorites like 'Christmas Time is Here Again,' 'Skating' and 'Linus and Lucy'," said Mintel. “His music is such a great way of introducing a lot of young kids--and adults--to the wonders of jazz."

The Eric Mintel Quartet has been a driving force in straight ahead piano jazz since 1993. The band features Mintel on piano, Nelson Hill on alto saxophone and flute, Dave Antonow on electric bass guitar and Dave Mohn on drums. The band is based out of eastern Pennsylvania and annually plays at many of the jazz festivals in New England and on the East Coast.

The quartet's November 24th performance in Blowing Rock will kick off its 6th annual Jazz Holiday Tour. Future engagements on the tour include stops in Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey.

“I guess you would have to say that we have a Dave Brubeck Quartet style of sound," said Mintel. “It's lyrical and melodic, but it's also very high energy and accessible."

In addition to playing the music of Vince Guaraldi, the Eric Mintel Quartet plays plenty of originals and jazz classics. The band released its latest CD, Times Change, in April of this year and Mintel previously put out an album of solo piano holiday music under the title Silent Night.

One of Mintel's jazz heroes delivered the ultimate praise when pianist Dave Brubeck said, “ As long as the music attracts dedicated young musicians like Eric Mintel jazz will continue to thrive and progress as a voice of freedom. The world needs their voices."

The parallels between Mintel, Brubeck and Guaraldi are numerous. All three musicians discovered a love for playing the piano at an early age and each found that they enjoyed composing new works as much as playing the music of other jazz musicians. At the age of 15, when his instructor was trying to steer Mintel toward the basics, Eric was already tackling Brubeck compositions such as “Blue Rondo a la Turk" and “Take Five."

After forming his band in 1993, Mintel continued his interest in larger orchestras and composed the ambitious Millennium Suite for orchestra and jazz quartet. Over the years, Mintel has performed at the White House for President Clinton in 1998, been featured in Down Beat Magazine in 2005, and has been a featured guest on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz on National Public Radio.

Recently the Eric Mintel Quartet opened a concert for Dave Brubeck at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia.

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