From Holiday Melodies to Subtle Soundtracks

Vince Guaraldi's soundtrack to the TV special "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is not only one of the best-loved Christmas albums of all time, it's also a jazz classic. Today, eMusic.com editor Michael Azerrad tells us the story behind Guaraldi's classic score. Also: This year's batch of Oscar-worthy films is notable for their relatively spare use of music. Film historian Jon Burlingame explains why directors want subtler music these days. Finally: Conductor David Zinman shares Christmas pieces that use 20th century sounds to evoke traditional moods.

Weigh in: Soundcheck's 2007 music poll