To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the comic strip, assembled this compilation of compositions that the pianist recorded for the soundtracks to various television specials, some of which were previously issued on his albums, plus a few alternate takes and songs that have never previously appeared on disc. A pair of songs recorded by for were also licensed for inclusion. , who earlier in his career had worked as a sideman with , recorded a few albums of his own, and won a Grammy for his composition earned lasting fame for his infectious piece a piece that became so famous for its opening vamp alone that it is instantly recognizable to any fan of the cartoon specials. Some songs have aged better than others. The pieces utilizing electric keyboards sound dated, particularly and though trumpeter is part of the band on the latter two tracks, but he doesn't solo. Alternate takes were located for while the campy features a rare vocal by the pianist, though the muted trumpet and backing band (aside from the rhythm section) are uncredited. recorded a number of television soundtracks after the success of , though his premature death from a heart attack at the age of 47 in early 1976 saddened both and jazz fans. Since this collection focuses on pieces that are portraits of characters within the strip, and many of 's -themed songs were previously issued on the CD , the label would have been left with a rather abbreviated album, unless it chose to license tracks from 's sole LP, , or recordings by other jazz artists for other labels. It is surprising that two tracks recorded by new age pianist (who recorded an album of songs for in 1996) were included to get this collection to at least LP length. , who has frequently been savaged by jazz journalists (especially the late ), plays with a little more gusto than on his own pieces in and a reprise of though his playing has a mechanical feel to it and his improvising skills are not at the level of a jazz pianist. 's detailed liner notes give extensive background to each of the characters portrayed. The number of previously unavailable tracks will make of interest to fans of , though it falls short of being an essential CD by the late pianist. ~ Ken Dryden