Waiting for the Elevator. Performed by Laurie Berkner Band. CD.
Approx. 47 min. Two Tomatoes Records. 2019. CD: $11.98; Digital: $9.99.
Pre-S – Gr 2
Toe-tapping, catchy pop tunes are
the hallmark of this 13th album from the Laurie Berkner Band.
Performing 19 fun, educational, and quirky songs are band members Laurie Berkner,
Susie Lampert, Brady Rymer, and Bob Golden. They give excellent performances on
guitar, bass, keyboards, saxophone, trumpet, drums, and percussion. The vocals
soar with great harmonies, including guest singer, Tony-award winnnig Gavin Creel.
The theme of the album is growth; for example, learning about feelings,
movement, letters, numbers, colors, months, games and relationships. Berkner
has been likened to Fred Rogers for her respect, validation and reassurance of
children. “Waiting for the Elevator” is a counting song with cardinal and
ordinal numbers. Ten
dimes make “A Dollar,” and other combinations of coins, such as five nickels in
a quarter. “Did You Go to Ohio,” Florida, Washington, and Arkansas to sing,
spin, swing, and hop? With a fun new melody, “Look at All the Letters” introduces
the alphabet. The a cappella introduction to the “12 Months,” features stomps
and hand claps a la Queen’s We Will Rock You. Berkner harmonizes
beautifully with Gavin Creel on “Do You Hear the Bells,” in which one bell
tolls for one o’clock, two bells for two o’clock, etc. The narrator stops at a
gas station, where she sees a “Chipmunk at the Gas Pump.” A child welcoming his
parents home tells them, “I Missed You.” The narrator explains “I Know How That
Works,” in describing a vacuum (push and pull), a rocking chair (back and
forth), and a kitchen light (on and off). A child exclaims, “I Love You Daddy,”
as he is picked up and spun around. “A Hug from My Mama,” or a kiss, makes a
child feel all right when everything is wrong. “The Big Blue Box” starts out a
cappella, but then adds musical accompaniment as instruments are removed from
it: guitar, bass, piano and drum. The other songs include “Piggyback Ride,” “A
Mermaid’s Song,” “Come Out Come Out,” “I Am Angry (Yes I Am!),” “Purple Bricks
in the Sky,” “The Mountain,” and “Somos Los Dinosaurios,” the Spanish version
of Berkner’s hit “We Are the Dinosaurs.” This wonderful album teaches young listeners
some important concepts in a fun and engaging way, as well as including some
silly and quirky songs.
Website:
www.laurieberkner.com
