Awesome!

Awesome! Performed by Jesse Jukebox. CD. Approx. 17 min. Bovine Music. 2020. CD: $10; Digital: $5.

K-Gr 3

Clevelander Jesse Friedberg performs six original, energetic songs on his third album, with help from Grammy Award winner Dean Jones, who contributes his talents as producer, vocalist and instrumentalist. Diagnosed with ADHD as a child, Friedberg wants this album to encourage children who are going through similar learning trials. Friedberg and Jones perform beautifully on guitars, bass, keys, toy piano, synths, flutes, harmonicas, trombone, drums, and percussion. Some talented children also join in on the songs. Many things are “Awesome,” including macaroni and cheese, polar bears, five-foot pancake stacks; so, show the entire world how awesome you are. When you need to make a decision, “Listen to Your Gut” and trust your intuition. One of a kind, my “Incredible Shoes” have flashing lights, lightning bolts, springs on the bottom and help me dance and run. I’m a “Complicated Kid,” having a hard time in school because I can’t pay attention and need to move around. “I Wanna Learn,” and I learn something new every day-- that dogs don’t sweat, they pant; rats like to be tickled; octopuses have three hearts; and it rains metal on Venus, etc. When you try something new and start to make a change, you’ll discover that you are “Right Where You Belong.” An excellent album with songs that will encourage all children facing learning obstacles.

Website: www.jessefriedberg.com

Sharon & Bram and Friends

Sharon & Bram and Friends. Performed by Sharon Hampson and Bram Morrison. CD. Approx. 31 min. Casablanca Kids Inc. 2019. Digital: $8.99.

K – Gr 5

Multiple award winners, Sharon and Bram are among Canada’s premier music entertainers for children, and inductees into the Order of Canada. Having entertained children since 1978, the two are still going strong in their 70s. Their vocals are clear and vibrant, and the backup musicians are excellent. With 21 previous albums under their belts, they now perform 8 bright and lively original songs in pop and folk musical styles. Four of these songs were released as singles, which were reviewed on this blog on August 6, 2019. An enthusiastic children’s chorus joins in on several of the songs. “Everybody Talks” about peace, but how great it would be if somebody had a war and nobody came. Canadian comedian Colin Mochrie joins in the very funny “Colour Song” about homophones; real ones like red/read and blue/blew, and silly ones like yellow/yell “oh” and green/agreein’. Hearing Mochrie become more and more frustrated by these silly homophones is half the fun. “Old Coat” is based on the folktale in which an old coat is made into smaller and smaller garments: coat to jacket, jacket to shirt, shirt to vest, etc. In “The Drum Song,” the singers imitate drum rhythm sounds. “The Hug Song” inquires if you have had a hug today. How could anything be wrong with being “Different?” We’re all different and having a ball. “Sharon & Bram’s Colour Song” is a reprise of the second song, without Mochrie. “Talk About Peace,” featuring Jim Cuddy, encourages peace, friendliness, and loving your neighbor as yourself.  The album ends with the duo’s famous and favorite tune: “Skinnamarinky Two,” including some new lyrics. Fans new and old will embrace this new and long-awaited album.
Website: https://www.sharonandbram.com/ 

All of Us: Bible Songs for Everyone

All of Us: Bible Songs for Everyone. Performed by Parker & Alexander. CD. Approx. 29 min. Bootjack Productions. 2019. CD & Digital: $9.99.

K – Gr 5

Brendan Parker and Erick Alexander, the duo that created Spaghetti Eddie, perform 10 lovely songs that retell Bible stories that are of particular interest to young listeners. These lively rock songs feature beautiful harmonies, toe-tapping, driving beats, and appealing tunes that are fun and easy to sing along with. The background instruments—guitar, bass, drums, and percussion—are performed with excellence.

The “Celebration of Creation” praises a creation that has been put together beautifully and could only have come from God. “In the Beginning” God made everything, including cuddly puppies, frisky kitties, Adam, and Eve. People thought that “Noah” was a little cuckoo: “Where are you going in that huge thing? There’s no water in your backyard!” With a great big gulp and a wiggle of the tail, in went “Jonah” to the mouth of the whale. God wrote on stone tablets His “Ten Commandments” and Moses brought those big stone tablets down from the mountain. Jesus’ birth had “Humble Beginnings” in a barn on a bed of hay. The “Good Samaritan” was a real humanitarian, a neighbor without comparison. “All of Us” are special in God’s eyes, even when we have bad days. Jesus taught us how to pray to God in “The Lord’s Prayer.” The crucifixion and resurrection occurred over “Three Dark Days,” when the sin that holds us down was washed away. This outstanding album will be welcome in homes and Sunday School classes.

Website: www.parkerandalexander.com

I'm an Optimist

I’m an Optimist. Performed by Dog on Fleas. CD. Approx. 34 min. Produced by Dean Jones. 2019. CD: $5.99; Digital: $9.99.

Grades 1 – 5

This album has the feel of a half-hour jam session with Dean Jones, John Hughes and Chris Cullo, the Dog on Fleas band. Grammy Award winner Dean Jones has also produced albums for many well-known kindie artists, including Frances England, the Okee Dokee Brothers, Red Yarn, Elizabeth Mitchell, and many others. These 12 quirky songs, performed in several varieties of rock, have odd lyrics and lots of sound FX. The trio and guest musician are extremely proficient on guitar, bass, saxophone, trombone, drums and percussion. With a “Can Do Attitude,” one can change the world, change a diaper, peel a potato, and accomplish many other things. Is there a “Doppelgänger” out there who looks just like you? “Oh Lazy Me” is liked much more than the uptight version. In this piece, which is partly spoken and partly sung, the narrator tells how he planned to build a treehouse, when he encountered “A Little Hiccup:” he forgot the nails. “It’s a Miracle” that an airplane can fly, that an apple tree comes from a seed, and that heads don’t pop off when a person sneezes. In a world of grumpy, I “Wanna Be” a smiler; in a world of bears, I wanna be a park ranger; and in a world of careful, I wanna little danger. Spoken and sung, “Word Association” features children playing the game and coming up with associations such as mind/brain, head/heart, whale/ocean and more. In “I’m an Optimist,” the narrator prefers to feed his optimist side rather than his pessimist side. The other songs include “Sting Along,” “Village d’Etoiles,” “Sunny Day Song,” and “Did You See That Squirrel?” These humorous songs will tickle the funny bones of young listeners.

Website: https://www.dogonfleas.com/