Sharon, Lois & Bram: Best of the Best Live

 

Sharon, Lois & Bram: Best of the Best Live. Performed by Sharon Hampson, Lois Lilienstein & Bram Morrison. Approx. 63 min. Red Brick Songs. 2021. CD: $13.99; CAD: $14.99; Digital: $12.99. Ages 2 – 7

            This excellent compilation of the multi-award-winning Canadian trio’s live performances from 1989—1995 features 32 of their best-known songs. Listeners will also hear much interaction between the trio and their various audiences. Most of the songs encourage some kind of listener participation and are in various musical styles, including jig, boogie Woogie, jazz, folk, and bluegrass. The backup musicians perform with excellence on  fiddle, banjo, bass, keys, saxophone, clarinet, flute and drums. Song titles and medleys include: “Rig A Jig Jig/One Elephant, Deus Éléphants,” “Did You Bring Your Singing Voice?/Short, Long & Beard,” “She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain,” “Alphabet Song/ABC Jig,” “Rags,” “Monday Night the Banjo,” “Going to the Zoo/Five Little Monkeys,” “Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes/Head & Shoulders, Baby,” “How Much is That Doggie in the Window,” “I Am Slowly Going Crazy,” “Old King Cole,” “Flea Fly Mosquito/Shoo Fly Don’t Bother Me/Shoo-Fly Pie,” “If I Could Have a Windmill,” “Ballin’ the Jack,” “Skip to My Loo/Put Your Finger in the Air/Eensy Weensy Spider,” “Hucklebuck,” “Jack Was Every Inch a Sailor,” “Peanut Butter and Jelly,” “Dirty Old Bill/Miss Lucy,” “CHICKEN/Grandpa’s Farm,” “Skinnamarink,” and “Hey Dum Diddeley Dum.” This album will bring back wonderful memories for older fans and create new ones for young listeners. 

Website: https://www.sharonloisandbram.com/

Seconds

 

Seconds. Performed by Ben Tatar and the Tatar Tots. Approx. 33 min. 2021. CD: $10; Digital: $10. Ages 4—8

     Ben Tatar performs 10 original lively and energetic songs in New Orleans jazz, 70s Latin, funk, blues, pop, big band swing, and rhumba musical styles. These are very sophisticated tunes for children’s’ songs about food. Tatar and his guest vocalists, Anthony Bruno and Amyna Love, make some beautiful harmonies together. Guest bands LowDown Brass Band and Spare Parts join other musicians to make excellent performances on guitar, banjo, bass, tenor sax, clarinet, flute, trombone, trumpet, sousaphone, keys, Glockenspiel, drums, and percussion. The flavor of “Jambalaya” sends a melody to his soul, and he has music to play all night. “Peanut Butter” joins with jelly to make the taste complete. In answer to “Can You Write a Song About Broccoli,” he tried a million times to write broccoli rhymes, but the universe told him “no.” When “I Got the Greens,” I hit the salad bar and got spinach, lettuce, avocado, lima beans, and other greens. The musical style of “The Breakfast Song (Start It Right)” is reminiscent of the 70s band America. “Bake Me a Cake” or a pie, I shouldn’t need a reason why. I’m going “Back to the Buffet” to stack food a mile high: enchiladas, lima beans, pasta, oranges, greens, with syrup on veggies, and sprinkling bacon on fruit. Every morning, noon, and night, and every time I’m feeling uptight, I’m “Thinking of Pizza.” In “Oh Cookie,” Tatar sings the praises of chocolate chip cookies, avocados (holy guacamole), mashed potatoes, and enchiladas. “Sweet Nectarine” bring up close your fuzzy, peachy cheek. These fun sophisticated, bouncy songs will have the kids, parents, and grandparents all dancing, bobbing their heads, and tapping their feet.

Website: https://ben-tatar.squarespace.com/

Smörgåsbord

 

Smörgåsbord. Performed by Louis & Dan and the Invisible Band. CD. Approx. 21 min. 2021. CD: $12.00; Digital: $12.00. Ages 8 up

Louis Epstein and Daniel Groll perform 8 original songs in musical styles influenced by hip hop, musical theater, indie rock, country, Tin Pan Alley, and folk. Clarinet, Glockenspiel, and drums are the only instruments credited, but the back-up musicians are excellent. “The New Invisible Band” introduces the band members and the roles they play. “I’m a Turkey” should have been the national bird but lost out to the eagle. “Mind Your Money” tells children how to grow their money by saving, investing, and budgeting (Louis & Dan seem to be in favor of evil socialism). “Happy Day” celebrates different holidays, including graduation, birthday, epiphany, Oktoberfest, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, and many others. “Minneapolis the Musical City” extolls the talents of the Andrews Sisters, Judy Garland, Olive Fremstad (opera soprano), and several other musicians. “What Is a Family” includes a variety of family types, such as nuclear families, single parent families, and families with adoptees. In “Joy to the World,” an adventurous lady travels to many places, including Rome, Stockholm, Morocco, Tijuana, Puerto Rico, Italy, Beijing, Thailand, Peru, Paris, Toronto, Antigua, Norway, and others. “I’ll Take Myself to Bed” says the child wanting to give his parents a break. A humorous and enjoyable album.

Website: https://www.louisdaninvisibleband.com/ 

Sing Your Song

 

Sing Your Song. Performed by Harmonica Pocket. CD. Approx. 43 min. 2021. CD: $12.99; Digital: $9.99. Ages 2—8

Two-time Parents’ Choice Gold Award-winner, Keeth Monta Apgar (aka Harmonica Pocket), performs 11 original songs, 1 traditional song (“Twinkle, Twinkle”), and one cover, all with memorable and appealing melodies. On this 5^th album for children, his pleasant and smooth vocals blend in beautiful harmonies with his guest singers, Renee Stahl, his wife Nala Walla and son Montana Apgar. And occasionally, he lets rip an amazing falsetto. Apgar and his guest instrumentalists perform on guitars, ukulele, upright bass, bass, alto and baritone saxophones, trombone, harmonica, drums, percussion, Glockenspiel, and caxixi, in pop rock, country and folk musical styles. In “Sing Your Song,” you may not sound like everybody else, but you sound just like yourself, so open up your mouth and sing. “One Two I Love You” and three, four, couldn’t love you more. “Nest” celebrates a couple of birds building a nest (with bird chirps). In the “Sand Song” the narrator has sand in his hair, underwear, nose, between his toes, and he'd love to share if you’d care for some. In “Everything is Everywhere” the narrator lists a plethora of misplaced body parts, such as his nose is in his ear, etc. “Take a Little Finger” is a spoken poem in which listeners are asked to draw figures in the air and clap. In “Apples on the Sun,” one can taste apples that are growing on the sun and smell flowers that are blooming on the moon. In “Itchy 9,” the narrator suffers from itches all over his body (with sounds of scratching). “I Can Be the Princess” and you can be the violin; I can be the bird and you can be the flower, but I prefer to be me. The cover of “Stand by Me” features lots of harmonica. “Wee a Tilly” begins with the sounds of wind chimes, then avows apart or together, love you forever. The “Ukulele Lullaby” sings little ones to sleep. A lovely and beautifully executed album.

Website: https://harmonicapocket.com/music/

Frogs and Birds

Frogs and Birds. Performed by Lindsay Munroe. CD. Approx. 31 min. Troubadour Music. 2021. CD: $12.98; Digital: $9.98. Ages 4—8

Award-winning Lindsay Munroe, mother of three children with autism, performs 14 lovely songs, three of which are covers of classic songs: “You Are My Sunshine,” “If I Knew You Were Coming,” and “Happy Trails.” Munroe wrote her songs to highlight encouragement, understanding, and respect for others, and to help neurodiverse children cope with every day events. Munroe is joined on several songs by Raffi, who also produced the album, and performed on guitar, ukulele, electric piano, violin, and other instruments. Munroe, with her clear and light soprano vocals, and Raffi harmonize beautifully together on several of these folk, jazz, pop, and other musical-style songs. In “Frogs and Birds,” including sound effects of chirping birds and croaking frogs, Munroe’s youngest daughter joins her in encouraging listeners to be aware of the feelings of others. “Faces Show Our Feelings” explains how facial expressions reveal interior emotions. “Feelings Like the Weather” reassures listeners that feelings may be only temporary and will pass away like bad weather. “Little Bird On My Window” has a motif from Brahms’ Lullaby as the chorus. “Flexible and Easygoing” encourages listeners to handle unexpected changes and disruptions to routines with calmness. “I See You” and hear you and respond to what you do and say. “The Ally Song” explains that an ally is a friend who is kind, who listens, and who respects others. “Conversations” are meant for two speaking and listening to each other. “Very Funny Things” realizes that children can take some idioms, such as “it’s a piece of cake,” “hold your horses,” and “raining cats and dogs” very literally. “Take a Breath,” (written by Raffi), tells listeners that they can calm down by breathing in and out. “Where There Is Love” we belong, in a family or in a community. This sweet and entertaining album, while excellent for all children, will be especially reassuring for neurodiverse children.

 Website: https://www.lindsaymunroemusic.com/

 

Happily Ever Now

 Happily Ever Now. Performed by G’Raph. CD. Approx. 52 min. 2021. CD: $15; Digital: $10. Ages 3—11

Raphael Groten, aka G’Raph, performs 13 original, quirky songs in folk, blues, soul, rock, funk, reggae/ska, country, and jazz musical styles. G’Raph performs with excellence on all of the instruments, including steel string guitar, cavaquinho, kalimba, bass, djembe, cowbell, shaker, cajon, bells, gong, triangle, and zinger toy. G’Raph uses different voices in some of the songs, such as a deep voice and a Donald Duck-style voice. He also utilizes different sound effects—wooden blocks, baby rattle, rain stick, and rattling dishes to name a few. An enthusiastic children’s chorus joins in on a few of the songs. “Hands in the Water” teaches youngsters how to thoroughly wash their hands. “I Can Eat a Rainbow” is about the variety of foods in many colors, such as red apples, yellow squash, and green cucumbers. “Happily Ever Now” explains that happiness can be found inside each person. “I Love You Baby” when the morning comes, and the sun is shining. “Don’t Pick Your Nose” tells listeners why this is a bad habit. “The Minor ABC’s” teaches listeners a new melody in a minor tune, then increases the tempo. G’Raph and the children’s chorus roar, “Monster Truck,” which is stuck in the muck. “I’m Not pErfect” lets listeners know that its okay to have imperfections and make mistakes.  “No! No!” is a silly song about dressing incorrectly and eating the wrong things for breakfast. In “Baby Blues” a crying baby complains about being hungry and having a dirty diaper. “The Only Me” with you is two, and with your puppet dog is three, etc. “Quiet Time” and “Owl’s Dream” (instrumental) are intended to help preschool children calm down after the previous lively songs. A fun and humorous album that will amuse listeners and keep them entertained.

Website: www.raphaelgroten.com

Pachamama

 

Pachamama. Performed by Flor Bromley. CD. Approx. 66 min. 8 Pound Gorilla Records. 2021. CD: $10; Digital: $9.99.  Ages 4—8

     Originally from Peru and now living in NYC, Bromley performs 11 original songs about “Mother Earth” and caring for the environment. In this excellent album, she performs in diverse musical styles, including Andean huayno, bachata from the Dominican Republic, tanuillo from Cadiz, Tex-Mex quebradita, tango, country/folk, and a Peruvian hip hop fusion. Her guest musicians include Laurie Berkner, Justin Lansing (Okee Dokee Brothers), SaulPaul, and Wendy Sulca and Miss Laurita, both popular Peruvian singer/entertainers. Background instrumentalists make beautiful music on guitar, banjo, violin, jarana, flute, pan flutes, accordion, drums, and percussion. Half of the album is in English (with some Quechua), then all of the songs are repeated in Spanish (with some Quechua). “Pachamama” is the Quechua term for “Mother Earth.” A “Drop of Water” changes shape and ultimately flows into the sea. “The Ocean” is open and wide and contains many different creatures. The “Mango’s Tango” was a dance to decide which mango would be king of the mangos. Two siblings argue about the “Peas and Carrots” for dinner, over which is better. The “Totora Horse” is actually a boat for a fisherman. “Mother Nature” gives us presents every day. “Ñusta Tika” teaches us to respect all creatures. In “Condor, Puma, Snake,” each gives its perspective of the earth from its own viewpoint. “Let’s Move It,” is a lively, bouncy, participatory tune encouraging listeners to move their bodies. “Luz” is sung in both English and Spanish and asks listeners to let their lights shine. The Spanish titles are “La Pachamama,” “Gota de Agua,” “El Océano,” “El Tango del Mango,” “Arvejitas y Zanahorias,” “Caballito de Totora,” “La Naturaleza,” “Princesa Tika,” “Cóndor, Puma, Serpiente,” and “Muévete.” A great album for budding environmentalists.

Website: www.florbromleymusic.com