2001 music reviews (July-December)

albums by Peter Alsop and Tickle Tune Typhoon, reviewed July 2001

Did you walk 10,000 steps today? That is the question, and veteran family songster Peter Alsop has the answer with his latest release, Did You Walk? Workout. Apparently it's healthy for us to walk 10,000 steps a day — I put down my remote and picked up five steps just like that! (An easy way to count your steps is with a pedometer, check out www.digiwalker.com.)

Peter and his young pals' call is to all couch potatoes and settee sausages — get up, face the music, and start walking! The music tracks are structured from warm up to cool-down and paced for the beginner in all of us. Humor abounds and most of the songs are set at 122 bpm (beats per minute), an average of 4 mph. The standout song "Affirmation Alphabet" contains over 350 uplifting words (yes, I counted them) for the 26 letters of the alphabet. Peter's thesaurus must be dog-eared! "The Prize" read by one of Peter's charges emphasizes the pluses of competing, not just winning. All in all, it's a healthy and fun way to start the day. Have you walked 10.000 steps today?

Now, if science is your bag, then Tickle Tune Typhoon's Singing Science is just the ticket for you. And, if science is bringing the grading curve down in your classroom, then this jam-packed 31-song science lesson is a fun and educational way to bone up. Tickle Tune's ninth release in an award-winning 20-year career covers a vast array of sciences from arachnids to astronomy and ecology to elements. A variety of musical styles, including new lyrics to familiar standards, and a 36-page booklet round out this ambitious adventure into the world around us. Catch you on the flip side!

Did You Walk? Workout, Moose School Music; $15 CD, $11 cassette; (800) 676-5480 or www.peteralsop.com.

Singing Science, Tickle Tune Typhoon; $15. (800) 490-0871 or www.tickletunetyphoon.com.

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albums by The Drum Workshop, reviewed August 2001

Drums are probably the oldest instruments in the world, notwithstanding prehistoric accordions and soda bottles of course. You can whack on just about anything to create unique sounds and rhythms. Case in point: Rick Bausman is the director of The Drum Workshop Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides classes in ensemble drumming to groups of all ages and levels of ability.

One of the many offshoots of this endeavor is a creative album for families called Congacycle—songs steeped in cascading layers of percussion echoing the rhythms of North and West Africa, Brazil, Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica, Trinidad and the United States. All the songs are original but one, Akiwowo, a Nigerian chant. Each song is expounded on in a 16-page informative booklet that accompanies the CD. Two highlights include “Samba Lesson,” in which Bausman talks listeners through utilizing whatever percussive objects they can find around the house (drum tablature is included in the notes), and a CD-Rom of Bausman and some of his teen-age drummers playing the tune on items scavenged from junkyards—lots of fun!

The lyrics are more traditional, relating days of fun, escape and wonder as Rick and his young son experience the joys of swinging at the playground in “Superdee High”, “Having Such Fun” (listen for the distinctive Steel Drums from Trinidad), and performing “Saturday” in a country-swing style, features the little-used nose flute (pass the tissues!). Each song has it’s own distinctive drum-driven voice.

Another CD is available from The Drum Workshop is The Power Within, a collection of traditional Afro/Caribbean rhythms and songs featuring Ancient Youth, a group of talented teen-age students. After a few minutes with Rick Bausman you will certainly view familiar household items, trashcans and so-called garage junk in a different and resounding way. Catch you on the flip side!

Congacycle & The Power Within, The Drum Workshop Inc., $14.95 CD; phone (508) 627-3786 or see website at www.drumwork.org.

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album by Trout Fishing in America, reviewed September 2001

If numbers count, and I guess they do or they wouldn't call them numbers, Trout Fishing in America has a bucket full — 25 years playing together and 10 CD releases add up to 2 silly and talented guys named Ezra Idlett (very tall guitarist) and Keith Grimwood (not so very tall bassist) with a brand new 13-song release called inFINity.

There are only a few children's artists who can compel an adult of sound mind and body to pop in the group's CD of his or her own free will — Trout Fishing is one of those, and with this recording the musicians have created a parent's guilty pleasure.

The opening tune "My Best Day" is an exercise in sky's-the-limit positive thinking. Want your own roller coaster? Listen to "They'll be Six Flags Flying Over My Backyard." Imagination is the remedy for those long car trips in "Are We There Yet?" and some poor soul suffers the consequences of not doing homework and chores in "You Can't Go." We've all played the "Your Name Backwards" game (I still do) and thank goodness, or badness, for "Junk Food Jump," a non-health-food song (with a great Shaft riff) that'll add five pounds as you listen and affirms that "too much healthy food can make you mean." My hat is off to anybody who can take "Simon Says" and make the old warhorse fresh, fun and alive. And a testimony to how important it is to share music with little ones comes from the closing song, "Say Something Sweet," a ditty Grimwood's dad made up and used to sing to him when he was a baby.

There's a lot of ear candy to go around: catchy arrangements, clever lyrics and not a whiff of condescension to be found. Parents will enjoy inFINity as much as the kids, so pick up a couple of copies. Catch you on the flip side!

InFINity, Trout Records; CD $14.98; (888)HEY-TFIA or www.troutmusic.com.

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reviewed October 2001

Music for Little People has done an exemplary job with its award-winning Celebration series, picking just the right equation of artist to tune. Celebration of Country is the 14^th release in the series and has a little something for everyone. With eleven nicely crafted songs featuring veteran artists such as Charley Daniels, Faith Hill, Randy Travis, Chet Atkins, Crystal Gayle and Brenda Lee, as well as some talented up-and-comers, this recording is a kid-friendly appetizer to a best-selling musical genre.

Family, environmental and diversity issues are represented on this album through country's many musical influences—from Cajun to Appalachian and ballad to lullaby—but my favorite song is “Anishinabe (The People),” a Native-American family song. It's also great to hear the late Chet Atkins’ fine guitar work and down-home vocals on “I'm My Own Grandpaw,” the classic ode to a convoluted family tree. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Country Music Foundation, which offers an educational songwriting program to students in Nashville area schools. Great for travel, great anytime—a little Celebration goes a long, long way.

Celebration of Country, Music for Little People; $15.98 CD, $9.98 cassette. 800-409-2457 or www.mflp.com.

Good things happen when talented people pool their abilities. Case in point, the new recording: Oscar Wilde's The Selfish Giant and The Nightingale and the Rose. Oscar Wilde, born in 1854, is probably best known for his play The Importance of Being Earnest, but he also wrote two outstanding fairytales that transcend time and truly deserve the often overused accolade of “classic.”

Narrated by Academy Award-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave (Julia), and multitalented actor Stephen Fry (Wilde), the stories are given a huge lift by Debbie Wiseman's superlative score that fits like an elegant glove. The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields' conductor Sir Neville Marriner is the final piece of the musical puzzle. Slow down, sit back, close your eyes and allow yourself the pleasure of this beautiful work. Catch you on the flip side!

Oscar Wilde's The Selfish Giant and The Nightingale and the Rose, Teldec Classics International; $15.98 CD.www.teldec.com.

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album by Jessica Harper, reviewed November 2001

Jessica Harper's sixth children's album, Inside Out, is a rhythmic smorgasbord and a downright blast! The award-winning actress and children's-book author (two of the songs from Inside Out will become books in 2002) has compiled a tantalizing 10-song set of original and traditional songs that support and frame her wonderful voice — the best instrument on the album.

“I really wanted to make an album that would be more complex musically than the others,” Harper says. “I pushed myself and my band to new musical places, adding a lot more instrumental and vocal tracks and children's voices.”

Each song is built on a bedrock of percussion in myriad musical styles that weave seamlessly with Harper's creative lyrics celebrating the little jewels of family life.

One of my favorite songs on the album, “Four Boys Named Jordan,” performed in hip-hop style, explores the ramifications of having four similarly named chaps in the same classroom: “Say, Jordan, what is 3 times 3? The answer that you get, is not a simple nine, it is a barbershop quartet!” —A fun song with a nice turnaround at the end. Another song, “Lizzie's Do's and Donts,” cleverly responds to a parent's list of “don'ts” with a child's positive list of “do's”: “Do hold me close when I am scared. Do teach me how to be prepared.” In another creative move, Harper adds additional children's dialogue to Rodgers and Hammerstein's “Happy Talk” from South Pacific and gives the music a decidedly reggae feel.

Jessica Harper is a major talent with her finger on the pulse of family music—hip arrangements, rocking band, intelligent lyrics—Inside Out will get you up and dancing! Catch you on the flip side.

— John Wood

Inside Out, Rounder Kids, $16.98 CD $10.98 cassette; 800-ROUNDER or www.rounder.com.

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reviewed December 2001

There's nothing like a little music for the holidays —a new Ferrari maybe, but music's good. Here's a sampling of some goodies to light up the winter and tickle your ears.

A Classical Kids Christmas, The Children's Group; $18.98 CD, $10.98 cassette; 905-831-1995 or www.childrensgroup.com.

This is the 10^th release from the award-winning Classical Kids series and a traditionalist's dream: 29 Christmas songs and poems are separated into 12 categories that share the spirit of Christmas with hymns, classical music and a little bit of Santa for good measure. A lot of thought and energy went into this lively audio pageant.

Tis the Season: Holiday Songs for the Child in All of Us, Melody House; $14.95 CD; 800-234-9228 or www.bestchildrensmusic.com.

This Fred Koch's re-release is a holiday plum. Engaging, upbeat and varied musical styles of favorites such as "Must Be Santa," "Up on the Housetop," "Feliz Navidad," and a fun Klezmer-style version of the "Hanukkah Medley" round out this rollicking collection. "We wanted a family of three generations to be able to enjoy ‘Tis the Season," says Koch, whose award-winning Web site helps parents and educators find high-quality music for kids.

A Sugar Beats Christmas, Sugar Beats Entertainment; $12.98 CD, $9.98 cassette; 800-BEATS-21 or www.sugarbeats.com.

This recording totally rocks from top to bottom! Sherry Goffin Kondor's 8^th release under the Sugar Beats banner is a classic. Famous and talented parents Carole King and Jerry Goffin aside, Kondor has blazed her own trail and surrounded herself with quality producers, musicians and performers from the TV, the stage and recording industries. A nice mixture of contemporary and traditional tunes with a twist of studio magic by producer Andrew Gold and stellar kid's performances earn this CD a spot in the upper echelon of children's music. Oh, Mom and Dad, you'll dig it too.

Jewish Holiday Stories, GreathallProductions; $14.95 CD; 800-477-6234 or www.greathall.com.

This new release comes from master storyteller Jim Weiss. Discover the origins of Chanukah, Purim, and Passover in an entertaining and enlightening way as Weiss brings the stories to life. Check out Greathall's Web site to see and hear the hundreds of stories Weiss has committed to CD. The storteller's torch burns brightly in Weiss's hands.

Circle of Light, CreOp Muse; $13.99 CD; 512-448-3485 or www.creop.org.

Circle of Light is a multicultural holiday celebration, featuring Christmas songs from Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil and the United States; Hanukkah traditionals; the African-American celebration of Kwanzaa; and the Hindu holiday of Diwali. Included is one of my personal favorites, "Siyahamba," a South African freedom song. The passage between the various cultures is seamless in this ambitious work and hits the right international note in this time of world solidarity.

Have a safe and happy holiday season. I hope these albums help to light the way. Catch you on the flip side!

John Wood
www.kidzmusic.com

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