The Ketchup Report, Vol. 11

It's time for another roundup of all things ketchup related... OK, not really, it's just a variety of stuff that caught my eye (and ear) since, well, the last Ketchup Report. This one is an all-video edition. Except for these words right here. And the ones below. First off, this is how you do a promo for a kindie album. A very effective teaser for Alastair Moock's forthcoming album These Are My Friends featuring Moock and Annad Nyack. If there was a tagline for the teaser, it might be "It's just crazy enough to work!"

Barbara Brousal is Back!

BBflyer_v4_lowres1.jpgIt was probably a good sign that, almost literally as I started writing this post about the first solo family show of Barbara Brousal, I got an e-mail from Brousal herself. Brousal, as many readers are no doubt aware, played guitar and sang with Dan Zanes on a number of his albums and tours. After a few years' hiatus, during which she left that band to start a family and relocate to the Boston area, she's going to play live once again. She's got a gig at the Newton Cultural Center near Boston on Saturday, May 7th at 11:00AM. You can get tickets at Brousal's website. Now, one of the best parts of Brousal's return is getting to hear her clear, strong voice on old DZAF favorites like "Malti" and "Mariposa Olé," but there will be other treats in store, Brousal revealed in a brief interview...

OMG: Dan Zanes and Barbara Brousal Performing "Malti" Together

I'm a guy and confident in my masculity, but I'm still a bit nervous about actually using the word "Squeeeeee!!!" on a blog. But this is as about as close to "Squeeeeee!!!"-worthy news as I can think of. It's Dan Zanes performing with former bandmate Barbara Brousal at this weekend's Life Is Good festival. It sounds like a one-time thing, and Dan's current band is pretty sweet, but it's nice to hear that wonderful voice (performing her own tune) again. Dan Zanes and Friends (incl. Barbara Brousal) - "Malti" [YouTube]

Dan Zanes' Slow-Moving Plan To Rule The Kids' Music Industry

Remember when I said that I thought there was room for some more small kids' music labels? Well, Dan Zanes has obviously been thinking along the same lines, because in his latest newsletter he's announced that he's signed up both Barbara Brousal and Father Goose to do albums for his Festival Five label. Now, Zanes has released a couple less-kid-specific albums of his own, and re-released an old album featuring David Jones, but this is the first step toward creating a family music empire and total Zanes-ian domination. Or maybe it's just a couple CDs from his bandmates. CDs which ought to be cool, to varying degrees. I'm going with the latter option. Anyway, it more than made up for hearing that Brousal won't be making the Tucson stop on his upcoming tour. (Oh well, Charlie Faye's voice is pretty good, too.)