As regular readers are well aware, we don't typically do much Wiggles coverage 'round here. No particular reason other than my kids have never expressed any Wiggles interest.
But they're coming to Phoenix next week, March 8 to be exact. That date, a Thursday, already tells you two important things about the Wiggles: 1) they're obviously geared toward preschoolers, and 2) they are the rare, if only, pure kids' music act that can actually sell tickets for a weekday show.
In any case, Sam Moran, who's the new Yellow Wiggle (replacing Greg Page after his retirement for medical reasons) gave a brief interview with our major local newspaper and proved himself already a good interview. He deftly avoided answering a groaner of a question (you'll know it when you read it) while, in response to another question, getting off one of the zippier one-liners I've seen:
Q: How many times have you sung "Fruit Salad"? How do you keep it fresh? A: "Fruit Salad"'s always better when it's fresh.Well played, Sam, well played.
You think kids' music has taken off (again) in the past few years? Think about yoga. Seems like whatever available retail space isn't being taken up by a pharmacy is being occupied by a yoga studio. The idea of "yoga songs for kids," therefore, could very easily be one exploited for a quick buck, resulting in a horrible-sounding, goopy mess.
Imagine my surprise, then, when I found 
Lost amid all the talk of hootenannies lately is this crucial point:
They're not always all that interesting for the audience.
Sure, it can be a blast playing music with friends, challenging one another, exploring new music. Sometimes magic happens for musician and listener alike. But sometimes all you're left with is "Jazz Odyssey," of little interest to the people listening.
Tabletop People Vol. 1 & 2 (2005) is an album that grew out of a hootenanny and became a CD that many readers and families out there will absolutely love.
The core of 
