Sad news over the weekend as jazz singer Blossom Dearie passed away at the age of 82. Her relevance here is her presence on 2 classic Schoolhouse Rock songs - "Unpack Your Adjectives" and "Figure Eight." Both songs have been covered since by artists like Daniel Johnson and Duplex, but Dearie's porcelain voice put her own indelible stamp on the tunes. (Hat tip: Idolator)
"Unpack Your Adjectives" (vocals: Blossom Dearie)
One more after the jump...
And the Grammy Goes To...
They Might Be Giants for Here Come the 123s (Best Musical Album for Children) and Bill Harley for Yes To Running! (Best Spoken Word Album for Children). Congratulations to them both.
Now I'm on pins and needles waiting to see if my friends in the Phoenix Chorale won a Grammy for one of their four nominations... And they did! Best Small Ensemble! w00t!
Oh, pictures of TMBG and Bill picking up their awards after the jump, courtesy of Beth Blenz-Clucas
Live in Phoenix: Justin Roberts (March 8, 2009)
I already told you what I'll be doing on March 7, but I mentioned I had something else to announce for the weekend.
It's going to be a busy weekend, because on Sunday, March 8, Justin Roberts will be coming to town for his first-ever Phoenix concert. Justin and the Not Ready for Naptime Players will be playing at Phoenix's Church of the Beatitudes at 2 PM that afternoon. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for kids, and just $30 for a family of four. The show is part of a kids series I'm coordinating for the church, which was kicked off by Randy Kaplan late last year.
Tickets are available at the door, or call the church office (602-264-1221) to purchase tickets in advance.
Tell one, tell all. (Tucson folks, he's playing the Rialto Theatre Saturday the 7th.)
Photo copyright Todd Rosenberg 2006. Used by permissionLive in Phoenix: Gustafer Yellowgold (March 7, 2009)
The weekend of March 7 and 8 is going to be, hands down, the biggest in Phoenix kids music history. I'll announce the March 8th thing shortly, but today I'm talking about the first Arizona appearance of Gustafer Yellowgold. Morgan Taylor will be bringing his Gustafer show to Phoenix on March 7, as part of the concert series I'm organizing at the Children's Museum of Phoenix.
They'll be playing two 25-minute sets -- one at 10 AM, one at noon -- on the 7th. I don't think they're bringing the vine-covered set, but I'm guessing you won't care about that. The show is free with Museum admission.
I am very excited.
(Oh, and if you're in Arizona but for some reason can't make it the 7th or are the world's biggest Gustafer fan, there will be a Gustafer Yellowgold show Sunday the 8th at 3 PM at Tucson's Loft Cinema.)New Dog on Fleas Music, Video (With Bonus Elizabeth Mitchell!)
My Dog on Fleas cup runneth over this evening.
First, head on over to the band's Facebook page to give their new bonus track "Love" a spin. The word "love" makes up maybe 80% of the total lyrics, so it'll probably fit well on your kid's mix CDs they're making for their 2nd grade class for Valentine's Day. (What, they're not making mix CDs?)
Second, head on over to Jitterbug to watch a new video for "Cranberry Sauce Flotilla", the super-fun title track from the album of the same name. Lots of men in hats. But not Men In Hats.
Finally, I told you about the High Meadow Songs album about a year ago, and in January 2008, there was a benefit concert.
Luckily, someone captured Dog on Fleas, Elizabeth Mitchell, and Daniel Littleton doing "Jenny Jenkins" live. (Sadly, it took me a year to discover it.) Great version.
As Saturday Morning Concerts Go, This Is A Good One
A couple months back, I let you know that the Grammy folks would be hosting a new kids music series at their new Grammy Museum, including a show tied to the kids music genre.
Well, that show is coming up here -- this Saturday in fact -- and if you're in the LA area, heck even if you hate the Grammys, this should be one heckuva show. Brady Rymer and Buck Howdy, both nominees in this year's kids audio categories, will be performing. Add to them Tom Paxton, who's receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys next weekend, and Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer, who will be presenting some awards at Sunday afternoon's Grammy ceremony, and it's a sweet little concert. Starts at 10 AM, tickets just $8/person, or free with Museum admission.
