"Three Little Birds" Seems Obvious, No?

OK, yeah, we've already mentioned that Ziggy Marley is releasing Family Time, his first album for kids and families, next month. But now comes word via Billboard that he'll follow that a June release of a set of Bob Marley songs, revised and remastered with a children's audience in mind. According to Billboard, Marley took the original masters of eight classic songs and revised the instrumentation and arrangements, even using some of his father's alternate vocal tracks.
"It's a very different vibe, but still real Bob. It's not like fake Bob. It's still the real Bob...It's Bob singing and I'm playing, like an acoustic session almost. Anything I did on this record is soulful and musical. There's no gimmicks. I'm keeping true to the spirit of my father, to the spirit of his music."
I'm curious, though I'm not sure what Ziggy could do to make songs like "Three Little Birds" even more accessible. Also: isn't everybody in the world required to own Legend? What's the market for this new album? In more Ziggy-specific news, Marley, who played the White House Egg Roll this morning, also "hopes to 'double up' and play special children's and family shows" during his tour with 311 this summer.

Borrow This Music (and Never Return It)

We're longtime library supporters (primarily usage, though we've been known to pay a late fine or four) here, so here's the first item this week in honor of National Library Week (April 12-18) and National Library Workers Day (April 14). To celebrate and recognize librarians everywhere Jim Cosgrove is releasing a pair of new singles – “Rockin’ The Library” and “Library Ann” (it took me a minute to get the pun there) -- AND offering free downloads of these two songs at his website from now until the end of National Library Week. The librarian in your life, particularly if they serve the children's section, will likely enjoy them, and even the non-librarians (read: your kids) will find them worth a virtual spin. To download, go to Cosgrove's store and enter the coupon code “read” at checkout.

Itty-Bitty Review: A Frog Named Sam - Ben Rudnick & Friends

FrogNamedSam.jpgI wouldn't say that Ben Rudnick & Friends march to their own drummer -- their music for kids and families isn't too far out of the mainstream, particularly for those families whose tastes run to the folk/jamband side of the genre. But they seem more than willing to play songs that they want to play, and if they happen to interest the kids, so be it. Their latest album, the recently-released A Frog Named Sam, is almost 2 EPs smooshed together. The first EP, so to speak, the first 6 songs, features songs that would sound more familiar on a typical kids' disk -- the "frog out of water" story "A Frog Named Sam," "Race Car" (which does a good job of conveying the thrill of pre-NASCAR racing), and "I Need A Hand." The last song is recycled from a previous Rudnick album, but who cares, because it's the goofiest track you'll hear all month. The second EP, the last 5 tracks, are where the band pretty much decides they're bored with the kids' stuff and decide instead to record a folk music album; if the kids like it, so much the better. Now, anyone who responds positively to the phrase "Dan Zanes" will recognize the tracks -- "Erie Canal," "Old Joe Clark," even the original "The Santa Fe," written by band member John Zevos. They don't take many chances with the arrangement -- no Father Goose on "Old Joe Clark," for example -- but Rudnick and Friends have the slickest folk sound in the kids music field, so it's certainly a pleasant-enough spin. Kids ages 3 through 7 will enjoy the album most of all; you can listen to samples of the 33-minute album at its CDBaby page. If you're looking for shiny, poppy family music, Ben Rudnick probably isn't your man, but for a more earthy and rootsy take on music new and old, I think you'll like A Frog Named Sam. Recommended.

Live in Phoenix: The Deedle Deedle Dees (April 18 & 19)

DeedleDeedleDees.jpgI'm a little late spreading the news here on the website, but I've been looking forward the first appearances of the occasionally raucous Brooklyn band The Deedle Deedle Dees in Arizona next weekend. Ulysses, Booker, Innocent, and Otto will be playing no less than 3 shows open to the public. On Saturday morning the 18th they'll be playing 2 shows at the Children's Museum of Phoenix in downtown Phoenix, one at 10 AM, the other at 11 AM. The shows are free with admission to the museum. Then on Sunday afternoon the 19th at 2 PM, the Dees will be playing a show at the Church of the Beatitudes. Tickets are just $4/person, $15/family. The Church is at the corner of 7th Avenue and Glendale in Phoenix. Long time readers will know that I've helped put on a show with the Dees, so I'm very excited to have 'em make it all the way out here...

Music Lessons For Kids

Miss Mary Mack started piano lessons this week. The piano's been in my family for maybe 25 years now, a Kawai upright that I took lessons on. It's survived a couple moves and a couple kids plunking relatively aimlessly (if joyfully) on the keys. Miss Mary Mack's wrapping up second grade, so we thought now was a good time to start and see how she likes it. She's sung in church choir and done other music-related activities, but this is the first time she's had an instrument with daily practice as her task. She's taken to practicing with gusto, but it's only the first week and so I know that's indicative only of the newness of the activity and nothing else. I know a number of readers here have kids of similar age (or slightly older) and I'm wondering how the music-lesson process went for you. Was it painful for your kids from the start, or has it been completely wonderful for them? What was hard for them? War stories, success stories, weird stories -- share 'em if you'd like down below in the comments. (As for Little Boy Blue, I'm happy to report that this morning he amused himself by singing a number of songs to himself, so perhaps music lessons are in his future a couple years down the road. Of course, I could've done without the music at 5:20 AM...)