Click Here to Purchase Jazz and Swing for Kids at Amazon.com
Click Here to Purchase Jazz and Swing for Kids on iTunes
“When I met with a buyer for a major retailer and mentioned that I had a great idea for a children’s record, his response was literally, ‘Whatever you do, do not bring me any kids’ music. It literally drives me crazy.’ ‘I understand,’ I said and slid a CD across his desk, ‘Put this on – you’ll see what I’m talking about.’ He plugged the disc into a small stereo and pressed play. The sound of Ella Fitzgerald singing ‘Old MacDonald’ filled the room, and, when I saw his foot begin to tap, I knew he understood. So it began.” – Danny Brooks Dalby, Producer
Inspired by a very early Ray Charles record, Genius + Love was born. The idea was to take a few well-known public domain sets of children’s lyrics and a few more obscure poems dug up in antique bookstores, and put them to tunes inspired by the true musical geniuses of our time: Count Basie, Scott Joplin, Lead Belly, and Little Richard, to name a few. “I knew Nashville was filled to the brim with absolutely brilliant session players, and I wanted them to headline the project,” says Dalby.
The idea was presented to Skedaddle Music’s Addison Gore, who has produced over 90 musical scores for children’s books, Anthony Porcheddu, a multi-talented session player and producer, and Dr. Wendi Lowery, EdD, a leading learning theorist from Vanderbilt University. All agreed on the project’s potential and went on to collaborate with Nashville talent in the making of Jazz and Swing for Kids.
It will become clear to parents within the first 5 notes of “Diddle Diddle Swing” that this album is different. Upbeat and musically complex horn arrangements introduce Abby Burke’s brilliant rendition of the traditional limerick. “When Abby was preparing for the recording, I told her to think of this like any other jazz album she would make. I then sat back, and watched her create pure magic,” says Dalby. Mason Embry, a young piano virtuoso, opens “Popcorn Pip Pop” with an authentic Scott Joplin style rag, while Scat Springs’ vocals add warmth and charm to the simple, kid-friendly lyrics.
“Skip to My Lou” pays homage to Lead Belly’s haunting, unparalleled version recorded in concert at the University of Texas in Austin in 1949. “I own a copy of that record on vinyl, and everyone I play that song for is moved,” explains Dalby, ”I knew we had to use a 12-string guitar and a choral group to emulate the original recording, and if you listen to Lead Belly, you frequently hear him tell the audience, ‘Come with me, y’all,’ so that is exactly what Scat announces at the top of the song.”
Jazz and Swing for Kids contains endless musical subtleties, from the chaotic free-for-all at the end of “Bumble Bee Bumble,” to frequent witty horn and drum dialogues. When the incomparable Sam Levine unleashes his melancholy clarinet solo at the opening of “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” the mood is peaceful until the rock countdown, when the song erupts into a the scorching “Here Comes the Rain Itsy.” This blazing rendition, coupled with Abby’s power and passion, is enough to take your breath away. “Mother,” the timeless classic, was put on the record to show love for all of the mothers out there and as a remembrance of Danny’s mother, who died of cancer and who was the number one inspiration in his youth.
The album ends with a Mother Goose medley, a jazzy jam that explodes when Little Boy Blue is invited to ‘come blow his horn’ and Steve Patrick absolutely annihilates a 7-bar high-G before busting out into a free form solo. The song ends in a charming and calming rhythm fueled by Dan Immel’s upright bass riff - a wonderful cool-down to an absolutely invigorating record.
Genius + Love’s Jazz and Swing for Kids is not simply a record – it’s a concept. “I want to produce lines of products based on the philosophy that the artistic genius is out there, and if you marry that with smart ideas inspired by a passion for helping children learn, these individuals will take the time out of their busy schedules to collaborate and create a product that everyone believes in,” says Dalby. In fact, Jazz and Swing for Kids is the first step towards a full Genius + Love product line, ranging from illustrated children’s books with CD’s blistered to the front, to Spanish-English workbooks with musical accompaniments. The concept remains the same: find the best illustrators, writers, and players and team them with Dr. Lowery. The end product will be honest, smart, successful, and appreciated by children and adults alike.
The results are in: Parents are less than enthusiastic about the children’s music they are forced to play while trekking to Grandma’s house for the weekend. The cacophony stops here. Parents love this record. Kids love this record. And, the brilliant artists who created this record love it as well. Children’s songs shrieked by the nieces and nephews of the producer are a thing of the past. Welcome to the future of children’s music.
For more information, contact Danny B. Dalby at danny@dannybrooksinc.com
|
