These reviews by Fred Koch appeared in the December, 1997 issue of “Chicago Parent Magazine.” Reviewed in this column:
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Music is at the center of my fondest childhood holiday memories. From the great music I heard in church and the fun songs I learned at school, to the classics I sang along with while watching holiday movies on television, music was everywhere during the holidays. And I always loved it when my grandfather would sit at the piano and the whole family would gather around and sing. Now that I'm a father, I get to share the magic of holiday music with my young son. Soon he'll have holiday memories of his own. Here's some of what we'll be listening to this holiday season. At eighteen months, my son may not be old enough to sit through the classic children's holiday movies yet, but he's already developing an appreciation for some of the great tunes they introduced. A Classic Cartoon Christmas (Nick at Nite Records) is a charming collection of original recordings including standouts like Burl Ives singing "A Holly Jolly Christmas" ans Sing Christmas (Lightyear Entertainment) with special guest Kathie Lee Gifford. Go Back to Top The Broadway Kids are a performing group and traveling road troupe with their own musical revue that plays just off Broadway at the John Houseman Theatre. They bill their act as "Theatre by kids--for kids." This is a very polished recording of thirteen songs sung by a group of talented and hard-working kids. Their Broadway-musical-style offerings include oldies such as "Sleigh Ride," "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmading with an unassuming, down-to-earth appeal. Go Back to Top It sounds as fresh as it did when it first came out, when Raffi was at his best and still collaborating with Ken Whiteley, the talented multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer who had worked with Raffi from the beginning of his recording career. "Must Be Santa," "There Was A Little Baby," "Douglas Mountain," "Up On The Housetop" and the Roger Miller song "Old Toy Trains" are winners, and there are nice instrumental touches throughout the recording. Members of The Canadian Brass add holiday color to "The First Noel / Deck The Halls" and a lonely harmonica gives "Silent Night /Away In A Manger" the feel of a cowboy's serenade. Raffi even contributed two original songs, "On Christmas Morning" and "Every Little Wish," which are very singable and spotlight this children's music pioneer's tenderness. Go Back to Top A few years ago, when I was doing some research on Kwanzaa, a friend gave me a copy of Kwanzaa Music (Rounder Records) to study and enjoy. I did both! Subtitled A Celebration Of Black Cultures In Song, this recording is loaded with a wide variety of music and even includes "A Concise Guide To Kwanzaa--FAQ's" (frequently asked questions). The songs, all of which had previously been released, were compiled by Daisann McLane of the Department of African-American Studies at Yale University, and Eric V. Copage, ethnomusicologist, author and editor at the New York Times Magazine. Their mission was to give a taste of a variety of black musical styles. From legendary performers like Aretha Franklin and James Brown to lesser-knowns such as The Wild Magnolias, Rabu Ley Rocheruau and Baha Men, the artists offer a wonderfully diverse set of 16 songs in a range of styles including urban rap, soul, African pop, West African, gospel and more. To order Kwanzaa call Rounder Records at 617/354-0700 or visit their website at www.rounder.com Go Back to Top (Reviewed by the editor of Chicago Parent magazine) Holiday Classics, Chicago Style Chicago - Parent's music reviewer, Fred Koch, does more than teach and critique music. He also performs and produces it. Koch's latest release, just in time for the holidays, is 'Tis the Season: Holiday Songs For The Child In All of Us (Melody House). It's a pleasing collection of holiday favorites he performs with his musical friends--and talented friends they are, even if they're not all full-grown. Kid-pleasers such as "Must Be Santa," "Up on the Housetop" and Koch's own "Sleigh Bells Jingling" feature Koch's mellow voice echoed by an appealing chorus of children from his school music classes. These straight-forward vocal renderings are enhanced, but not overwhelmed, by instrumental flourishes in a variety of styles, including Zydeco and jazz. Many fine Chicago-area musicians augment Koch's acoustic guitar, including Steve Rashid (trumpet), Sheri Hoffmann (flute), Michael Levin (saxophone, clarinet and flute), and some terrific pint-sized vocal soloists, including 7-year-old Jenny Hall ("All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth") and her brother Scott ("Jolly Old St. Nicholas"). To order, call Red Rover Records at 847/615-0366. - Mary Williams. Go Back to Top Thanks to those who have taken the time to write or send e-mail--it's nice to know you are out there reading the column. Keep in touch through Chicago Parent or send e-mail to fkoch@lfelem.lfc.edu. And I'm excited to let you know that some of my columns from previous issues are now on the Internet at www.childrensmusic.org, a website dedicated to promoting children's music. Go Back to Top |
