These reviews by Fred Koch appeared in the May, 2002 issue of "Chicago Parent Magazine." Reviewed in this column:
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| When I was growing up in the '60s, I loved the
songs of the folk-rock troubadour, Donovan. He was born in Scotland
and raised in England, and recorded such hits as "Sunshine Superman," "Catch
the Wind" and "Mellow Yellow." If you were a fan too, you'll instantly recognize
his voice (which is still in fine form) on Pied Piper (Music For
Little People, 2002), Donovan's third children's music recording. The whole
recording has a comfortable feel that kids and adults will appreciate. This
pleasant, welcoming mood is set by Donovan's easy-to-listen-to voice as
well as the warm acoustic folk/rock instrumentation. The collection features
a number of Donovan classics that have been adapted for children's ears.
These include "Little Boy In Corduroy," "Colours," "Happiness Runs," "I
Love My Shirt," and one of my favorites, "Mandolin Man and his Secret."
Among the new songs, "People Call Me The Pied Piper" is a standout. My 5-year-old
son sings it morning, noon and night. Other gems include "Little Teddy Bear,"
"A Funny Man," "Wynken, Blyken and Nod" and "Little Jackie Beanstalk." Donovan
is scheduled for two more releases with Music For Little People. Congratulations
to MFLP for bringing Donovan's music to young children and families.
Go Back to Top Local singer-songwriter Ralph Covert has just released his second CD for young children: At the Bottom of the Sea (Minty Fresh, 2002). Covert's career in recording children's music grew out of his work as a teacher with the Wiggleworms program at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music, as well as his experiences as a dad and a musician. The new recording takes up right where Covert's first release, Ralph's World, left off. At the Bottom of the Sea features family favorites as well as new songs. Musical styles range from folk and rock to swing, pop and blues. His "Surfin' in my Imagination" sports a Beach Boy sound, while "Clean My Room" is a spin-off of the blues classic, "Dust My Broom." And the rockin' "Sunny Day, Rainy Day Anytime Band" will get everyone up and dancing. There's also a version of "Itsy Bitsy Spider" featuring a tattooed hairy spider, and a thoughtful spin on "Baa Baa Black Sheep" that includes two additional verses written by Covert. The recording also includes the kid-friendly "What Can You Do with Your Baby Brother?" (sung to the tune of "Drunken Sailor"), as well as a couple of hard drivin' country numbers: "Eighteen Wheels on a Big Rig," and "Bean Soup and Rice." Listeners young and old will enjoy "The Coffee Song" with its catchy chorus, "M-O-M-M-Y needs C-O-F-F-E-E, D-A-D-D-Y needs C-O-F-F-E-E." Ralph Covert is a shining new personality in children's music and we look forward to more CDs from him and Minty Fresh, the local Chicago record label that has signed him up. Mark your calendars for Covert's appearance on July 6 at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park. Go Back to Top Daddy A Go Go is another independent children's record company consistently turning out rockin' music for kids. Its third release, Big Rock Rooster (Daddy A Go Go, 2002), is the brainchild of Atlanta-based John Boydston. This new CD, aimed at older kids, completes a trilogy of sorts; the three CDs will appeal to fans from ages 2 to about 10. Boydston, a former CNN producer turned stay-at-home dad, is a rocker whose oldest son is now in 4th grade. The songs reflect both his passion for parenting and his love of rockin' out. "I try to write funny songs about daily life so that kids in this age could relate," says Boydston. "Of course, turning up the guitars and rocking harder couldn't hurt anything. Our kids are growing up, so why shouldn't our music?" On Big Rock Rooster, perhaps even more than on his previous releases, Boydston really seems to be enjoying himself. He sets the tone with "I Wanna Be an Action Figure" and "I Caught My Daddy Watching Cartoons." His version of Allan Sherman's '60s novelty hit, "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah (A Letter From Camp)," rocks with a garage-grunge feel. He even takes on "Come On, Get Happy" (the theme from "The Partridge Family TV Show"), transforming it from its sappy original to a groovy little easy-rockin' tune. Other fun songs include "Nice Mare on Elm Street (co-written by the talented Gunnar Madsen), "Guitars from Mars" and "I Can't Find My Shoes." Daddy A Go Go recordings share a fresh, genuine quality; the producers aren't afraid to follow their own musical and parenting instincts. Go Back to Top I was first introduced to the Latin American music of Colibri on the award-winning CD World Playground (Putumayo, 1999), a compilation of world music for children. A few months ago, Colibri sent me En El Lejano Bosque/In The Faraway Forest (Colibri, 1998). Subtitled "Music from Latin America for the Whole Family," this collection includes traditional songs from Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela, Argentina and Peru. Alicia Peres and Lichi Fuentes are the principle players in the performing group Colibri. They give concerts and perform at school assemblies and workshops, bringing Latin music to English-speaking, Spanish-speaking and bilingual audiences. They specialize in using traditional instruments such as the guitar, charango, cuatro, bombo, maracas, bongos, chekere, quitiplas and zamponas. Like the Donovan CD, this is "comfort music." The wonderful-sounding instruments and voices create, for me, a sense of contentment. I'm not sure what they're singing most the time, but it feels good. Go Back to Top For information about Colibri's music, visit www.colibrimusic.com or call 510-204-9091. To find out what's rockin' with Daddy A Go Go, go to www.daddyagogo.com or send e-mail to john@daddyagogo.com. For information about Covert's recordings, go to www.minifresh.com or www.ralphcovert.com. And to find out more about Donovan's latest release, go to www.mflp.com or call 800-346-4445. I welcome your thoughts on these or any other children's music recordings. Feel free to get in touch with me in care of Chicago Parent or via e-mail: fred@bestchildrensmusic.com. Fred Koch is an award-winning music educator, children's musician and nationally recognized workshop clinician. His website, www.BestChildrensMusic.com, provides recommendations and information about selecting quality children's music, as well as access to past Chicago Parent reviews. Koch lives in Lake Bluff with his wife and son. Go Back to Top |
