Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Charity and the JAMBand Praise Creatures and Critters

The ideal recipe for fun is "Mix joy and music and create JAM." That was the concept behind Charity Kahn and the JAMband, now the creators of seven albums with the release of CREATURES & CRITTERS. The 17-tune collection expands on Charity's mission to raise children's consciousness and think about the physical world around them. The CD reminds kids (and their guardians) that animals are just as deserving of freedom, health, and well-being in their environments. 

Animal populations face dire consequences as communities expand to create new living space for humans. A diverse number of species are suffering as a result of habitat destruction (such as deforestation or dropping nets to catch fish). Charity is well aware that change takes time and minds open to change. CREATURES & CRITTERS gently lays down its message, taking old favorites in new directions. "Old MacDonald Had A Sanctuary Farm" talks about treating animal friends with dignity and kindness. The Irish folk song "Rattlin' Bog" is as lively now as it ever was, teaching kids how to expand and add lines to verses in an inspired, interactive fashion. "Itsy Bitsy Spider" puts every small insect into perspective on a universal scale:

If you ever spy a flash zoom across the nighttime sky
That's the itsy bitsy's spiders gone on by
So make an itsy bitsy wish for you
And a huge, ginormous wish for the Earth that loves you true

New songs such as "The Welcome Song," "We Love Those Itty Bitty Bugs," and "The Water Song," show the full range of the JAMBand, with folk. rock, and mildly psychedelic arrangements. Charity views her music as an extension of her work overcoming and undoing negative imagery and messages perpetuated on children through devices and out-of-their-control issues (think a global pandemic). CREATURES & CRITTERS includes five guided meditations to promote calm and focus (staying on topic with dog, bunny, owl, spider, and cow exercises). 

Know thy inner critter and sing its praises. As the Dark Times of 2020 slip into the deep recesses of our minds, Charity and the JAMBand urge us to expand our sensibilities and walk as one world community, man and squirrel alike. 

CREATURES & CRITTERS is available from Charity and the JAMBand's website, Amazon, Spotify, and Apple Music.

Here is a dance-along video for the song "Head Shoulders Knees Toes":

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