Showing posts with label Baze and His Silly Friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baze and His Silly Friends. Show all posts

Thursday, March 31, 2022

Kid Vids: Baseball, Allergies, and Car Rides

My son is locked and loaded for spring little league, where he generally gets placed in the outfield (although he sometimes lucks out and is assigned to third base). At least he's trained (through years of t-ball and instruction) to stay vigilant for a ball that might get hit at any instant). That's the theme of "Dancing in the Outfield," the new single from Baze and His Silly Friends – paying attention to make the play and contribute to your team's possible victory. It's well-trod ground (check out "Pop Fly" from Justin Roberts) but Baze and company use their own Jersey topspin. The video features the work of noted fellow children's musician and illustrator Key Wilde (from Wilde and Mr. Clarke fame):

When my son Ben was four, he underwent allergy testing. They asked if I also wanted the testing, so I said "Sure, why not." I learned that the reason my eyes water and my throat gets a tickle for two weeks every spring is an allergic reaction to Kentucky bluegrass – in Queens! Sometimes there's a similar outburst in the fall, depending on the volume of lawn-cutting and wind. During a pandemic, the last thing you want to do is have people running away, when the culprit is allergies, not COVID. Matt Heaton and the Outside Toys addressed that topic in their whimsical throwback song, "Allergies." Heaton wrote the Americana-themed tune in tribute to his son, himself a long-suffering allergist himself. You can purchase the song at Soundcloud and watch the video here:

Ay car-umba! Jim "Mr. Stinky Feet" Cosgrove is revved up, thinking about what people think and talk about when they are driving in their vehicles. His new song, "Car Talk," recalls his days as a backseat voyeur, watching the scenery (and traffic) and imagining conversations to fill the hours on family road trips (including some "stinky" references to keep everyone on brand). Produced by Donny Brown of the Verve Pipe, "Car Talk" will ignite similar chatter if played while in motion:

Thursday, June 17, 2021

Andy Z, Baze Show Love for Dads And Other People

A children's musician with love on his mind is Andy Z (Andreas Zamenes). The numbers "1 4 3" hold special significance for Andy. Having grown up as part of the generation that cherished Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Andy appreciated Fred Rogers' messages of love and inclusion. He read an article about the interpretation of 143 being messaging shorthand for "I love you" and resolved to write a simple song sharing Mister Rogers' simple philosophy. Why? Because you should always take advantage of an opportunity to tell people how you feel, pandemic or not. The song is being released in the "sweet spot" between Mothers' Day and Fathers' Day, two of the most important people in any person's life. 

Listen and download "1 4 3" from Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, and Amazon.

Here is the video for "1 4 3":


When Maggie Smith was interviewed on 60 Minutes a few years ago, she delivered one quote (paraphrasing someone else) that resonated with me. Smith said, "Getting old means you have breakfast every 10 minutes." Baze and His Silly Friends celebrate the accelerated pace of parenting on their new track, "Where Does the Time Go?" The song recounts how life keeps moving, even as we make our own plans. The lead part is sung by bass player James Goodwin, with support from Baze (Marc Bazerman), dummer Jeff Pizzi, and former Stylistics piano player Steve Myerson. The video features family footage of all of the bands' children, doing what comes naturally to all kids at the infant through toddler stages of life. As Steve Miller recounted, time keeps slipping into the future. We all just need to strap in for the ride of our lives.

"Where Does The Time Go?" is available at Amazon, Apple Music, and Spotify.

Here is a video for "Where Does the Time Go":

Sunday, July 03, 2016

Ben's Playlist - Monday, July 4, 2016

Other Days – Andrew & Polly
The Bright Side Of Me – Alastair Moock & Friends
San Francisco – 5 Seconds Of Summer
Rainbow Tunnel – Alison Faith Levy
My Teacher's An Alien – The Bazillions
The Word – Caspar Babypants
What Kind Of Fruit – Dean Jones
A Head Full Of Dreams – Coldplay

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Jungle Gym Jam Checks In With Lollipop Motel

Yes, Virginia, there really is a Lollipop Motel and it's located in North Wildwood, NJ. It's noted as a piece of Americana, harkening back to the 1950s and pioneer-era rock and roll. An earlier, purer, simpler time for music, just the thing for kids. And wouldn't you know it, just the thing for Jason Didner and the Jungle Gym Jam to utilize for its iconography for their second CD, LOLLIPOP MOTEL.

It's amazing that the Jungle Gym Jam exists at all, but New Jersey is the perfect setting. A 2013 songwriting project for Jason and wife Amy Didner, their scope organically transformed when a performance opportunity beckoned. Three years later, the band is still developing its identity and honing its unique sound, while rocking out for kids and parents along the Eastern seaboard.

LOLLIPOP MOTEL could be described as the soundtrack for a summer vacation, featuring "A Day at the Beach," "Jam Packed," and their holiday anthem "Summertime Santa," wherein Saint Nick takes a sabbatical on the Jersey shore. The band is not afraid to rock out on such numbers as "Ultimate Frisbie" and "Jersey Dinosaurs" (and no, they're not singing about local stalwarts Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi). The latter even ends with the declaration, "Baby, we were born to roar."

"Restless Heart" could be the under-seven anthem version of "Born to Run," with its revved backbeat and lyrics howling, "fingerpainting inside the lines, baby that ain't me" and "I wanna bust out of this tiny chair." Indeed the spirit of New Jersey looms large over the CD, to the extent that one wonders if the shout-outs to specific shore towns are modified when the JGJ crew performs in New York, Virginia, Connecticut, and other states. Perhaps it doesn't matter when kids are too busy jumping up and down, singing along, or protesting that they're not "Too Big To Jump on the Bed."

The CD features a lineup of local musicians, including kindie artist Suzi Shelton on a rollocking album-closing version of "Free To Be...You and Me." Production duties are ably handled by Marc "Baze" Bazerman. The mix amps up the tenor sax (of Matt "Shooby" Schoenebaum) on "Little Yellow Plane" and accordion (by Andy "Squeezebox" Sandel) on the title track. LOLLIPOP MOTEL is dedicated to the memory of the band's late bassist, Lou DeMartino, who played on the CD, played a handful of shows with the group, and passed away last summer.

Could LOLLIPOP MOTEL be the kindie version of HOTEL CALIFORNIA? Let's not put any crazy notions into Jason Didner's head. For now, the Jungle Gym Jam are happy to spend some time reminding you that summer is coming and there are worse destinations than the backyard, the playground, or the beach. Will you enjoy yourself? That's a shore thing.

LOLLIPOP MOTEL is available on May 13 from Jungle Gym Jam's website, Amazon, CDBABY, Bandcamp, and iTunes.

Here is the video for the group's song, "Too Big To Jump on the Bed":

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Tots Can't Miss Miss Nina's Every Day's Your Birthday

I have a soft spot in my heart for Miss Nina. Her second CD, 2013's SHA DOO BE DOOP, was the first time our son (then 2 1/2 years old) showed an active interest in selecting his own music. He would walk to the cabinet in the living room, carefully open the door, select her CD, turn on the CD/DVD player, put in the disc, and play the first two songs (usually). This month, when I brought home the new CD by Miss Nina and the Jumping Jacks, EVERY DAY'S YOUR BIRTHDAY, even though he is now five, he insisted I play it, despite the presence of two other CDs with more immediate release dates.

Sadly, time marches on and he is aging out of her demographic. Miss Nina records lively, upbeat original tunes (the title track and "DJ in My PJs") and energetic interpretations of "(Silly) Wheels on the Bus" and "Subway" (adapted from the Anastasia Suen/Karen Katz board book). With a three-year-old of her own, Miss Nina has both hands on her target audience, literally and figuratively.

Ably produced by Marc Bazerman (of Baze and His Silly Friends fame), Nina and friends give you a peppy "Freeze Dance," a strummable, hummable "Colors of You," and a motion-activity "Up and Down." On her weekly children's vlog, Nina takes on classics and oftentimes does some re-invention. "Five Little Pumpkins" puts a Halloween spin on the traditional one-at-a-time elimination. "(Silly) Wheels on the Bus" features jumping kangaroos, wiggling spaghetti, and marching soldiers in addition to children, parents, wipers, et al.

When we first heard "Every Hero," my older son thought it was Charity and the Jam Band, who are known for rocking slightly harder for slightly older sprites. But the song that delivered the biggest smile for my youngster was the closing "DJ in My PJs," the logical successor to "My Hula Hoop" from her last CD. It inspired him to jump on his bed and shout "I'm a DJ!" that night at bedtime.

The best thing you can say about any performer is that their passion is contagious. The dictotomy of entertaining the youngest of the young is that they are easy to amuse but you can't alienate the parents by being insufferably cute or infantile. Miss Nina walks that fine line of rousting the fervor of children without rustling the feathers of the elders of their flocks.  EVERY DAY'S YOUR BIRTHDAY is a Brady Bunch-esque romp in the playground that the under-6 set will find enchanting and intoxicating. And it's over in a slim, lean 38 minutes before your caramel macchiato gets cold. That should inspire some jumping jacks.

EVERY DAY'S YOUR BIRTHDAY is available May 6 from Miss Nina's website, Amazon, CDBABY, and iTunes.

Here is one of her latest video song posts, featuring "Roly Poly Caterpillar":

Monday, November 16, 2015

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Don't Fence Me In – Andy Z
Ghostbusters – Andrew & Polly
Voodoo Doll – 5 Seconds of Summer
This Land Is Your Land – Alastair Moock & Friends
Super Hero Rock Band – The Bazillions
Rainbow Tunnel – Alison Faith Levy

Thursday, January 01, 2015

Ben's Playlist - Friday, January 2, 2015

Lighter Feathers – Dean Jones
Riverside  – Baze And His Silly Friends
New – Paul McCartney
DJ All Day – Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Earn It – Hullabaloo
Rock Melon – Gustafer Yellowgold
Right Now – Rihanna Feat. David Guetta
Got the Spirit – Mista Cookie Jar & the Chocolate Chips
Ain't Got Nobody – Weezer

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, December 25, 2014

Lucky Penny – The Whirlygigs
Duct Tape World – Recess Monkey
Tacky – Weird Al Yankovic
Buzzcut Season – Lorde
Gratitude – Mista Cookie Jar & the Chocolate Chips
Counting Star – OneRepublic
How Great Can This Day Be – Lori Henriques
Riverside – Baze And His Silly Friends

Tuesday, December 02, 2014

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Voodoo Doll – 5 Seconds of Summer
Brave – Sara Bareilles
My Dad – Joanie Leeds And The Nightlights
Riverside – Baze And His Silly Friends
Everybody Out There – Paul McCartney
Bonsai – Billy Kelly and the Blah Blah Blahs
First Day of School – Ethan Rossiter And The Jamberries
No School Today – Danny Weinkauf
Me Time – Chibi Kodama

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Ben's Playlist - Friday, June 13, 2014

Start Of The End – The Dirty Sock Funtime Band
Lose My Mind  – The Wanted
Look, Think, Guess, Know – Tom Chapin
The Ballad of Ben – Danny Weinkauf
Me Time – Chibi Kodama
Riverside – Baze And His Silly Friends
Everybody Out There – Paul McCartney
Up In Cat's Room – David Heatley
Royals – Lorde
Always On The Run – Joanie Leeds And The Nightlights
Mockingbird – Lee Alexander

Monday, May 05, 2014

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Talkin' Bout Love – The Little Rockers Band
Human Bean – Dean Jones
Riverside – Baze And His Silly Friends
Otis Dooda Theme – David Heatley
Escalator – David Tobocman
All People – Michael Franti & Spearhead
Space Monkey – Davy Andrews
Happy – Pharrell Williams
Smile in My Heart – Suzi Shelton
Gravy Stain – Mr. Saxophone

Thursday, April 03, 2014

Ben's Playlist - Friday, April 4, 2014

Till the Sun Goes Down – Poochamungas
Sleepover  – Ellen & Mark
This Moment – Katy Perry
I Just Wanna Play – Sunshine Collective
Callooh Callay  – Pointed Man Band
You Got It On –  Justin Timberlake
I Got This! –  Princess Katie & Racer Steve
Sunflower – Josh And The Jamtones
Lucky Day – Stacey Peasley
Sunshine  – The Twigs
Riverside  – Baze And His Silly Friends

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, December 19, 2013

Bike – Charity And The JAMband
Getting A Sunburn – Recess Monkey
Punkin' Patch – Andy Z
The Flamingo Sun – Wee Bee Jammies
Riverside – Baze And His Silly Friends
Workin' Kid – Milkshake
Full Tilt – The Not-Its
Mothership – Mr. Saxophone
Sell Out – Reel Big Fish
Human Bean – Dean Jones
Give Me Back My Hat – Bill Harley And Keith Munslow

Monday, November 04, 2013

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, November 5, 2013

This Little Piggy – Elizabeth McQueen
Face the Bird – Pete Donnelley
Choral Reef – Recess Monkey
Cookie Road – The Julie Ruin
Slow – Trout Fishing In America
Metaphor  – The Alphabeticians
Getting A Sunburn – Recess Monkey
Everybody Dance – Josh And The Jamtones
Bottle of Space – Chris Doud, Willy Tea Taylor & Joey No Knows
Superhero – Baze And His Silly Friends
Peace Sign – David Tobocman

Sunday, November 03, 2013

Ben's Playlist - Monday, November 4, 2013

I Just Wanna Play – Sunshine Collective
Yeah! – Cat Doorman
Shake Your Groove Thing – Peaches & Herb
Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen
Busy – The Not-Its
Pretend Your Hand's A Puppet – Ratboy Jr.
Punkin' Patch – Andy Z
Friend – Baze And His Silly Friends
I'm Sticking With You – The Velvet Underground
Candy Garden – The Bazillions
Yes And No – Caspar Babypants

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Ben's Playlist - Friday, November 1, 2013

In A Timeout Now – Randy Kaplan
If You Want a Mustache – Space Balloons
Locked Out Of Heaven – Bruno Mars
I'm A Duck – Lloyd H. Miller
Boo! – Trout Fishing In America
Raised by Trolls – Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke
Riverside – Baze And His Silly Friends
I'll Be An Alien – Justin Roberts
Freak Out – Astrograss
Hootenanny – Jambo

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

It Pays to Be Baze: His Best Day Ever!

Baze (Mark Bazerman) and his silly friends are back to amuse the youngest among us. As far as they're concerned, that makes it THE BEST DAY EVER!

The Caldwell, New Jersey residents run through a dozen songs in less than 30 minutes (how's that for commanding the tiny ones with the shortest of attention spans?). Baze has recruited a number of names that I'm only too happy to drop (Tom "Bones" Malone from the Letterman Late Night band), Kira Willey, Lucky Diaz, Suzi Shelton, Yosi Levin, (take a breath), Dave Lambert (the Fuzzy Lemons), Stacia Newcomb (Sprout), and Andrew Freeman (the Offspring).

Baze and company deal with some universal themes, such as settling the kids ("Wake Up (Time to Go to Bed"), your kids' imaginations during the retelling of a boring tale ("Another Bedtime Story"), and striving for exceptional powers ("Superhero"):

I run faster than a speeding train.
I solve problems with my super-brain.
I'm strong enough, I can lift a house.
Afraid of nothing, I won't harm a mouse.
I dream that I can fly
Like a rocketship through the sky.
My friends will all call me....superhero.

While I wouldn't schlep my 12-year-old to a Baze-centric show, my three-year-old would feel right at home (lugging his big brother's faux guitar). There's no secret subtext and the lessons, per se, are right out there for the youngsters to clearly interpret. If you're seeking a super-swift CD to sooth your tot's song supplication, for some the solution may be Baze and THE BEST DAY EVER!

THE BEST DAY EVER is available through Baze's website, Amazon, CDBABY, and iTunes.

Here is the video from "Poor Mother Goose":

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, August 28, 2013

The World Is A Curious Place To Live – Lori Henriqes
Hideous Sweater – Bill Harley And Keith Munslow
School Days – Baze And His Silly Friends
I Almost Do – Taylor Swift
Birthday – Milkshake
You Made Me A Sock Monkey – Billy Kelly & The Blah Blah Blahs
80's Celebration – The Reduction Agents
Candy Garden – The Bazillions
Alien Girlfriend – Andy Z
You Look Good in the Rain – Uncle Rock
Snail Mail – Dean Jones
Take A Little Walk With Me (Featuring Elizabeth Mitchell) – Alastair Moock