If SaulPaul hadn't come along organically, you wonder who would have come along to fill the void. The Austin, Texas-based singer/songwriter and rapper spent a decade cultivating a personal style. But SaulPaul waited to enter the children's entertainment arena until 2017, delaying his entrance until he could sufficiently present his vision of music and education.
SaulPaul's third collection, BE THE CHANGE, attempts motivation through music, with a bevy of contemporary children's recording artists – the Alphabet Rockers, Lori Henriques, Red Yarn, Mo Phillips, Grammy winner Lucy Kalantari, and Latin Grammy winner 123 Andrés.
There are some selections that ring familiar, because they are reprises of "greatest hits" from the SaulPaul catalog – "Vamanos" with 123 Andrés is a fun tune, but it's like a carbon of "Home," the previous collaboration that appeared on the previous collection. From his signature songs, "Rise," is here with a violin remix featuring JC Stringz. And "Hands in the Sky" gets an acoustic treatment. I don't mean to nitpick, though. With children's music, there's a new audience literally cycling through every few years that may not have heard the earlier versions. Other uptempo songs include the 70's jazzy piano song, "I Am Enough," "Stardust," which answers the question, "Can you rap over ukuele?" and "The Quilt," with Red Yarn, under the supervising eyes of über producer Dean Jones.
SaulPaul recently published his memoir of the same name, "Be the Change." There's some serious stuff in the book and he doesn't dumb it down for kids on the CD, as "Once Upon A Time" is definitely not a fairy tale, referencing "Tammy who wants a family." his own life SaulPaul turned to children's music to use his voice, lessons learned from his journey, and his perspective on modern events. His belief is that children, the next generation, can overcome today's prejudices and injustices, and literally be the change that he sings about.
But wait, there's more! With the release of the album, SaulPaul has launching the "30 Day Be The Change Challenge." Homeschooling parents can do it with their kids and teachers and educators can try it with students. Choose 30 acts of kindness, one for each day, to do with the youths under your supervision. Visit WeDreamIn3D.com for more details.
A lot can happen in three years. Between her two most recent releases, BROOKLYN BABY and ALL THE LADIES, New York City's Joanie Leeds became a single mother, a solo recording artist, a change-maker for gender equality inside the children's music community, and now an online festival promoter.
Joanie is celebrating her upcoming album with the All The Ladies Music Festival (click the link) on Friday, April 3, featuring a lineup of 14 female artists including Lisa Loeb, Lori Henriques, Suzi Shelton, and more. All of the performers are featured on ALL THE LADIES (out the same day) and perform 15-minute sets, from 12:30 PM-4 PM, when Joanie wraps up the show.
Recording artist Joanie Leeds
As early as 2018, Joanie thought about creating an all-female produced and performed album. "Before any song was written, I knew I wanted a female producer, engineer, mixer, and master engineer, even before I made a list of instrumentalists and vocalists – which of course also had to all-female," she explained. "Last year, the ideas began to come to me and I started writing songs with this concept in mind."
New York's musical community comes together at coincidental intervals, and fortuitous timing played a part in Joanie connecting with Grammy winner Lucy Kalantari. "It felt relevant to engage a female producer and I was burning to start this album," she recalled. Joanie took her daughter to see Red Yarn (Andy Ferguson) at Symphony Space and Lucy was there with her son, Darius. "After the concert, we all went out for lunch and I whispered my idea to her about an all-female album," Joanie continued. "Lucy seemed interested. She'd been wanting to produce someone else’s album for some time and connected with the idea. So we were off and running."
Joanie had a long list of "women to work with," mostly singers, but trimmed it for logistical reasons. "I would have loved to have even more women involved," she sighed. "Ultimately, it was a large, amazing ensemble. Lucy found all of the instrumentalists and recorded most of them in her home studio. She really took the reins – I wasn't even there for most of those sessions!"
ALL THE LADIES tackles mature themes, including divorce, gender inequality, and even miscarriages. "Kids today are exposed to way more than I was in my Gen-X upbringing," Joanie said. "My four-year-old knows more about death, racism, and sexism than I did in middle school. I wanted to musically include important themes in an accessible and appropriate way for all ages and genders."
Over the course of 20 years, Joanie's career has evolved from "adult" solo performer to bandleader of the popular Joanie Leeds and the Nightlights, back to solo – as part of the adult duo Joanie and Matt (with Matt Check) as well as playing for younger audiences. "I have always written all my own songs and brought the tunes to the band to arrange," Joanie said. "The finances for making an album, publicity, marketing and paying musicians per show, that all falls to me."
Organically, her shows remain "Joanie Leeds" with rotating backup musicians. "The process isn’t much different now, except I am trying to consciously hire more women, something I'm guilty of not doing in the past," she confessed. Joanie recently came to terms with the all-male structure of the Nightlights. If one of her band members was unavailable for a gig, they would recommended a friend as a substitute. "It was problematic that I never questioned all of their recommendations being male," she continued. "I was usually in such a hurry to find a replacement, there wasn’t time to be picky. My thinking has evolved. I'd like to serve as an example for other bandleaders by hiring more women."
Joanie had planned a big release party for ALL THE LADIES, but the real world rudely intruded. Her online All The Ladies Music Festival provides an alternative that even allows more participation by the musicians. "Before everyone knew the devastating impact of Covid-19, my environmentalist brother told me what the economic impact would be and that I should stop traveling and prepare," Joanie said. "But I didn’t believe him until my album launch concert at the Childrens Museum of Manhattan was canceled."
Joanie's brother pressed her to find a way to create income immediately. As a single mother without a full-time salaried spouse, Joanie knew she had to take action right away. "I didn’t really have time to sit, wait, and see what happened," she said. "I felt panicked at the start. Once my tour was canceled, more than half of my income evaporated. I had to act quickly."
In response, Joanie started a subscription service called Quarantine Kids Concerts (on Facebook). "I was one of the first children's musicians to offer this sort of program for children, which initially translated into an influx of members," she explained, "but signups tapered off, as more performers jumped into the marketplace. The insulting government payout amount isn’t going to cut it for most freelancers, especially city dwellers with large rents and overhead. Plus it's not going to arrive until May."
Joanie conceived of the Quarantine Kids Concerts the evening of Wednesday, March 11. "The idea kept me awake all night," she laughed. "By Thursday afternoon the next day, my business plan was finished and I started with social media outreach." Timing was paramount – a day or two later, a sizable number of kindie folks began offering similar services. "Whether they're free, or donation-based, or through a subscription service, we are all trying to find a healthy balance of what feels good, what our family's specific needs are, and what we offer to the community," she added.
ALL THE LADIES hold special significance because it's the first recording where Joanie's daughter was an active, willing participant. "I don’t have much choice in the matter now," Joanie said. "She asked to be on the album and I was happy to include her." Joanie's daughter's voice appears on the songs “Anything” and “RBG.” "I’m thrilled to have this recording for posterity," she added. "Years down the road, she can look back and hear her sassy four-year-old self! As a mom, that is really special."
Click on the link for more information on the All The Ladies Music Festival on Friday, April 3, from 12:30 PM-4 PM, when Joanie wraps up the show. ALL THE LADIES is available the same day from Amazon and Apple Music.
Here is the video for the title track, "All The Ladies":
The 2019 (and final) Fids and Kamily Awards have been released. I was privileged to be a judge for most of the run. It ends a 13 (or 14) year run for the awards, which were not as prestigious as Parents Choice or other "major" plaudits, but still appreciated by musicians.
To be considered for MY voting, the artist had to either contact and send me the material directly (via CD or digital download) or through a PR person. Interestingly, Josh Lovelace (who came in second) contacted me directly about his first children's music release. For GROWING UP, he went through a PR person (which I'm sure was more expedient for him). Also, my sons each selected three of their favorites on my semi-final list of 20 releases. I did weigh their considerations into my voting.
The Love – Alphabet Rockers
Flying High – Caspar Babypants
Backstroke Raptor – Story Pirates
Lucky Foot and Sunny Moon – Ratboy Jr.
Inside I Shine – Danny Weinkauf/Red Pants Band
Let's have some jazz hands all around for the renaissance of jazz-infused children's music. Not to make light of the development, but the surge can traced back to Lucy Kalantari winning a Grammy for her recordings. I'd say roughly three of the past six releases sent for review this summer were either jazz or jazz-adjacent. Now Lori Henriques, no jazz naif, returns with her entry, WHAT DO YOU WISH.
Herself a former Grammy nominee, Lori's latest collection is as close to Steely Dan for pre-teens as you're likely to hear. WHAT DO YOU WISH is as tight, coiled, and polished as any recording that Becker and Fagen ever put on disk. The horn arrangements, guitar solos, and backing vocals scream "soft jazz" and fill the air with ambient grooves.
Lori has remixed her song "Everlovin' Water" with help from keyboard player Aubrey Scarbrough, and given it a full funked-up arrangement. The tune is a literate "Schoolhouse Rock" explanation of the importance – and placement – of water, inside and outside of our bodies.
If anything, Lori is a little too ambitious. For instance, "Compassion" is a nice concept and the song strives to list people whose contributions make the world a better, more humane environment. But how many kids are going to take the time to Google (as I did) Simone Campbell, Cornell West, Krista Tippett, and Maria Popova, just to name a few? The gratitude theme works best on tracks like "I Like Myself," where she sings "I like myself, I do, and when I like myself, it's easy to like you," and the percussive "Life Is Yes," about the positivity of embracing experiences.
Let's all sit back, put on our best headphones, and revel in the New Jazz Age of children's music. Much like the other artists, Lori Henriques uses the form to celebrate the simple, everyday interactions between people. If anything, WHAT DO YOU WISH is a collection that answers its own question; what anyone would wish for is what they are hearing being lauded.
There's a "new jazz" movement inside children's music. Unlike rock and folk, which have a stranglehold on most radio formats, jazz requires a more concentrated education. It's not all scat singing and celebratory horns; sometimes it depends upon a child's ability to sit still and listen. That level of commitment harkens an exceptional student.
Into that forum enters the Lori Henriques Quintet and their prize-based LEGION OF PEACE: SONGS INSPIRED BY NOBEL LAUREATES. This is a real, serious, instructional CD with eight songs based on the lives and accomplishments of noted figures including Muhammad Yunus, Desmond Tutu, Malala Yousafzai, and President Jimmy Carter. The performers, such as pianist Joey Alexander, all have remarkable achievements. Alexander was an 11-year-old prodigy, complete with an appearance on 60 Minutes. Yunus founded Grameen Bank and more than 50 companies in Bangladesh and has received 112 awards from 26 countries (whew).
Sing for Hope, the organization behind the Legion of Peace project, is notable for its good works as well. In 2018, Sing for Hope placed decorated pianos throughout the five boroughs, making New York host to more
street pianos than any other city in the world. But their musical contributions have global reach as well.
The songs themselves tell Stories (as opposed to Harry Chapin's little "story songs"). "Brave As a Girl" tells Malala's tale of courage in the face of intolerance and small-minded cultural limitations. "A Human Is a Human" recounts Tutu's efforts to end apartheid. "A Kinder Way" urges listeners to follow Carter's path of gentle community-building, including a marching/hammer-into-nail-driving Habitat With Humanity-esque beat. "When you give you get it back," sings Henriques, and you can believe she means it.
On the other side of the spectrum comes Tony Pete (Tony Halchak) and his debut CD, WHEN I GROW UP. A cross between Randy Kaplan and Billy Kelly (one of his friends), Tony performs his songs with a straightforward, sincere "this is how kids talk" delivery.
The first single, "The Backwards Alphabet Song" gets right to the point – here's another way to look at the 26 letters and Tony's gonna sing it that way all day, if you let him. "Kazoo Crew" seems like a natural live performance rave. Take a roomful of kids, hand them kazoos, and what's gonna happen? An instant cacophony of exploration and music-making.
There's a bit of predicability to the format, as the CD closes with "Time to Put Our Toys Away" into "Sleep Loved." But that's the organic flow I've experienced in many a first-time release. The best performers realize that their audiences can grow with them, and don't need reminders to wind down just because the sun begins to set. The chorus delivers a sweet sentiment with resounding clarity: "Sleep loved, little darlings, you are." Every parent likes to feel that there child has potential and that concept holds true for Tony Pete as well – that guy's got potential.
Jazz hands everybody! Or rather, how about a hand for jazz? There seems to be a mini-comeback of the genre inside the venue of children's music. Between Lucy Kalantari, Jazzy Ash, Lori Henriques, and now JoJo and the Pinecones, there's a whole spectrum to educate your kids. I was fortunate enough to see the group perform at Hootenanny earlier this month (with Lucy, Jazzy, as well as Tim Kubart).
Joelle Lurie and musical partner Benjamin Gallina (whose website is a mnemonic for "brangelina") crafted their new CD, NIGHT & DAY, as part of their residency at Lincoln Center Education. The album is a amalgam of new and reinvigorated standards such as the title track and "Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'." For anyone who watched Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, the piano break in "Dream A Little Dream of Me" will remind you of the late Johnny Costa.
There are so many recordings of "I Can See Clearly Now" that it's pointless to make comparisons. But JoJo and company strive to make it downbeat and upbeat at the same time. You won't forget it's an album for your kids with such selections as "I Spy" and the cheery "Breakfast for Dinner," which is a rap short of being a Mista Cookie Jar song. Pizza for breakfast? Somebody is gonna give the tots some intriguing ideas.
NIGHT & DAY is designed in two sets, "Night" and "Day," with seven lighter, playful tracks that segue into seven to wind down from the hustle and bustle of school, homework, and chores. JoJo & The Pinecones take their childhood experiences and memories and run them through a tapestry of American Jazz stylings. Just when you think jazz is exclusionary, for a certain class of people, or just too cool for your tastes, along comes the closing track, "Farewell and Goodnight," a Smashing Pumpkins tune transformed from grinding guitars into a bluesy, horn-filled lullaby. Good night indeed. But not farewell.
NIGHT & DAY is available from JoJo & The Pinecones' website, Amazon, and iTunes.
Here is the video for their song, "Breakfast for Dinner":
Crazy Mountain Road – Eric Herman And The Invisible Band
Free Ride Everyday – Lori Henriques
How Lucky We Are – Justin Roberts
Island in the Ocean – Bob and Luc Schneider
Picky Eaters – Danny Weinkauf
Small Bird – Caspar Babypants
Solar Flares – Mo Phillips
Cloud Skateboard – Mo Phillips
Fly Like A Bird – Dean Jones
Fresh Spokes (Featuring Susan Lapidus) – Hot Peas 'n Butter
Groove – Lori Henriques
How Can You Tell If It's Going to Rain? – Andrew & Polly
Loving Cup – Cat Doorman
Tae Kwon Do – Bob and Luc Schneider
Eyes on the Prize – Cat Doorman
Forever Young – Andrew & Polly
Free Ride Everyday – Lori Henriques
Jersey Dinosaurs – Jason Didner and the Jungle Gym Jam
L.A. Girlz – Weezer
Must Be This Tall – Justin Roberts
People Watching – Dean Jones
DJ All Day – Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Don't Fence Me In – Andy Z
Free Ride Everyday – Lori Henriques
Only One You – Danny Weinkauf
Tae Kwon Do – Bob and Luc Schneider
Uh Huh – Dean Jones
Young at Heart – Mista Cookie Jar & the Chocolate Chips
Brain Freeze – The Not-Its!
The Bright Side Of Me – Alastair Moock & Friends
Don't Fence Me In – Andy Z
Expo Line – Andrew & Polly
Good Old Times – The Okee Dokee Brothers
Groove – Lori Henriques
Popsicle – Bob and Luc Schneider
Ghost Riders in the Sky – Andy Z
Ghostbusters – Andrew & Polly
Voodoo Doll – 5 Seconds of Summer
Hello Goodbye – Caspar Babypants
You Love You – Lori Henriques
Picky Eaters – Danny Weinkauf
Another Good Year – Lori Henriques
Road Trip – In The Nick Of Time
Done With The Science Fair– The Not-Its!
Water Under The Bridge – Adele
Hey Jude – Caspar Babypants
Your Happy Place – Jason Didner and the Jungle Gym Jam
The Tale Of The Sun And The Moon – Eric Herman And The Invisible Band
Hey Everybody! – 5 Seconds Of Summer
Amazing Day – Coldplay
Fresh Spokes (Featuring Susan Lapidus) – Hot Peas 'n Butter
How Great Can This Day Be – Lori Henriques
Hammer – Aaron Nigel Smith
Hamsterdam – Ratboy Jr.
Groove – Lori Henriques
Mystery – Dean Jones
Amistad (Featuring Dan Zanes) – Hot Peas 'n Butter
Sourwood Mountain – Red Yarn
One – Aaron Nigel Smith
Airplanes – 5 Seconds Of Summer
All Around the Kitchen – Andy Z
Archaeology – Danny Weinkauf
My Teacher's An Alien – The Bazillions
The Word – Caspar Babypants
My Favorite Sneakers – In The Nick Of Time
Jelly Beans! – Mista Cookie Jar & the Chocolate Chips
How Great Can This Day Be – Lori Henriques
All the Pretty Horses – Cat Doorman
Carry a Tune – Recess Monkey
Groove – Lori Henriques
I Dreamed I Could Fly – Eric Herman And The Invisible Band
Monster Truck – Sugar Free Allstars
Brain Freeze – The Not-Its!
Animal Kingdom – Key Wilde And Mr. Clarke
Carry a Tune – Recess Monkey
Don't Stop – 5 Seconds of Summer
Another Good Year – Lori Henriques
Shake a Friend's Hand – Andy Z
Caught in the Screen – Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Best Friend – In The Nick Of Time
Secret Fox – Gustafer Yellowgold
LA Christmas – Andrew & Polly & Mista Cookie Jar
Ahava – Joanie Leeds & The Nightlights
Groove – Lori Henriques
Turned Out – Paul McCartney
Pon De Replay – Rihanna
Right Side of the Bed – Ratboy Jr.
Cheese World – The Dirty Sock Funtime Band
Colores (featuring Oz Noy) – Hot Peas N Butter
How Great Can This Day Be – Lori Henriques
Spatula vs Sun – Mista Cookie Jar & the Chocolate Chips
On Air – The Pop-Ups
SOS – Rihanna
