Randy Kaplan Gently Shakes Those Delta Blues

It's been a long day's journey into the delta for Randy Kaplan. For more than a decade, Randy has mixed and merged humorous storytelling with an affection for traditional delta blues. That might not seem as delectable a snack combo as peanut butter and chocolate. But the distinctive Kaplan touch allows adults to snicker at references to Joan Didion while kids laugh at slide whistle sound effects (in a modernization of "Little Brown Jug," a song that dates back to 1869).

Randy's love of the blues is tangible, his persona is affable, and the results are laughable – for all ages – on SHAKE IT AND BREAK IT, his latest release. The educator in Kaplan (a much-credential teacher) can't resist giving deep background on the origins of his songs (giving shout-outs to Charlie Patton on the title track and Blind Blake of "Doing a Stretch").

Randy is flexible at adapting material for younger listeners. "Doing a Stretch" was originally about serving time in prison. In this new incarnation, narrator Kaplan does a series of body-contortion exercises, accompanied by the aforementioned sound effects. Blind Boy Fuller's "Been Your Dog" comes straight from the pooch's mouth – with a canine-voiced verse, to boot. It's an appropriate song to hear on a car ride from New Jersey to Queens – heading for the Long Island Expressway as you hear it described in song. Family dynamics are investigated in comic detail in "From Four Until Late," as Randy recounts spending weeks with his grandma when his parents would go away on seemingly endless trips. And the stripped-down version of the classic "Swinging on A Star" features singing donkeys and fish and a Google-worthy mention of Carol Dweck (I did it for you).

My folks were keen on introducing me to classical and folk music using TUBBY THE TUBA and WOODY GUTHRIE FOR KIDS. Randy follows through on this template for delta blues, renewing the works of Mississippi John Hurt ("Candy Man Blues") as well as the better-known John Lee Hooker. Part of the fun is trying to recall the original intent (and lyrics) that Kaplan appropriates to get across his versions. A six-minute "Little Brown Jug" closes the collection with a literal cavalcade of references that require the assistance of Siri, Alexa, or your friendly neighborhood scholar. And yes, an acknowledgement of Mance Lipscomb, who started recording delta blues in the 1960s.

SHAKE IT AND BREAK IT is a throwback to early Kaplan releases like FIVE CENT PIECE, with sparse arrangements showcasing an acoustic guitar and vocals, and a stray harmonica solo offering counterpoint. Listeners get ample aural and entertainment value, plus a level-headed offering of information about why the delta blues remains so enticing to performers like Randy. And why the genre still has the ability to entrance a new generation of listeners.

SHAKE IT AND BREAK IT is available on May 10 from Randy Kaplan's website, CDBABY, Apple Music, and Amazon.

Here is the video for Randy's song "Crew Cut":

All Kinds of Alastair Moock For Your Kids

A little education can be a dangerous thing, if placed in the wrong hands. Luckily for us, Alastair Moock knows just what to do with a little education. Now, I'm not saying he's got limited experience. Far from it – Alastair's resume includes a 2014 Grammy nomination, a Parents' Choice Gold Medal, and a trio of National Parenting Publications Gold Awards. On the contrary, Alastair makes music that teaches your kids with a soupçon of brain-growing content.

His latest CD, ALL KINDS OF YOU AND ME, is Alastair's personal take on the classic 1970s FREE TO BE...YOU AND ME collection. While not as groundbreaking (and few children's music performers aspire to achieve those lofty standards), ALL KINDS... sits comfortably as a companion piece. Once you've mentioned FREE TO ME... it's almost incumbent to make the comparison. Okay, I've done it. Let's move on.

ALL KINDS... includes a number of Alastair's friend such as Rani Arbo, Anand Nayak, Jennifer Kimball, Samirah Evans, Debbie Lan, and Mark Erelli. Cover art is provided by illustrator and kindie musician Key Wilde. If anything has changed from the 1970s, it's that "that" world was more concerned about "boy things and girl things." Gender roles between the sexes have become so complicated that Alastair largely leaves the topic alone for younger listeners, save for "You Might Be A Girl."

In place of gender politics, Alastair turns to world issues. Alas, this is my weak spot. "Kenya Imagine?" is a neat conceit, but that's what Putumayo is for. He is on better footing with catchy tunes like "It Takes All Kinds" and "My Life (Is A Lot Like Yours)." And he takes to jauntily strumming for an inclusive take on "People":

People people people you meet
Look at all the people walking down the street
Some are grumpy and some are sweet
Some like bananas some like peas

Alastair takes people down south for some zydeco flavor with "Everything's Upside-down But Me" and closes with a solid narrative take on his childhood hero Woody Guthrie's classic "This Land Is Your Land." In between, he and his friends are busy and upbeat. They're not kidding about the concept – there's eight "you" or "me" instances in the album's 12 tracks. Alastair is sincere about promoting the pioneering efforts of such people as Dr. Martin Lither King and Gloria Steinem. And a little education in the right hands has never sounded as sweet.

Alastair Moock and Friends descend on Madison Square Park on Thursday, June 18 for part of the annual summer children's concert series. If you're interested, drop by and take a listen for yourself.

ALL KINDS OF YOU AND ME is available June 19 from Alastair's website, Amazon, iTunes, and CDBABY.

Here is the video for the song, "It Takes All Kinds":



Oh – and rustic roots revival racounteur Red Yarn (Andy Furgeson) is back soon. Here's the first video from "Deep Woods Revival," his upcoming CD. It's "Bile Them Cabbage." Tell me that's not obscure!

Zanes & Mitchell Turn Turn Turn Back to Folk Roots

WYSIWYG is a common software term that means "What You See Is What You Get." It is also directly applicable to the malleable recordings of Dan Zanes and Elizabeth Mitchell. Over the past decade, Dan has almost deconstructed the sound of "Dan Zanes and Friends." Whereas his early recordings like ROCKET SHIP BEACH have a kindie garage band sound, his more recent mission seems to be reacquainting audiences with the folk traditions of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. Similarly, Mitchell and You Are My Flower (her family band) recently released THE SOUNDING JOY, an entire CD from the songbook of Ruth Crawford Seeger.

Zanes and Mitchell have a long association. In fact, my brother once asked me, "Are they married?" to which I replied, "Only to their music." We've seen them perform separately and together on numerous occasions and look forward to every appearance. Now they have co-released TURN TURN TURN, which further deepens their exploration of folk music and its importance to American families.

In past reviews, I've talked about how the word "Traditional" sends a chill down my spine, when presented in an unexpected manner (nobody needs disco-fied "Itsy Bitsy Spider"). But in the capable hands of Danes & Mitchell, you get the Depression era classic "When You're Smiling," most famously sung by Louis Armstrong, alongside the title track, a Seeger staple adapted almost entirely from verses in the Book of Ecclesiastes, set to music. The tune reached #1 on the American charts in 1965 when recorded by the Byrds.

The mood is so firmly set that Zanes' original tunes "Now Let's Dance" and "In the Sun" fade completely into the folk firmament, as if being rediscovered by Doc Pomus. Only "Coney Island Avenue" takes the folk spirit for a subway ride to Brooklyn:

We've got our sandwiches, we've got our crew
We're walking down Coney Island Avenue
We're counting all the barbershops, 1, 2, 3
And all the little markets, A, B, C
We'll walk walk walk until we get to the sea.

If you're looking for another HOUSE PARTY-esque CD from Dan Zanes, turn turn turn away. The music does not stray far from Mitchell's sweet spot – family folk songs. Zanes has also strummed himself a comfortable groove in that genre. Song titles like "Train Is A'Coming" and "Raccoon and Possum" further the WYSIWYG sentiment.

Zanes and Mitchell have legions of followers who will gladly round out their collections with TURN TURN TURN. As I've always said about roots music, you can lead your kids to folk but you can't make them think. But you couldn't have two more able practitioners than Dan Zanes and Elizabeth Mitchell to try to turn on their minds.

TURN TURN TURN is available from Amazon, Dan Zanes' website, and iTunes.

Here is a video of "Mystery Train" from their appearance at Kidstock 2012 on Long Island: