5 comments about Shakin' a Tailfeather.

1. True blues fans will cherish this collection of songs, most of them adaptations of traditional African-American, southern blues music. I grew up on "Little Sally Walker" and the "Name Game" --these songs were part of the rich, cultural stew that made up my life in urban Philadelphia. I am delighted that Taj Mahal has documented these treasures so that I can now share them with my 3 suburbo-kids, who otherwise would not have a clue. Be advised -- this album is not for the feeble, folk-singer fan but for kids and parents with a love for danceable, singable music with soul.



2. I absolutely hated this CD. I found it to be grating and irritating. I have played it once and have never played it again. I adore Taj Mahal, was raised on folk music like Pete Seegar and Woody Guthrie, but I am NOT a fan of the gospel music sound. That is what I would call this album. I heard very little Taj Mahal on it, also, which is bothersome. Get Shake Shugaree. It's awesome.



3. AS A PRESCHOOL TEACHER, THIS CD IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES!! THE CHILDREN LOVE TO DANCE AND SING ALONG, AND I ENJOY IT TOO. NOW, IF ONLY I COULD GET THEM TO STOP SHAKIN' A TAILFEATHER WHEN IT'S TIME TO CLEAN UP......



4. Ever since I was 3, I have had a constitutional aversion for that idiotic "Name Game" by Shirley Ellis. It is highly irritating, makes absolutely no sense and is darned annoying to boot. It has no saving grace, nothing to recommend it and makes jackhammers sound soothing by comparison.

   I would have given this 4 or maybe even 5 stars, but including the idiotic "Name Game" cost this CD. Everything else on this CD is great, especially "Follow the Drinking Gourd." That is a good history lesson about slavery and about using a sky map. An excellent exercise for children (and adults) is to find the Northern Star and identify other constellations. This is a great teaching tool.

   Leave off the vile "Name Game" and you've got a good collection here.




5. This is a CD that I can actually share with my children -- I was enjoying many of these songs in my own youth. Check out cuts 9-11: "Land of 1000 Dances," "Jim Dandy," and "The Name Game," which is an all-time favorite of mine. Listen also to the deep funk of "Shortnin' Bread." This may be a children's CD, but there's plenty for an adult to enjoy. Just be careful playing "The Name Game" with kids named Chuck or Mitch.

No comments about God's Wonderful World.

5 comments about Circle Time: Songs & Rhymes for the Very Young.

1. To be honest I haven't heard this CD yet. I ordered it for a friend who has young children.



2. This review is based on the samples on amazon.com
   and a a tape of Lisa Monet's I bought a few years ago...
   She may have a good singing voice, but it sounds
   so slow and lifeless...and very high!! The samples I heard
   for this CD on the amazon page were so boring and slow--
   and the sound effects she made during some of the samples
   like in that teapot song-- stick with the singing
   slowly--!!! Muffin man song -- could a song be sung
   any slower!!! VERY lackluster, very dry, her voice
   was good but not great-- and the guitar added to
   the lethargy!!! Would of gave this CD 0 stars
   if no stars were possible!!
   
   I reccomend this to anyone who has insomnia,
   and listening to this as a substitute for
   sleeping pills!!! One might get addicted
   to sleeping pills- and that could be bad for
   someone, but this CD has the same effect as
   sleeping pills as they both will put you to sleep,
   and this CD is a healthier safer way to get to sleep!!
   
   For some good Children's music that is very upbeat,
   I reccomend Greg and Steve, Red Grammer, Gary The Happy
   Pirate.........



3. This is a wonderful, basic CD to add to your child's collection. Most of the songs and poems are familiar, or will quickly become so, if you don't already know them. The single soprano voice with acoustic guitar is soothing for a child, but still lively enough for dancing to the more rollicking numbers. My daughter started listening to it as a 4 month old--every time the first song started (Happy and you know it...) she would start kicking and smiling, anticipating the song. She would often be content in her play pen the entire time the CD played.



4. My 2 year old adores this CD. He sings the songs even when it's not playing. One thing I enjoy about it is that it's low key. All the songs whether faster or slower seem to have the same tempo.
   I guess it depends on the temperment of your child if you'd like it or not. Mine is musical with tons of positive ENERGY. Whatever the case, it's no action-adventure. It's more like a cuddly drama.



5. I have to agree with some others in that this CD is very slow. In fact, it puts my kids to sleep rather than provoke a sing along or dance. Lisa Monet doesn't have a bad voice but the CD sounds as though you were back in the 70's with the wiggly voice and single guitar music. If you are looking for a CD that is calming and somewhat boring than this is your CD. I haven't found a great kids CD yet, but this definitly was NOT not even close.

5 comments about Children's Favorites.

1. I bought this CD for my 3 years old son. The selection might seem odd but most songs are linked and tell together a short lively story.
   We are french, so we do not understand everything (there are no printed lyrics), but this CD is one my son likes best.



2. I give this 4 1/2 stars, so I will round up. It's better than most children's music CD's.

   My children love many of the songs on this CD, like "Old Dan Tucker" and Shortnin' Bread." We own many children's CD's and this one ranks among one of their favorite ones. I don't know why. They do skip some songs, so I wouldn't rank it as the best childrens music CD.

   The song selection is a little different, which supplements other children's CD's. Overall, it seems to appeal to young children, and the content is decent - imaginative and generally good for kids.

   In summary, it's one of the better childrens music CD's available. A child will probably consider it one of his or her favorites.




3. This album is different from the other children's albums our family owns, and it inspires the imagination. The songs are grouped in themes and have an authentic sound, with high production value.

   The first two tunes are nautical, and "Sailing, Sailing" sounds like a "sea shanty" that pirates are singing. We all enjoy the hoedown feel of the next set, with a rousing rendition of "She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain", and "Old Dan Tucker" and "Clementine" are tied together nicely, with a few sobs for darling Clementine.

   Our least favorite songs come next, with an off-putting version of "Old King Cole" in which the king does a lot of talking. He talks in "Sing a Song of Sixpence" as well, and when I listen to his haughty voice, I want to lead a revolution to overthrow his monarchy.

   The album gets better once you get past the British royalty songs. The steel drums of "Matilda" (not to be confused with "Waltzing Matilda") add a Carribean flair, and "If You're Happy and You Know It" is a lot of fun. The album winds up with a New Orleans/Mardi Gras theme, complete with horns and saxophones, again with more talking in between the songs, but it's pleasing this time. Probably our favorite song on the album is "Shortnin' Bread", which is sung exactly as it should be, Southern-style.

   This album comes with all the bells and whistles, in the form of wonderful sound effects. While the selection of songs may not appeal to everyone, we are glad to have something a little different. I haven't been able to determine what our two-year-old thinks of it, but I'm certain most young children would like the upbeat songs. I'm not sure, however, if children would like the grizzled-sounding pirate on "Sailing, Sailing" and that simpering Old King Cole, the ninny. We greatly prefer "Toddler Favorites", which was produced by the same company and has universal appeal.




4. I bought this tape for my daughter, who is 23 months old. I purchased Toddler Favorites and one of the Disney classics at the same time. She prefers the Toddler Favorites to all the others. This tape (Children's Favorites) has an odd musical selection. Some of the songs are unfamiliar and rather outdated. I think we were looking for something a bit more cutesy and upbeat. Still, we do listen to it and a couple of the songs are cute.



5. This is an excellent compilation. Each song has its own individually tailored production, with different sound effects, and yet the entire compilation has a uniform style. Each song sounds as though it were taken from the soundtrack from a movie, because of the high quality of the production, and also because of the sound effects (boat toots, animal squawks, ocean waves, and various American dialects/accents). Especially engaging was the use of children's voices (spoken and singing) along with adult voices. I liked especially Shortnin' Bread (it would have been fine if the singer on Shortnin' Bread had been featured on every number). Another fine effect, found on Hokey Pokey, was the sound of cheering and shouting children's voices. One critical word: the song titled "Walzing Matilda" is not Walzing Matilda. It is actually the song that goes ". . . she take me money and run Venezuela." The voices might be, perhaps, considered a tad less polished than those found on the exquisite series of Disney Children's Favorites, produced by Jymn Magon with Betty Joyce as the choral director.

5 comments about Toddlers Sing Storytime.

1. Wow, the reviewer who said parents would be annoyed were RIGHT on the button. This is only the third time I've *had* to listen to this CD and I'm already ready to chuck it into the trash. It's Ok when the kids are just singing as themselves, but in way too many of the songs the kids are faking English accents (why?)-- very annoying when it's not your own kid. :)



2. This is a big favorite of our 3 year old during car trips. It keeps her occupied, and singing along. She probably is more inclined to sing along as the singers on the CD are children, rather than adults.



3. Our son, who is 7 months old, is mesmerized by this CD. The first day we received this CD I played it in the car while we were out running errands and he was quiet the whole time. Just last week while driving home our son was getting fussy (because I was listening to talk radio) so I popped in the CD and he was quiet the rest of the way home - this alone would motivate me to buy another one.

   The songs are fun, after playing it non-stop most everytime were in the car, I'm still not tired of it. I enjoy listening/hearing the different dialects of the children and the songs are fun and entertaining.

   I envision, as our son gets older, we'll sing these songs together in the car and that will make the CD even more enjoyable for both of us. But right now, anything that keeps him happy and entertained in the car gets an A+ in my book.




4. My 2 year old daughter loves this CD. The songs are fun and easy to dance to. The nursery rhymes are familiar and my daughter enjoys reciting the lyrics and hearing them over and over and over again. This is definitely a great alternative to television and makes playtime much more fun! Your kids will love it.



5. This CD is packed with all the familiar songs that we have grown to love. What makes it different from the rest is that there are children themselves singing the songs. I teach dance classes for children and my little ones (3 and 4 yr. old) love this CD. I would recommend this one for the younger children that enjoy music and want to sing along.

5 comments about Swingin' in the Rain.

1. I bought this album for the song "A you're Adorable" and was pleasantly surprised by all of the other songs that I remember hearing as a child ("Jeepers Creepers" and "A Bushel and a Peck"). My daugher always wants me to pick her up to dance when these songs come on our playlist. This CD links today's kids to the former generations with timeless music. This would be a great nostalgic gift to/from a grandparent to enjoy with their grandchild. I don't think Maria Muldaur has the greatest voice, but it's a good voice for kids and I haven't seen too many great compilations like this on one CD. I highly recommend anyone add this to your collection.



2. I can recall back in the 70's when our daughter was a little girl, watching Sesame Street with her. While the program was clearly targeted at kids, the wit and double-entendre of much of the content made it immensely enjoyable to me as an adult. As a consequence, we watched it together because we BOTH enjoyed it. As a therapist often working with families, I frequently am on the lookout for activities that the parents can do together with the kids - not just because it seems like a good idea to spend time with them, but because they BOTH can really enjoy whatever the activity is. In this way, not only the time is shared - but so is the pleasure; thereby deepening the experience for everyone. This was my Sesame Street experience with my daughter, and I believe that this would be yours if you (as a parent) were to listen to this album of Maria Muldaur's with your school-age children. It is marketed as a children's music CD, but is clearly enjoyable by adults as well!
   
   Maria Muldaur is an interesting character. When I first saw her, it was at a small coffee house in Cambridge, MASS in 1965-66 called the "Club 47." At that time, she was Maria D'Amato and was singing and playing -of all things- the fiddle as the only female member of the Jim Queskin Jug Band. Later she married their (appreciably talented) guitarist, Geoff Muldaur and while their marriage did not endure, she kept the name.
   Over the ensuing years, her voice has matured and she has developed into a contemporary bluesy chanteuse - a local icon in Marin County, CA, whose talents came fully to public attention years ago with the production of her now famous tune "Midnight At The Oasis."
   
   This particular album, first produced back in 1998 by "Music For Little People" contains many tunes that my contemporaries will recognize from their own childhoods - done in Maria's trademark warbling bluesy style. The play list includes:
   
   1. Choo `N Gum
   2. Aba Daba Honeymoon
   3. ...I'd've Baked A Cake
   4. Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah
   5. Singin' IN The Rain
   6. Three Little Fishies
   7. Peanut
   8. Mairzy Doats
   9. Animal Fair
   10. A Bushel And A Peck
   11. Jeepers Creepers
   12. A-You're Adorable
   13. Heck I'd Go
   
   As you can see, these tunes are, for the most part, from the 40's and 50's (some are considerably older) - remade for today by Maria, wonderfully accompanied by David Grisman and Captain Dan Hicks. Not incidentally, Maria's voice has matured and become quite pleasant to listen to since the old "Jug Band" days!
   
   Again, enjoyment for parents and kids TOGETHER!
   
   Great cement through common pleasure.
   A wonderful addition to any family's CD collection.



3. My children love the songs on this CD. They are older songs that I also love to listen to. We have lots of fun singing and listening to this music together!



4. My toddler love, love, LOVES this CD!!!! It's been on (almost) constant rotation since we got it 5 days ago. It's the 1st thing he asks, er, demands to listen to in the morning. Thankfully, the music & singing are top-notch, as are the songs chosen. The songs are cute, sweet, and easy to sing & dance along to. As a former swing dance instructor, it was important to me to find a good CD of swing music for kids with excellent musicianship & one that didn't "water down" the music. This CD is excellent for both adults (a requirement in our household) and children. It's VERY danceable & I foresee many, many hours of dancing the 20's Charleston to this CD.



5. Maria Mulduar selects great musicians and eclectic, memorable songs as she not only delights kids but we grown ups too, and teaches us Americana through her taste in old time music. If you are old-you'll be reminded of singer Red McKenzie and his Mound City Blowers [Benny Goodmans little group recording under s a different name, or if young you can relate to the Sqirrel Nut Zippers. So...put on your Raccoon coat and get ready to Charleston. 23 Skidoo and cat's meow, vo vo dee oh doe and oh you kid!

5 comments about Fiesta Musical: A Musical Adventure Through Latin America for Children.

1. I played this for the students in my early education class and they enjoyed it.



2. I have been very disappointed with this album. The biggest problem is the introductory material. Each track starts with an introduction, first in English and then in Spanish. While it is nice to know something about the songs, it is a long span of talking before each track and it quickly (like, the second time through) becomes very irritating having to wait for the end of the intro to hear each song. If they had only made the introductions into separate tracks it would have been much better-- you could skip over the intros when you didn't want to hear them. The other problem is a matter of personal taste-- after wading through the intro material, most of the songs are just not appealing to me. Yes, there are some fun instruments and unusual sounds, but for the most part the songs themselves just don't move me. For kids Spanish songs, I much prefer the Sesame Street "Fiesta Songs!" album and the Jose-Luis Orozco albums (especially "Diez Deditos").



3. Besides the first song (which I have to skip every time... it's a silly rap), every other song on this CD is absolutely GREAT! Every time I listen to it, it get's my body moving, and I find myself singing along (and I don't know much Spanish)!

   I got this CD to play in my Infant Room, which is primarily Latino, and the babies LOVE it, too! They move and giggle along with the songs.

   I like the fact that it moves around to seven different countries in Latin America, which the narrator tells us in English where we are going and why we are listening to this particular song. By being around people from Mexico everyday, they have told me this CD is EXCELLENT. The two songs especially from Mexico are very popular there and very commonly sung.




4. I got it for my 5 year old child who is learning Spanish. quite enjoyable to listen to but hard to learn from as far as I can tell. Get something else (like "Siesta, Fiesta") if you want to learn songs with your young child.



5. Enchanting is probably the best description for this wonderful album. Emilio Delgado (who you have met as Luis on Sesame Street) takes us on a fascinating tour of Central and South America, introducing us to folk music that reflect the region's Spanish, Indigenous, and Afro-Latin cultural traditions. Some tracks are familiar, such as "Los Pollitos," a traditional Mexican folk song, but Venezuelan singer Maria Marquez's sweet voice makes this version special. Others, such as "Salaque" are unusual. Despite the variety of musical traditions, the album is very cohesive. All in all, "Fiesta Musical" is a wonderful way to introduce children (and adults) to the music of Latin America, presenting the listener with a movable musical feast.

5 comments about Big Blues: Blues Music for Kids.

1. My toddler likes the music on this CD. When I first heard it, I wasn't sure it would go over well---my husband is not crazy about the music---but my 2 year old likes it! The songs are catchy and the music is nice and easy listening.



2. This is great blues music!! My husband and I love it just as much as the kids and we play it even when they're not around.



3. This is a GREAT cd. My 2 year old has never liked being in the car so I've been listening to elmo, bear & pooh for 2 years. That's fine, it's fun, but this is a wonderful change of pace - she loves it & so do I! Especially pancake man :-) Done in a blues style VERY much like blues music for adults, but with lyrics little ones can understand and enjoy. To the gentleman who didn't think it was authentic enough blues...I bet B.B. and the rest of the crew on this cd would beg to differ...as does my family.



4. This is a great CD! The music is more adult like but the lyrics are directed to kids. Fishin' Blues and Flying Lessons are excellent!



5. I wanted a good cd to accompany Buckwheat Zydeco in my sons collection. With the starpower that this cd's artists have, I was expecting much more. The songs would be good if the arrangements were less candy coated and more gritty and more like the guitar driven blues that my son loves.Buckwheat Zydeco is the lone bright spot on the disc. I only wish I could return it to get a different disc but instead, it is a drink coaster for a sipper cup. over and out

5 comments about Jazz-a-Bye: The Swing Set.

1. This is such an awesome CD! My son is grown but sometimes you just need the soothing sounds of jazz!
   
   Way to go Produck Tunes! Love the CD!!!



2. This is an upbeat, excellent CD! Don't know if baby will like it, but we sure do!



3. I received this CD as a gift and loved it! As a parent and teacher, I would highly recommend Jazzabye. It is a great introduction to Jazz for kids. I have used the CD at school and at home. My kids can dance and relax to it. We can get goofy and "swing dance" or we can set it as background music and enjoy. As an adult, parent and educator I love the fact that my kids are being exposed to a musical form that children seldom get the chance to hear, and it's delivered in a fun and approachable way. I am looking forward to listening to the others in the collection. Thanks!



4. I have five children, when I put this on in the late afternoon
   after a nap it soothed them awake and into a good mood the rest
   of the day. When you can find music that can do that, its def-
   inately something you want to recommend to the whole world.



5. Listening to the latest jazz-a bye cd with my kids,
   reminds me when I first "fell" for jazz. Exposing
   the young ones to the cool sounds of "itsy bitsy spider",
   "shortning bread", and "hey diddle, diddle" told through
   the language of jazz is a must hear for adults and kids alike.
   Delightful arrangements, and strong instrumentation make this
   one of the "Koolest" cd's to have in your collection.

4 comments about The Ben Gunn Society.

1. I stumbled across the Ben Gunn Society on a Stoner Rock Internet radio station. I guess the association is due to one of the band members having been a web master for Fu Manchu. Maybe they dropped a freebie off at the station or something. Anyway, I really liked it. I'd never read Treasure Island, but I enjoyed the clear, melodic music, mostly acoustic and sometimes with a hammond organ. Good stuff. I really love Red X and Cosmic Wind. The singer's Russian accent is nice and adds distinction to the songs. Search for their home page, they have several full mp3s to download and listen to.
   
   I don't remember if the Ben Gunn Society induced me to buy Treasure Island and read it to my children, but I did. Knowing the story of Treasure Island does help elements of the album, like the many cheese references, seem a lot less abstract. The kids really enjoyed the book, so on a lark I let them listen to the Ben Gunn theme from the website. They LOVED it!! I had to print out all the pictures for them to color and went ahead and bought the CD for them-- well, us. Their favorite song is Hey, Monkey!
   
   It's not a children's CD, in my opinion, but seems quite enjoyable for the family. There are, just like Treasure Island, lots of references to rum and grog. The song True Pirates does include references to "wenches" and mentions they "make love." That's about all the most sensitive persons would probably find objectionable for kids.
   
   P.S. My Feb '06 order included a note that they will soon be recording a new album.



2. Why should pirates get all the glory? Finally, an album that gives due credit to a scraggly beach bum with the munchies!
   "Ben Gunn" is chock full of fun, quirky lyrics and melodies that go down easy and are hard to shake. My 4-year-old really digs it and is getting into the whole pirate thing as a result. (Though I'll have to explain the references to rum and wenches later.) Not since They Might Be Giants' "No!" have we enjoyed listening to a new CD together. It certainly satiates a craving for indie rock that doesn't take itself too seriously, while keeping my little buckeroo happy, too. Great for car rides, a bad day at work and chillin' out with a bottle of Captain Morgan's.



3. I found this CD sort of by accident. I was looking for the old Treasure Island DVD (the one from the thirties, not the Disney flop) and some how I reached this disc. After hearing the downloads, I couldn't stop laughing, so I ordered it. Is this a real society? The whole CD is so much fun and wacky. I noticed that someone said it's great for children, it is, but I love it myself. The guy singing is so serious, yet he's talking about cheese (lots of it), bananas, monkeys, wenches, grog. In one song there is a list of different apples. Anyway the address on the CD is in California. Treasure Island is my favorite book, I've read it many times since I was a little boy, and even I didn't really remember the character Ben Gunn. Thanks to this strange CD, I went back and read it once more. Okay, that's it.



4. My sons are huge fans of Treasure Island and LOVE this CD. They are 6 and 8 years old. The songs are catchy and fun to sing along to. They have been palying it non-stop since we got it. It is a big hit in our house!