ORAN ETKIN “WAKE UP, CLARINET” The Sound: Upper crust jazz with the crusts cut off. In the Cafeteria, He Sits With: Coal Train Railroad, Hayes Greenfield Best Moments: The opening piano salvo in “High Low”, the album’s 1st musical cut, will have jazz aficionados salivating. It’s the initial sign that […]
Not many kid’s musicians can sling quotes from Harvey Keitel, Naomi Watts, Ken Burns, Edie Falco and Liev Schreiber. Oran Etkin though, thanks to his stature in the jazz community and, more specifically, his Timbalooloo music classes in New York City, can. His reputation as a clarinet master seems well-earned, […]
Join OWTK on Sunday, February 28th for a Putumayo Kids Jazz Playground concert (2 of ’em, actually) at The Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia. We love the whole Jazz Playground disc from Putumayo Kids – heck, I reviewed the album for Time Out New York Kids – but we’re especially […]
The Putumayo Kids Jazz Playground disc is out next month (3/9). In the current issue (March ’10 – on news stands now!) of Time Out New York Kids, I review the album. In addition, I suggest some clever ways to introduce your kids to jazz in a live setting in […]
Katy Bowser and Chris Donohue of Coal Train Railroad recently took some time to answer a few of my questions about their self-titled debut family album, their perception of the kid’s music community, the genesis and bright future of their jazz-for-kids project, and the importance of music in the modern […]
…still swooning… Here’s a nice, tightly edited glimpse into a recent Coal Train Railroad show, in their hometown of Nashville, TN. You’ll hear bits of 3 songs, including the fabulous “Snuggling Suits Me Just Fine”. At the 1 minute mark, you’ll also hear a kid in the audience with some […]
COAL TRAIN RAILROAD The Sound: Jazz. Straight up, honest-to-goodness grown-up jazz music with kid-friendly lyrics. In the Cafeteria, They Sit With: Hayes Greenfield, Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Parker Best Moments: I simply swoon over “Snuggling Suits Me Just Fine”. My heart warms up a few degrees every single time I hear […]
Scat singing is the easiest, most fun-tastic way to introduce kids to jazz. Babies coo and scat naturally. Toddlers scat ’cause it’s silly. And bigger kids use wacky verbalization to crack up their kid sisters/brothers and amuse their parents (or to delay teeth brushing or bedtime). A terrific way to […]
