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Randy Sandke
Jazz For Juniors
ARBORS RECORDS 19385
AAAA
Various Artists
Jazz Playground
PUTUMAYO KIDS 299
AAA
Solid jazz-for-kids albums—those
that hold
the attention of young
folks for longer than one
song and don’t make parents want to cram Play-
Doh into their ears—come along every so often.
Trumpeter Randy Sandke organizes Jazz For
Juniors around “a story told in words, pictures
and songs about some lovable animals ... and
their love of jazz!” The children’s music division
of the Putumayo World label serves up Jazz
Playground with the claim of being “committed
to introducing children to other cultures through
music from around the world.”
Sandke wrote thoughtful words and swinging
music that introduces jazz instruments to small
fry in a fun way without condescension or silliness.
Allan Harris sparkles as the friendly
singer-narrator responsible for recounting how
the animals/instruments go about forming a
band. It’s one fine jazz menagerie: songbird,
vocalist Carolyn Leonhart;
giraffe, guitarist Howard
Alden; hippo, trombonist
Wycliffe Gordon; and
more. Sandke’s fantasia
happily culminates in
“Jazz Variations on ‘This
Little Light Of Mine,’” an
extended survey of Latin
jazz, Dixieland, big-band
swing, spirituals, ragtime,
bebop, hard bop, modal
and free-jazz and the
blues. Beyond the music, the narrative concerns
human qualities like friendship and pride. In
sum, this delightful album is ideal for playing at
home and in classrooms.
The Jazz Playground compilers apparently
hop-scotched around the planet to collect tracks;
they’ve found serious proponents of children’s
music—Holland’s Trapperdetrap and Japan’s
Modern Conya, among others) as well as committed
jazz performers, like U.S. singer Barbara
Morrison and Cuban-American vocalist Jose
Conde, who are amenable to entertaining young
folks as a sideline from their regular endeavors.
Most of the music here is unobtrusively pleasant
for listeners of all ages. More than that is
Vermont band Lewis Franco & the Missing
Cats’ stirring acoustic string jazz update of the
1940s group called The Cats and a Fiddle;
Franco’s guitar solo on their old tune “Stomp,
Stomp,” in fact, sounds like the resurrection of
Tiny Grimes. Also special: eccentric Australian
big band Kinderjazz’s creative arrangement and
execution of “Gazooba,” and South African
singer-guitarist Selloane’s striking blend of soulfulness
and sweetness, on African-American
folk song “Shortnin’ Bread.”
Ah, if only Playground, a mere half-hour
long, had included samplings from Phil Woods’
recent The Children’s Suite and Ezra Weiss’
equally fine Alice In Wonderland jazz musical
album. —Frank-John & Ayla Hadley
Jazz For Juniors: 30 tracks, from “Tiger Text” to “Row, Row,
Row Your Boat.” (49:04)
Personnel: Randy Sandke, trumpet; Wayne Escoffery, tenor
sax; Wycliffe Gordon, trombone; Ted Rosenthal, piano; John
Riley, drums; Allan Harris, Carolyn Leonhart, vocals; Jay
Leonhart, bass; Ken Peplowski, clarinet; Howard Alden, guitar;
Chuck Wilson, flute.
»
Jazz Playground: Stomp, Stomp; Spider-man; Cumbamba; Sur
Le Pont D’Avignon; Little Lamb Jam; Gazooba; Sing A Song Of
Sixpence Zuignapje; Shortnin’ Bread; Agree And Disagree; Dois
Meninos; Oyatsu No Jikan; This Little Light Of Mine. (31:29)
Personnel: Lewis Franco & the Missing Cats (1); Chris McKhool
(2); Jose Conde (3); Triocephale (4); Oran Etkin & Charenee
Wade (5); Kinderjazz (6); Barbara Morrison (7); Trapperdetrap (8);
Selloane with Famoro Diobate (9); The Mighty Buzzniks (10);
Gui Tavares (11); Modern Conya (12); Ingrid Lucia (13).
»
Ordering info: arborsrecords.com
Ordering info: putumayokids.com