What's New On CD
By Michael Berick
Los Lobos
Los Lobos Goes Disney
$ 18.98, Disney Sounds
Pairing East L.A. legends Los Lobos with Disney music might not seem like an obvious match, but this combination winds up sounding splendid. Los Lobos have done a great job of picking their material, with selections including well-known movie songs (like "Bare Necessities" and "Cruella De Villa") as well as Disneyland tunes ("The Tiki, Tiki Tiki Room" and the Haunted Mansion's "Grim Grinning Ghosts"). From the rousing opener "Heigh Ho" through the closing "When You Wish Upon a Star/It's a Small World" instrumental medley, Los Lobos really bring these Disney songs to life in a uniquely vibrant way.
Renee And Jeremy
C'mon
$10, www.reneeandjeremy.com
Renee and Jeremy aren't your typical wife-husband duo making a kids' album. Jeremy once was in a band with Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard and released several major label solo albums, while Renee's songs have surfaced on many prime-time TV shows. Together they make gentle electro-folk music about love, behavior and childlike wonder that is sophisticated enough for parents but simple enough for children. The poppy "Right Now" – with its "I know you want it/But you can't have it/Right now" chorus and "you can't have everything" message – nicely exemplifies the way they can craft tunes that appeal to both adults and kids.
Dan Zanes And Friends
76 Trombones
$19.98, Festival Five Records
"The Music Man"of family music is now performing songs from The Music Man. Dan Zanes has stocked 76 Trombones totally with show tunes, but he approaches them with the same lively folksiness that he has previously treated old folk tunes and public domain standards. This delightful disc, which benefits the children's charity Rosie's Broadway Kids, finds Zanes and his band deftly doing "Hello Dolly" (with Carol Channing herself), covering Annie's "Tomorrow" (in Spanish), and a rockin' rendition of "I Won't Grow Up" from Peter Pan. 76 Trombones heralds another wonderful addition to Zanes' already acclaimed discography – and suggests that he is ready for Broadway.
Bari Koral Family Rock Band
Rock And Roll Garden
$10.99, www.barikoral.com
Bari Koral cultivates a bright and colorful array of tunes in her Rock And Roll Garden. Koral's peppy pop-rock sound resembles that of fellow New Yorker, and kindie music icon, Laurie Berkner. Songs like "Dance All Day" and "Clap It" are energetic numbers for the preschool set, while tracks like "Subway," "Pop," "Uh-Oh" and "The Backpack Song" are especially entertaining and reveal that Koral holds a natural affinity to making music that appeals to the young and the no-longer young.
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