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Assembling a top-drawer roster of artists from the worlds of music, film, television and theater, Casablanca Kids in conjunction with Flying South Productions (a California-based production company) is offering children an entertaining introduction to the sophisticated arrangements and advanced rhythmic concepts of jazz music in the new Jazz Baby series of compact discs. The first three volumes in the series are set for national release in the U.S. on September 13, 2005.
Jazz Baby is simple in concept: a collection of traditional children's songs, or standards that appeal to children, performed by a variety of distinctive vocalists and interpreted within a jazz framework--that is, with a bit of swing, sophisticated instrumental interplay and adventurous arrangements.
An eclectic artist roster, spanning the globe and featuring major names in the music, television and film worlds, puts the personality into the Jazz Baby concept. On the music side the lineup includes the ambassador of New Orleans R&B and jazz, Dr. John, performing the evergreen "Toy Land," and Manhattan Transfer's Janis Siegel offering up a tasty rendition of "Glow Worm," both of these performances being steered by quadruple Grammy winning producer Joel Dorn. Redoubtable keyboardist Billy Preston, whose resume lists credits ranging from sessions for The Beatles to his own chart-topping hits "Will It Go Round In Circles" and "Nothing from Nothing," joins the party with the enduring "Clementine." The lineup also includes that staunch proponent of the natch'l blues, Taj Mahal, reconsidering the Pete Seeger classic, “If I Had a Hammer,” and Latin/R&B legend Poncho Sanchez. The critically acclaimed veteran song stylist Freddie Cole (Nat's younger brother) offers a tender rendition of "Scarlet Ribbons" that rivals Harry Belafonte's timeless original, and young Chilean phenom Claudia Acuna puts a vibrant new spin on nursery rhyme-turned-jazz standard, "A Tisket, A Tasket" (a song previously trademarked by both Ella Fitzgerald and Anita O'Day).
From the worlds of film and television, much-honored actress Cybill Shepherd checks in with a torchy take on the Irish lullaby "Toora Loora Loora," and veteran actor/comedian Jim Belushi, currently starring in the popular ABC-TV sitcom According to Jim, shows off some solid vocal chops in a sprightly rendition of the country standard, "Mama Don't Allow.” Days of our Lives bad boy, Steve Blackwood (he plays Bart Biederbiecke) checks in with “On Top of Spaghetti” and “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad.” Megan Mullally, the Emmy and three time SAG Award winner for her current role as Karen on the popular Will & Grace rounds out the Jazz Baby series with her rendition of “Home On The Range.”
"After producing several straight ahead jazz CDs, my husband and I produced a couple of baby boys," quips Flying South president and principal producer Lisa Beth Kovetz. "It was then we discovered there was very little music available that we could share with our children. Adult music was too sophisticated for the kids and children's music too annoying for the adults. The idea for Jazz Baby was simple: high quality music parents can share with their children."
Casablanca Kids president Ed Glinert terms Flying South's concept "brilliant for a jazz project for children. We were confident that with the added resources of Casablanca Kids we could develop this concept into a line of original product that would both introduce jazz to children and be embraced by their parents. I am a huge fan of jazz and loved hearing songs I remember singing with my children done in an entirely different style."
Casablanca Kids Inc. is a privately held record label based in Toronto, Canada. The company controls one of the most impressive children's music catalogues in North America. Its artist roster includes veterans with distinguished careers as childrens' entertainers such as Sharon, Lois & Bram, Fred Penner and Jack Grunsky. Company president Ed Glinert has more than 35 years of experience in the entertainment business, as an agent, concert promoter, and for 25 years, as one of the principal entertainment business lawyers in Canada.
Jazz Baby will be distributed in the U.S. by Unicorn Video Inc. Suggested retail price is $9.99.
www.casablancakids.com
For further information contact:
Mary Lenore Arsenault, BopStar-PR Inc.
212-362-5766, mla@BopStar-PR.com
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