(Includes: Carmen McRae, vocals; Freddie Hubbard, trumpet & Flugelhorn, Clare Fischer, piano & keyboards; Dave Witham, piano; Putter Smith & Mel Graves, bass; Paul Kreibich, drums; Luis Conte, percussion)
When originally released in 1986 this disc was titled “Lullabies Go Jazz,” and was named a Notable Children’s Recording by the American Library Association. The idea was to bridge jazz and music for children to create some magical moments that would appeal to both children and their parents. Multi-instrumentalist Jon Crosse – the sleeplessness of whose daughter at the time inspired the recordings – produced the album and did all the great arrangements. It’s quite a kick to hear Carmen McRae singing songs such as Baa Baa Black Sheep and Mary Had a Little Lamb!
Well worth picking this up just for that even if you don’t have any little ankle-biters around at the moment. Great fun. I see this as the aural equivalent of some of the animated “family movies” which have come out lately, such as The Incredibles and Over the Hedge, which delight the little ones and still captivate the grownups on an entirely different level.
Tracks: Mary Had a Little Lamb; Ba, Ba, Black Sheep; I Love Little Kitty; Hickory Dickory Dock; Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star; L’Enfant Dors; London Bridge; Golden Slumbers; Three Blind Mice; Mon Petit; Brahms’ Lullaby; All the Pretty Little Horses; Hush Little Baby; Rain, Rain, Go Away; Rock-A-Bye Baby; Sleep, Baby, Sleep; All Night, All Day.
– John Henry
