Servings from the Cereal Bowl

by Dave Loftin

Sarah Lee Guthrie & Family

Go Waggaloo

© 2009 Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

With the name Guthrie, you know this is going to be a great batch of tunes. Sarah Lee Guthrie (youngest daughter of Arlo) and her husband, Johnny Irion, have put together a beautiful collection of songs for the whole family. Go Waggaloo kicks off with a soft and sweet little tune (“Don’t I Fit in Daddy’s Shoes?”) sung from the perspective of “Daddy’s little girl.” Pete Seeger adds his lovely banjo playing to tune. Next is the title track, with lyrics by Sarah’s grandfather, Woody Guthrie; she wrote the music. I never thought the worlds of folk and hip hop would merge very well, but that’s kind of what you get on this song, leaning more toward the folk music side. “Bright Clear Day” also features Woody’s lyrics, with music added from Sarah and Johnny Irion. Sarah Lee Guthrie has now entered the realm of family music, running with the torch handed down from her grandfather. She delivers her take on the genre brilliantly.

Dean Jones (w/the Felice Brothers)

Rock Paper Scissors

© 2009 Dean Jones

Dean Jones picks up the beat on his second solo release. Rock Paper Scissors is the follow-up to his disc of nighttime tunes, Napper’s Delight. Jones (part of the kindie band Dog on Fleas) invites the talented Felice Brothers to accompany him, making this one of the best discs of 2009. The album kicks of with a near-rocking rendition of “Hail! Hail! The Gangs All Here!”. The title track is an amazing, jazzy ragtime song that will have the whole family shuffling around the house like they’re on Bourbon Street. You definitely don’t want to pass up the song “Roncando,” sung by Uncle Rock, about a dad whose snores shake the house. Rock Paper Scissors is an album like many out now in the family music genre; you wouldn’t know it catered to kids if you didn’t listen to the lyrics. When you play this version of “rock, paper, scissors,” there are no losers.

Bari Koral Family Rock Band

Rock and Roll Garden

© 2010 Loopytunes

So apparently The Big Apple is THE place to be if you want your kids in a great music class. Add New York singer/songwriter Bari Koral to the list of amazing music teachers bringing their love for music and kids to the world of family music. On Rock and Roll Garden (her first full-length CD), Bari Koral delivers 11 tracks of rock and pop bliss. “The Backpack Song” is a great little story about finally being big enough to pack your own backpack for school. “Best Friends” kicks up the rock slightly and has a singsong style that, surprisingly, doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out. (I’ve actually found myself singing it when my 4-year-old isn’t around.) One of my favorite tunes on the disc has to be “Big Sounds,” which gives kids the chance to get completely immersed in the song. Rock and Roll Garden is merely a launching pad for what looks to be an amazing career for Bari Koral and, in turn, a heap of great music for you and your kids.