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OK, you know those parenting magazines you skim through at the pediatricians' office (when all you you'd really like to read is a nice Entertainment Weekly or Economist?) that have pictures of cupcakes which make you want to scream "oooooh!"? This is like the kids music video equivalent. Don't click on the picture -- go here to watch "Little Bird, Little Bird" from Elizabeth Mitchell'sYou Are My Little Bird.
More importantly, Mitchell's next album (mastered and mixed, I believe), has a title. Sunny Day. Not You Are My Sunny Day, just Sunny Day. Look for a 2010 release.
Update: Now on YouTube, though not in the highest quality...
Elizabeth Mitchell - "Little Bird, Little Bird" [YouTube]
Tomorrow, Elizabeth Mitchell's fabulous You Are My Sunshine goes where only Dan Zanes has gone before, kids-music-wise (I think), and that's Amazon's mp3 Deal of the Day. That's right, on Wednesday, December 10, you can download the entire mp3 album for just $2.99. Here's my original review (posted 4+ years ago, and written well before that, so forgive me the phrase "one of those albums you may find yourself putting on even when your kids aren't around." Even though it's still true.)
So if you don't have the album, hop to it. Tomorrow, anyway.
It says a lot about the two new ("quite old, but new to you!") tracks from Elizabeth Mitchell that they take two of the most repetitive sing-song melodies and turn them into nearly 2 minutes of very listenable songs. Don't get me wrong, singing "London Bridge" or "Hickory Dickory Dock" with your kid is great, but after two minutes of that I'm usually more than ready to move on. These two tracks, especially the toy piano-accompanied mellow "Bridge," pass the test. I suspect these tracks won't appear on Mitchell's new Smithsonian Folkways album, which'll come out sometime in 2010, but they're nice nonetheless. Listen at her Myspace page for a limited time...
This weekend I wrote a few words in memory of Mike Seeger, who died on Friday at the age of 75. I wrote it -- quickly, probably too quickly -- from the perspective of a listener, not a musician, with an attempt to place him in the broad context on children's music. Elizabeth Mitchelltook issue with my description of his influence on children's music:
"I have to disagree with you though about his contribution to children's music. For me, personally, his work is enormously significant. The two collections that he made along with his family are definitive and essential. They bring Ruth Crawford Seeger's [his mother's] exquisite arrangements to life in extraordinary ways."
And what I've noticed since then is that the strongest, most moving words from folks in the wake of his passing have come from musicians. Witness Bob Dylan's comments -- written in 2004:
"Sometimes you know things have to change... Somebody holds the mirror up, unlocks the door, and your head has to go into a different place. Mike Seeger had that effect on me. He played on all the various planes, the full index of the old-time styles, [and] he played these songs as good as it was possible to play them. What I had to work at, Mike already had in his genes."
"In the past ten or so years, our casual friendship through folk festivals and jam sessions became a deeper one. Longer visits, longer talks, more music. Mike introduced Marcy to the cello banjo of the 1910’s and it was a life-changer. He enjoyed hearing her take the old instrument to new places that honor tradition and stretch it as far as it will go. He gave credibility to our Old Time Banjo Festival with brilliant performances, all the while, listening to and appreciating every note and song played by the other musicians."
What's clear is that while casual fans might have appreciated him, it's the musicians who revered him the most, regardless of whether they play for 2-year-olds or 82-year-olds (or occasionally both simultaneously).
Once again, my condolences to his family and wide circle of friends...
Mike Seeger, Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer & Adam Hurt - "Aint Gonna Work Tomorrow" [YouTube]
Yeah, it's just about as awesome as you'd expect. I especially dig the "doo de do do doo de do de do do" part sung by Storey at the beginning and the end. It's not the torrential downpour of the movie, more like a refreshing spring sprinkle. Listen to Elizabeth Mitchell's rendition here for a limited time.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at 2:43AM 
OK, you know those parenting magazines you skim through at the pediatricians' office (when all you you'd really like to read is a nice Entertainment Weekly or Economist?) that have pictures of cupcakes which make you want to scream "oooooh!"? This is like the kids music video equivalent. Don't click on the picture -- go here to watch "Little Bird, Little Bird" from Elizabeth Mitchell's You Are My Little Bird.
Tomorrow, 
