Pete Seeger and Julie Andrews Win Children's Grammys

I didn't watch the pre-telecast awards ceremony for the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards this afternoon -- for one thing, I already had other plans, but I also had a sneaking suspicion that I knew who would win the Best Musical Album for Children. When Pete Seeger is nominated in your category, you'd probably best just get out of the way. He was my pick when the nominees were announced and sure enough, he won this afternoon for his album Tomorrow's Children. This article says Seeger was surprised -- "I never thought in a million years we'd win a Grammy," Seeger is quoted as saying -- but I wasn't. I liked Tomorrow's Children and gave away a copy of the album, but didn't feel it was quite as good as Justin Roberts' Jungle Gym or Here Comes Science from They Might Be Giants. Still considering it's only the fourth Grammy for a man who should have so many that he's using them as holders for spare rolls of toilet paper, it's not surprising that he's picking up a few late in his career.

And, yes, as predicted, Julie Andrews also won a Grammy for Julie Andrews' Collection Of Poems, Songs, And Lullabies, beating out Bill Harley and the Healthy Food for Thought kid-comp. Again, hard to begrudge Julie Andrews winning anything at this point...

Congratulations to Pete, Julie, and all the nominees...

Contest: Win Pete Seeger's "Tomorrow's Children"

Pete Seeger has a new album out this week. That's right, 91 years old, and Pete's still recording music and building community. Or is it the other way 'round? He's released Tomorrow's Children, a collection of all-new recordings, and I have a copy courtesy of Appleseed Recordings for one lucky Zooglobble reader. That's right, somebody will win a copy of Pete's latest album, recorded with guests such as Dar Williams and local kids the Rivertown Kids, a group of kids whose classroom Pete regularly visited back in 2007 and who share songwriting credits on some of the tracks here. (It's about 180 degrees from a Kidz Bop album.)

For more details on the album, go here. To enter the contest, just leave a comment below with who else you think Seeger should duet with when he records his next album. Entries are due by Sunday, August 8 at 8 PM West Coast time. I'll pick one commenter randomly and notify them by e-mail. Thanks and good luck!

Happy Birthday, Pete Seeger!

Ninety-one years old today. I'm pretty sure that looking up the phrase "national treasure" in the dictionary will turn up a picture of Pete Seeger. 91 years old, and he's coming out with a new album on July 27 called Tomorrow's Children on Appleseed Recordings. Recorded with kids.

Trying to pick a single YouTube clip to celebrate his birthday is darn near impossible, so we'll go with this old clip in which he teaches folks how to play "Skip To My Lou" on the banjo. He says it's not skill that's important, but passion. The spirit of Pete hovered over KindieFest this weekend, that's for sure... Happy Birthday, Pete.

By the way, if you want to listen to a 2-hour concert featuring the whole Seeger clan (including the late Mike Seeger, plus Peggy Seeger and Pete, of course) -- check out this recording from the Library of Congress).

So, the New Sarah Lee Guthrie / Johnny Irion Kids' CD Is Pretty Good...

Aside from a few scattered mentions, there's been relatively little news regarding Go Waggaloo!, the upcoming kids' album from Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion.

Well, now that the album's got an official cover (there to the left in near thumbnail sizing), a press release, and a release date (October 27), you're probably going to hear quite a bit more about it. Still not impressed (many albums, after all, are released with, you know, an album cover, press release, and on an official date)? Well, it's being released on Smithsonian Folkways (perhaps you've heard her labelmates such as Ella Jenkins, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, or Elizabeth Mitchell?). Oh, did I mention Sarah Lee Guthrie is Woody Guthrie's granddaughter, and she records new music for three of her grandfather's lyrics, a la Mermaid Avenue. Did I mention that Pete Seeger plays on the album?

Well, there's another reason I'm particularly excited...
In a very small way, I'm now forever linked to the Smithsonian Folkways tradition, because the album features some notes from yours truly. OK, in the grand scheme of the album's liner notes, I'm pretty sure I rank a distant third behind Guthrie and Irion's song notes, and Guthrie's dad Arlo's introduction, but I'm there just the same, and I'm pleased as punch to be there.

For obvious reasons, I'm not going to be reviewing the album, but it's a fun album (otherwise I wouldn't have written the notes) and I think families will get a kick out of it. I did.

Note: more details here.

How Much Pete Seeger Is Too Much Pete Seeger?

Pete Seeger might not have an official website of his own -- this Wikipedia page will have to do for a link -- but definitely resides in the 21st century. How many other 90-year-olds do you know who are offering a couple free mp3 downloads to promote their latest release? That's right, Smithsonian Folkways is re-releasing the American Favorite Ballads Volumes 1-5 box set, which itself was an expanded version of a collection of songs recorded from 1957 through 1962. You can go here to download Seeger's renditions of "Buffalo Gals" and "Oh Mary Don't You Weep" and then decide if you need 139 tracks (nearly six hours) of Pete Seeger in his sweet, crystal-clear voice accompanied by his banjo-picking. (You probably do.) Not all of it is "kids music," strictly speaking, but there's more than enough tracks that'll be familiar with anyone with more than a couple kids' disks in their collection.